[HANASHIR:1407] Re: sacrifice

[Joel Siegel <siegeljd...>]

I'm not a full-time cantor, and I think this is one of the reasons why :-)

It's also one of the reasons, or at least a sub-text, of why these days I
prefer
not to "do gigs" for the Yamim Noraim (what a wonderful double entendre
that is for those who take on Jewish leadership roles, eh?)  The thing is,
I like to *davven* on the YN's and when I'm "leading", at least in a Reform
context, I find that very difficult... 'cause I'm thinking about what page
we're
on, what I need to do next, where the capo goes... whether the choir is in
step,
whether if there's another accompanist, if that person is in step... kinda
takes
away from the davvening, you know?  It's not so much the constant singing...
I'm whipped even if I'm "merely" davvening in the congregation after a long
fast.

There's a flip side to the "whipped" feeling, and I think it's in part what
the
fast is supposed to be for... the idea of "trying on death" (not doing
corporeal
stuff like food drink bathing sex..... dressing in tachrichim.... etc... being

both like the dead and the angels at the same time) -- leaving the body behind

-- after a good long fast with lots of davvening i'm physically blasted but
spiritually transported.  after a day of making sure i'm on the right page,
with the choir and accompanists all in time.... somehow i haven't quite
gone to the same place.

maybe that's also why i like a traditional machzor (despite the national
chauvinism and sexism... *sigh*) -- there's more hebrew text, sort
of extended mantra, to get lost in... and few to no responsive readings
(feh!)

So that brings me to my ideal congregation.... one in which there are many
knowledgeable people, who can do the davvening and lead it... so lots
of people take the bima at different times, and the rest of the time they all
get to be among the multitudes raising the energy and davvening.

not to mention one of the great things about hava nashira....
kein y'hi ratzon!

sorry 'bout the stream of consciousness... hope it was at least on topic...

shabbat shalom... & a sweet year... be happy!  it's almost sukkot!

v'samachtem b'chageichem...

joel

eblank wrote:

> Janet:  I used Gates of Repentance too, and I was just whipped after Yom
> Kippur, plus, I was so sick of the sound of my own voice that I can't
> imagine how the congregation felt about it.  At least I got them to sing
> along some! Emily
>
> ----------
> > From: Janet(dot)PAPE (at) oecd(dot)org
> > To: hanashir (at) shamash(dot)org
> > Subject: [HANASHIR:1398] sacrifice
> > Date: Friday, October 02, 1998 4:12 AM
> >
> > I know that the Gates of Repentance is much less taxing on the
> > cantor/soloist than my current machzor, but for those with more
> traditional
> > machzors, does anyone else feel like it's the cantor/soloist who is being
> > sacrificed?  I mean, I'm an exhausted heap after YK, especially after the
> > last Amidah and what follows to the end.
> >
> > Janet Pape