[HANASHIR:17036] RE: Sh'ma

[Stevens, Jennifer <JStevens...>]

Hi List,
 
In a traditional worship service the second line of the Sh'ma text is ONLY said 
aloud on Yom Kippur.  By traditional, I refer quite generally to Orthodox and 
Conservative services.  This text ("Baruch shem k'vod...") is considered the 
key to the heavenly realm and a text which we humans are not supposed to know.  
Rather, only the angels sing it.  One midrash I recall tells that when Moshe 
was in heaven receiving the Torah, he heard this prayer and stole it to bring 
it down to the people.  We recite it aloud on Yom Kippur because we desperately 
want to return to God.  
 
In more liberal worship services such as many Reform services, the line is 
often said aloud in full voice and sometimes said in a softer voice.  The 
softer voice is a way of acknowledging that this is a text we aren't really 
supposed to say.
 
Hope this helps,
Jennifer

-----Original Message-----
From: Susan Linder [mailto:singinwithsusan (at) hotmail(dot)com]
Sent: Tuesday, March 09, 2004 1:28 AM
To: hanashir (at) shamash(dot)org
Subject: [HANASHIR:17031] Sh'ma



Hi!

Just the other day I got a couple of different e-mails regarding the 2nd half 
of Sh'ma and why we say it softly.  I had heard both stories before.  Today, 
the subject came up and my director and I looked at each other because we knew 
the answer, it just wasn't coming out of our mouths.  I went home and 
discovered that I deleted the e-mails regarding this subject.  Would anyone 
mind repeating the message?   Or for that matter, send me your own thoughts on 
the subject.  I want to teach my kids why we do it.  Thanks so much.



Susan


Susan Shane-Linder

"Singin' With Susan"

2003 Children's Music Web Award Winner

Preschool & Religious School Music Director

Congregation B'nai Israel

Boca Raton, Florida

singinwithsusan (at) hotmail(dot)com

www.singinwithsusan.com <http://www.singinwithsusan.com/> 


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