[HANASHIR:3552] Re: This List

[Andy Curry <acurry...>]

Neil, 
You wrote:
>I am troubled by the number of times that I have seen a question phrased "I 
>am doing such and such.  Is this OK?" and many responses coming back "I
would 
>never..." or "Halachically speaking...." ...We are not a council or
governing 
>body. 
 
The questions of which you write might better be phrased "What does halacha
say about..." and "What would you do...".

If I preface a statement with "Halachically speaking", I do so precisely
BECAUSE I want to give information without dictating a course of action.  A
"governing body" I would not bother with the prefacing phrase!

>I think that it is great that someone...wants to do L'cha Dodi when 
>they feel it is appropriate.  Tradition may dictate otherwise, but tradition 
>is also a living thing.

The question, as I recall, was WHETHER L'cha Dodi is appropriate on Shabbat
morning; that question seems to have been well answered.  In some cases,
the answers came from the meaning(s) of the piyut itself, and in other
cases from tradition.  Yes, tradition does live and change, but don't we
want to honor those who came before us by requiring good reasons to reject
their legacies?  (an aside: Reform Judaism has its own strong traditions -
how many older persons have you talked to who, having grown up with the
Union Prayerbook, resent the postmodern changes to their tradition?  I know
quite a few.  The recent tempest in a teapot over the 10 Principles
demonstrates a mirror image of the resistance to change that we might see
in "more traditional" branches.)

>If I want to set a mood by singing Sim Shalom at the 
>beginning of a Friday night service, I think that's peachy.
  
So do I!  But when it comes time to pray the Amida, I would be disappointed
if you substituted
Sim Shalom for Shalom Rav.



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Andy Curry
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E-Mail: acurry (at) cellnet(dot)com
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