[HANASHIR:11284] Re: Peace songs.

[Jennifer Stevens <srtalina...>]

To put in two itty bitty cents here without trying to be particularly 
incendiary....


>From: Sholom Simon <sholom (at) aishdas(dot)org>
>Reply-To: hanashir (at) shamash(dot)org
>To: hanashir (at) shamash(dot)org
>Subject: [HANASHIR:11280] Re: Peace songs.

Judah wrote:
> >Nothing written about peace, as far as I'm concerned, is completely free
> >from political posturing.
>
Sholom wrote:
>Sim Shalom?  Oseh Shalom?  Shalom Rav?  Birkas Kohanim?  Political 
>posturing?

And I comment:
Perhaps not political posturing, but I would argue that at least the first 
three are not totally inclusive of non-Jews when you look at the 
"traditional" text.

As an example (bear with me if I miss something, I'm trying to remember the 
words using Julie Silver's melody since my Artscroll is at home):

Sim shalom tova uv'racha
Chein vachesed v'rachamim
Aleinu v'al kol Yisrael amcha

My rough translation - Create peace and a blessing... Upon all of your 
nation of Israel.

As much as I would like to believe that this is a prayer for world peace, it 
is a specific prayer for the people Israel based on literal translation.  I 
can argue that peace for the people Israel won't happen without world peace, 
but the prayer isn't asking "sim shalom aleinu v'al kol ha'olam".

Without going into the other 2 not-so-inclusive prayers (Oseh Shalom, Shalom 
Rav), I only want to point out that a non-Jew unfamiliar with the context of 
these prayers or with individual Jews' intentions when reciting these 
prayers may read them in a way which makes the Jewish people seem as though 
they only want peace for themselves and not for anyone else.

This is not to say I personally interpret any of the aforementioned prayers 
in such a way.  When I recite said prayers, I tend to be thinking much more 
globally than the prayer is written.  However, I think it is important to 
toss out a possible interpretation as food for thought.

Apologies in advance if this is a bit off-topic.  I figure that 
understanding the liturgy is a good way for us to know how best to express 
it musically. :)

Jennifer


"Change is inevitable; Growth is optional"
-Gary S. Insch


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