Saturday
Morning Services During a Bar/Bat Mitzvah
The Rite of Passage: Jacob’s
Bar Mitzvah
The words Bar Mitzvah themselves are from Aramaic-Hebrew and literally
mean "A male to whom the commandments pertain." This means
that this child has "reached the age of legal maturity" and
therefore becomes "obligated to observe all the commandments".
Morning Blessings (page 10 - 11)
We begin with Morning Blessings. These blessings acknowledge God's presence
in the everyday world."
Study
We will read a selection from the Bible and from rabbinic teachings
to uplift us as we prepare for prayer. Two thousand years ago, the ancient
Israelites related to God via sacrifices; today, one way we strive to
reach is through study and prayer."
Kaddish De-Rabbanan (page 20)
We say the Kaddish De-Rabbanan after the study of Torah, we praise God
and pray for teachers and students.
Psukei d'Zimra (page 54)
Psukei d'Zimra consists of a selection of songs designed to put us in
the mood for prayer. It opens with a song "Baruch sh'amar"
that praises God's creation. We then continue with a few selections
from the book of Psalms, and finishes up "Nishmat kol Hai"--"The
Breath of all Life".
Psalm 136 (page 72)
This ancient Psalm praises God for his goodness and was probably recited
by a choir in the Temple. The congregation answers each statement saying
"Ki le’olam chasdo" (his love endures forever). Even
if you aren't particularly familiar with Hebrew, feel free to join in.
Nishmat (page 334)
Praises God for creating all creatures and guiding the world with kindness.
Hatzi Kaddish (page 338)
Having prepared our mouths for prayer, we will begin the Morning Service
with the Barchu, the official call to prayer. Barchu begins with a line
recited the leader with the congregation's response, as if to ask, "Are
you ready to pray?"
K’riat Sh’ma (page 340)
The first blessing before the Sh'ma, the central declaration which recognizes
God as the creator of the universe.
Ahava Raba (page 346)
Having acknowledged God as creator of the world in the first blessing
the Sh'ma, the second blessing before the Sh'ma is Ahava Raba, which
recognizes God's gifts to us as individuals.
Sh’ma (page 346)
A declaration that there is one God
.
Ve’ahavta (page 346)
The following paragraphs tell us that if we obey God, we will be rewarded.
We are also commanded to wear tzitzit as a reminder of God’s presence.
Michamokha (page 352)
The children of Israel while crossing the red sea during the Exodus
from Egypt sang this song. It proclaims God’s awesome power by
creating miracles.
Amidah (page 354)
This prayer is done silently while standing. We again praise God, the
God of our ancestors, the God of loving-kindness.
Kedusha (page 356)
The Kedusha is the capstone of communal prayer. Only recited when there
is a "minyan", a quorum of ten worshippers, the Kedusha is
said to be recited by angels. We rise to our toes while reciting "Holy,
Holy, Holy, the Lord of Hosts, the entire world is filled with God's
glory."
The remainder is said silently while standing. Take your time with the
"Amidah". Although we seem to rely on a fixed liturgy, Jews
relied for thousands of years on spontaneous prayer. Use the recommendations
of the Siddur (prayer-book), or make up your own prayers.
Torah Service
The Torah service is the "Adult Education syllabus" of the
Jewish people. Each year, we read the scrolls of the Torah from the
story of creation up until the end of Deuteronomy, as Moses passes away
on Mount Nebo. We will be reading from the book of Deuteronomy.
On Shabbat, seven people from the community will be called up to the
Torah for an aliya —in contrast to weekdays (Mondays and Thursdays),
on which three people are called up to read from the Torah.
Mafter Aliya
Jacob is called to the Torah.
Haftarah
After seven people read from the Torah (the five books of Moses), Jacob
will repeat a section of the Torah reading and then read from the Prophets.
Under Roman occupation in the first century CE, Jews were not permitted
to read from the Torah, so they began a long-standing tradition of reading
from Prophets. Although we regained our right to read from the Torah,
the message of the Prophets is so compelling that we have never put
them down.
Jacob’s Haftarah is a special selection chosen for Shabbat Shuvah,
the Shabbat that falls between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. It focuses
on the theme of repentance, which permeates the High Holy Days liturgy.
"Return O Israel, to the Eternal your God, for you have stumbled
in your iniquity. Take words with you and return to the Eternal, and
say: Forgive all iniquity and accept the good; and we will offer the
fruit of our lips." (Hosea, 14:2-3)
Candy
After Jacob completes his Haftarah, candy will be thrown To celebrate
the joyous occasion. The candy represents the sweetness of his Bar Mitzvah.
We will sing a song, "Siman tov u'mazal tov"--"May this
joyous occasion be a sign of good fortune for all of us."
Speech
As Jacob's bar mitzvah symbolizes his full acceptance into the Jewish
adult community, he will teach us his own "Torah"--that is,
he will make his own unique contribution to the wisdom of the ages.
Musaf
Holidays and Sabbaths are not only seen as a time for physical rest,
but also as a time of potential closeness to God. To this end, Jews
have always used this time to add to the regular measure of thrice-daily
prayer an "additional service"--the Musaf.
Hatzi Kaddish (page 428)
This signifies a new section, which includes the amidah and kiddusha.
Ein Keiloheinu (page 508)
None compares to our God, we thank God.
Aleinu (page 510)
We express our hope for a time in which the idols of our material world
are rejected in favor of the higher ideals of "Tikkun olam"--reshaping
the world into a better place.
Mourners Kaddish (page 512)
Those who are in mourning or who are marking an anniversary of a death,
rise to recite the Kaddish.
Adon Olam (page 514)
We close with a hymn from the Middle Ages. Adon Olam is beloved not
only for the substance of its verses but for its incredible musical
flexibility. Adon Olam can be sung to everything from "America
the Beautiful" to the theme.
Thank you for joining us in celebrating as Jacob was called to the Torah
as a Bar Mitzvah.
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