Jewish Liturgy

Ruth Langer is professor of Jewish studies in the Theology Department at Boston College and associate director of its Center for Christian–Jewish Learning. She received her rabbinic ordination and PhD from Hebrew Union College–Jewish Institute of Religion, Cincinnati. She publishes widely in the fields of Jewish liturgy and Christian–Jewish relations.

Boston College professor Rabbi Langer presents a comprehensive bibliography of works available in English that address the origins, development, meanings, context, and approaches to Jewish liturgy 'from its prehistory in the Second Temple period to today.' Over 1,000 annotated entries are organized by historical era and theme. The introduction provides an overview of the liturgy and commentaries that developed around it. Topics are introduced in their historical or scholarly context, then delineated into related subtopics. For example, the chapter 'Second Temple-Era Liturgy and Worship' includes subsections treating the Dead Sea Scrolls, Philo, Josephus, temple worship, and prayer language. Examples of other chapters include 'Life Cycle Rituals,' 'Women and Prayer,' and 'Comparisons with Early Christian Liturgy.' Entries are enumerated, with some works listed under multiple sections and properly cross-referenced. The brief annotations summarize each work and often include evaluations of their strengths, weaknesses, and scholarly level. The glossary, abbreviations key, and index are helpful additions. Originally proposed as a work 'geared primarily to Christian seminary contexts,' this book would be of most benefit to readers who have some background knowledge in the field. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-level undergraduates through faculty/researchers; professionals/practitioners.

• 1 Introduction1.1 This Bibliography and Additional Resources1.2 Hebrew Transliteration1.2.1 Consonants1.2.2.Vowels1.3 Introduction to Rabbinic Literature1.3.1 Halakhic Literature1.3.1.1 Mishnah Translations1.3.1.2 Talmud Translations1.3.1.2.1 Babylonian Talmud1.3.1.2.2 Jerusalem Talmud1.3.2 Midrash1.4 Historical Overview of Rabbinic Liturgy1.5 The Structure of the Prayer Book1.5.1 The Berakhah1.5.1.1 God’s Name1.5.2 Preliminary Prayers1.5.3 The Recitation of Shema1.5.4 The Amidah1.5.5 Ta?anun/Supplicatory Prayers1.5.6 Reading Scripture1.5.7 Concluding Prayers1.6 Chronological Overview of Key Trends in Jewish Liturgical Scholarship1.6.1 Recent Bibliographic Overviews of Scholarship on Rabbinic Liturgy1.7 Comprehensive Studies1.7.1 Monographs1.7.1.1 Entry-level Texts1.7.1.2 Texts for More Advanced Study1.7.2 Collections of Scholarly Articles1.7.3 Overview Essays1.7.4 Collections of Prayer Texts2 Second Temple-Era Liturgy and Worship2.1 In General2.1.1 Prayer Texts2.1.2 Secondary Discussions2.1.3 Penitential Prayer2.2 Dead Sea Scrolls2.2.1 General Resources2.2.2 Qumran Prayer Texts2.2.3 Secondary Discussions: General2.2.3.1 Monographs2.2.3.2 Collections of Articles2.2.3.3 Overview Articles2.2.4 Secondary Discussions: Specific Issues2.2.4.1 Dead Sea Scrolls and the Origins of Rabbinic Liturgy2.2.4.1.1 Angelic Liturgy2.2.4.1.2 Petitionary and Penitential Prayer2.2.4.2 Rituals and Liturgies for Specific Seasons2.2.4.3 Relationship to the Jerusalem Temple2.3 Philo2.4 Josephus2.5 Temple Worship2.5.1 Temple Rituals2.5.2 Rabbinic(-Type) Liturgy in the Temple2.5.3 Ritual Responses to the Loss of the Temple2.6 Prayer Language2.6.1 Hebrew, Greek, and/or Aramaic?2.6.2 Composition of Prayers3 The Synagogue as an Institution3.1 General Bibliography3.1.1 Monographs3.1.2 Collections of Articles3.1.3 Overview Articles3.2 Origins3.2.1 The Second Temple-Era Synagogue3.2.2 Associations3.3 Early Christian Intersections3.4 Late-Antique Synagogues3.4.1 In the Land of Israel 3.4.1.1 Sepphoris3.4.2 In the Diaspora 3.4.2.1 Dura Europos3.4.2.2 Ostia Antiqua3.4.2.3 Sardis3.4.3 Samaritan Synagogues3.5 Medieval and Modern Synagogues3.6 Synagogue and Temple post 70 CE3.7 Synagogue Art, Architecture, and Ritual Objects3.7.1 Late-Antique Synagogue Art3.7.2 Medieval and Modern Synagogue Art and Architecture3.7.3 Specific Elements3.7.3.1 Architectural Elements: Torah Ark, Bimah, etc.3.7.3.2 Menorah3.7.3.3 Seat of Moses3.7.3.4 Zodiac3.8 Women in the Synagogue3.8.1 Me?itzah3.8.2 In Ancient Synagogues3.8.3 In Medieval to Pre-20th c. Synagogues3.8.4 In Contemporary Synagogues3.9 Liturgical Functionaries4 The Historical Emergence of Jewish Liturgy4.1 Liturgy in the Era of the Tannaim and Amoraim (Mishnah and Talmud)4.2 Medieval Liturgy4.2.1 Geonic (Early Medieval) Liturgy4.2.1.1. Seder Rav Amram Gaon4.2.1.2 Geniza Texts4.2.2 High Medieval Liturgy4.2.2.1 Moses Maimonides4.2.2.2 Prayer Books and their Evolution4.2.2.3 European Rites4.3 Modernity4.3.1 Early Modern Liturgy4.3.2 Contemporary Rites and Movements4.3.2.1 Orthodox4.3.2.1.1 Ashkenazi Rite4.3.2.1.1.1 Minhag Ashkenaz (Ashkenazi “Custom”)4.3.2.1.1.2 Nusa? S’fard (Sefardi Rite)4.3.2.1.2 Minhag Sefarad: Iberian Rites4.3.2.1.2.1 Eastern Sefardi (Mizra?i)4.3.2.1.2.2. Spanish and Portuguese4.3.2.1.3 Italian4.3.2.2 Reform Judaism4.3.2.2.1 Secondary Discussions4.3.2.2.1.1 In General4.3.2.2.1.2 In Europe4.3.2.2.1.3 In North America4.3.2.2.1.4 In Israel4.3.2.2.2 Reform Movement Prayer Books4.3.2.3 Conservative Judaism4.3.2.3.1 Secondary Discussions4.3.2.3.2 Conservative Movement Prayer Books4.3.2.4 Reconstructionist Movement4.3.2.4.1 Secondary Discussions4.3.2.4.2 Reconstructionist Movement Prayer Books4.3.2.5 Recent Phenomena5 Weekday Prayers5.1 The Berakhah5.2 The Shema and its Blessings5.2.1 Pre- and Non-Rabbinic Manifestations5.2.1.1 The Nash Papyrus and the Decalogue5.2.1.2 Second Temple Evidence5.2.1.3 Christian Evidence5.2.2 Origins and Early Rabbinic Developments5.2.3 Theological Discussions5.3 The Amidah5.3.1 Precursors, Origins and Early Rabbinic Developments5.3.1.1 Scholarship Before Heinemann5.3.1.2 Recent Scholarship5.3.2 Studies of (Clusters of) Blessings5.3.2.1 Opening Blessings (Praise)5.3.2.1.1 Avot (1)5.3.2.1.2 Gevurot (2)5.3.2.1.3 Qedushah (3)5.3.2.2 Intermediate Weekday Blessings (Petitions)5.3.2.2.1 Birkat HaMinim (12)5.3.2.3 Concluding Blessings (Thanksgiving)5.3.2.4 Seasonal Inserts5.3.3 Other5.4 Torah Reading5.4.1 The Torah Scroll and its Accoutrements5.4.2 Chanting Scripture5.4.3 Targum (Aramaic Translation)5.4.4 Sermons5.4.5 Prayer for the Government5.5 Qedushah5.6 Introductory Prayers and Birkhot HaSha?ar (Morning Benedictions)5.7 Recitation of Psalms5.8 Ta?anun5.9 Concluding Prayers6 Birkat HaMazon (Grace after Meals)6.1 Precursors6.2 Rabbinic Liturgy6.2.1 The Zimmun (Invitation to the Grace)7 Sabbath and Holiday Liturgies7.1 Jewish Calendar7.2 Shabbat (Sabbath)7.3 Pilgrimage Festivals7.3.1 Pesa? (Passover)7.3.1.1 Haggadah7.3.1.1.1 Texts7.3.1.1.2 Secondary Studies7.3.1.2 Synagogue Liturgy7.3.2 Shavuot (Feast of Weeks)7.3.3 Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles/Booths), Shemini Atzeret (Eighth Day of Assembly) and Sim?at Torah (Rejoicing in the Torah)7.4 High Holy Days7.4.1 In General7.4.2 Prayer Books7.4.3 Specific Prayers (Both Days)7.4.3.1 Unetaneh Toqef7.4.4 Rosh HaShanah (New Year)7.4.5 Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement)7.4.5.1 Specific Prayers7.4.5.1.1 Kol Nidre (All Vows…)7.4.5.1.2 Seli?ot (Penitential Poetry)7.4.5.1.3 Vidui (Confession)7.4.5.1.4 Yizkor (Memorial Prayers)7.4.5.1.5 Seder HaAvodah (Order of the Temple Service)7.5 Minor Holidays7.5.1 Rosh ?odesh (New Month)7.5.2 Purim7.5.3 Hanukkah7.5.4 Tu BiShevat (Arbor Day)7.5.5 Yom HaAtzma’ut (Israeli Independence Day)7.6 Fast Days and Days Commemorating Tragedies7.6.1 Tisha B’Av (9th of Av)7.6.1.1. Liturgies7.6.2 Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Memorial Day)7.6.2.1 Liturgies8 Life Cycle Rituals8.1 Comprehensive Discussions8.2 Birth Rituals8.2.1 Brit Milah (Circumcision)8.2.2 Naming Girls8.2.3 Pidyon HaBen (Redeeming the First Born Son)8.3 Bar and Bat Mitzvah8.4 Marriage8.5 Death and Mourning9 Piyyut (Liturgical Poetry)9.1 Introductory Discussions9.2 Piyyut in English Translation9.3 Secondary Discussions9.3.1 Performance and Participation9.3.2 Use of the Bible9.3.3 Other10 Extra-Textual Aspects of Liturgy10.1 General Discussions10.2 Minyan (Community)10.3 Posture and Gesture10.4 Language10.5 Music and Silence10.5.1 Music in Ashkenazi Contexts10.5.2 Music in Sefardi Contexts10.5.3 Instrumental Music10.6 Revitalizing the Contemporary Synagogue10.7 Liturgical Garb10.7.1 Kippah (Yarmulke, Skull Cap)10.7.2 Tallit (Prayer Shawl)10.7.3 Tefillin (Phylacteries)10.7.3.1 Women and Tefillin11 Spiritual Practices: Mystical, Magical and Apotropaic Prayer11.1 Heikhalot Mysticism11.2 ?asidei Ashkenaz11.3 Pietists in the Muslim World11.4 Kabbalah11.4.1 Primary Texts in Translation11.4.2 Secondary Discussions11.5 Hasidism11.5.1 Primary Texts in Translation11.5.2 Secondary Discussions11.6 Magic12 Women and Prayer12.1 Contemporary Halakhic Discussions12.2 Texts of Women’s Prayers12.3 Secondary Discussions13 Comparisons with Early Christian Liturgy13.1 Early Christian Evidence for Jewish Prayer13.2 The Eucharist and Jewish Table Liturgies13.3 The Lord’s Prayer13.4 The Apostolic Constitutions14 Theological Discussions14.1 Pre-Contemporary14.1.1 Moses Maimonides14.2 Contemporary14.2.1 Abraham Isaac Kook14.3 Specific Topics14.3.1 Kavvanah14.3.2 Petitionary PrayerGlossaryAbbreviationsIndexAbout the Author