Sunday, June 28, 2009

Amen

From the Chief Rabbi, a new siddur, Pirkei Avot 1:2 states: Upon three things the world stands: The Torah; The worship of God; The bestowal of lovingkindness. -Shimon the Righteous" this work attempts to address number two: prayer:

From Haaretz

"what's so special about this siddur is [Rabbi Sacks' ability] to express and reconcile the angst of a modern Orthodox Jew living in the Diaspora. If you are Haredi, you have no [religious] conflicts. You live in your world, and you know that's your world. If you are secular, you have no conflict either, because you don't really follow anything. A modern Orthodox Jew outside of Israel has identity issues."

From CJN

Authorities cited

"ArtScroll has a very narrow list of “kosher” authorities to quote in its notes. Even the insights of renowned modern Orthodox scholars such as Nechama Leibowitz aren’t included. Rabbi Joseph Soloveichik is also excluded all or most of the time. KorenSacks takes a very different approach, citing many modern Orthodox scholars, but also others, from the most haredi to the most modern. The brilliant insights into prayer of the non-Orthodox Jewish philosopher, Franz Rosenzweig, play a significant role in Rabbi Sacks’s introduction. Other writers cited include the author Leo Tolstoy, the scientist Benoit Mandelbrot, and the atheist philosopher Sir Bernard Williams, who Sacks tells us is “described as the most brilliant mind in Britain.” This prayer book subscribes to the idea that wisdom is found in many sources, not just in the writings of Orthodox rabbis."

From The Jewish Week

"The Koren Siddur beckons not only toward worship but toward thoughtful study. This siddur has retained the practical halachic instructions innovated by Artscroll, and the chief rabbi never flags in his commitment to assist the worshipper in the experience of dialogue, providing strategies of engagement with the prayers...although the Koren Siddur is certainly a halachic one, its centering in Israel makes it a less overtly denominational work. Sages of the yeshivot speak primarily to the spectrum of Orthodoxy. The ArtScroll’s use of “Hashem” for God, for example, functions as an encryption device warning non-Orthodox readers away. In the Koren version, “God” is back and the Israel orientation suggests the possibility of a prayer book for the people who call Israel “home.” There is halachic precision for the traditionally devout, thoughtful spirituality and exploration for the searcher, and a sensitive translation of the classical liturgy as a sourcebook for students of all perspectives."

Its out now, I expect to pick up a copy in the coming weeks.

1 comments:

Sheryl said...

Thanks for blog. For your readers: the siddur you describe is The Koren Sacks Siddur: www.korensiddur.com