This past הושענא רבה I decided to visit Breuer's (Khal Adath Jeshurun in Washington Heights), having heard that הושענא רבה davening there is a significant attraction, meaning that outsiders who may have little connection to the Kehilloh otherwise nevertheless attend הושענא רבה services there. As I was not at all disappointed, I therefore decided to write about all the unique things I saw there that are difficult to find elsewhere. I will list them in chronological order, i.e. in the order that they occur in the davening.
Shacharis began promptly at 6:55am with Adon Olam. The official מנהג המקום is to wear tefillin on Chol Hamoed, to which end those who do not wear tefillin on Chol Hamoed daven in the Sulzbach Shiur Room next to the main sanctuary until Hallel, where many of those that do wear tefillin take theirs off. The official מנהג המקום is also that everyone wears a talis (even those who are not married), hat (even those who are married), jacket and tie (some wore specifically white ties), in keeping with a proper festive environment. Despite rumors to the contrary, nearly everyone followed this dress code, although it was not specifically enforced as it has been in the past (where, for example, one who did not wear one already was offered a hat and talis, with the clear expectation that they accept the offer).
At this point I will skip to Hallel, as the regular weekday minhogim of Breuer's are beyond the scope of this article, and everything done until that point is more or less the same as a regular weekday (aside from these two pieces in ברכות ק"ש).
In Hallel, Chazzon Ezra Lasdun sang a Modzhitzer B'Tzeis Yisroel (of which I could not find a recording) for לך אזבח and הללו together, followed the official Naanuim Nigun (of which I also could not find a recording), which the Chazzon used for all 4 lines of הודו (indeed, there were naanuim for all 4 lines). After the Chazzon chanted each line, the congregation responded with הודו לה' וכו for all 4 lines, with naanuim (using the same nigun) for each line.
Following Hallel, the Chazzon put down his lulov in a canister next to the omud which was designated to be a lulov holder.
Following Musaf were Hoshaanos. The Aron was opened, three sifrei Torah were taken out by young bochurim who then put down the sifrei Torah on the bimoh and stayed with them for the duration of the Hoshaanos. In many congregations, the Chazzon says each line of Hoshaanos aloud preceded and followed by הושע נא (for example הושע נא למען אמתך הושע נא). Here, however, after the first 4 lines which introduce Hoshaanos any day of Succos, the Chazzon, followed by the Rav, then led the congregation around the shul, all the while singing the Hoshaana paragraphs to tastefully selected popular melodies (meaning, the Chazzon sang למען אמתך למען בריתך etc. together with the congregation without interspersing the lines with הושע נא, besides for the last two lines which were followed by a resounding הושע נא on the part of the congregation). Towards the end of each paragraph the melody would inevitably conclude, at which point the Chazzon would finish the paragraph in Nusach.
Now, while singing the lines of Hoshaanos without interspersing them with הושע נא before and after each line may seem strange at first glance, it should nonetheless be pointed out that in no siddur (of the many that I have encountered) is such an interspersion printed. To that end, while interspersing the lines of Hoshaanos with הושע נא before and after each line is certainly appropriate, it is nevertheless reasonable to assume that these were not part of the original piyyut-form and, as such, Breuer's does not say them. (I was later informed that similar customs are followed in certain Chassidic communities.)
After the initial 7 encirclements, everyone then returned to their seats for the remainder of the Hoshaanos service, which, on הושענא רבה, is lengthened by extra piyutim. The Chazzon finished each of these aloud in a Nusach, followed by the introductory line for the next piyut. Each introductory line was chanted aloud the Chazzon, with a resounding response by the congregation in the same Nusach.
After the very last piyut, the Chazzon chanted קול מבשר מבשר ואומר aloud in Nusach, followed by a resounding response from the congregation of the same in the same. This was done three times, each louder and with more emphasis than the previous. At this point the sifrei Torah were returned to the Aron, and everyone beat their arovoh on the floor two or three times. The concluding Kaddisch was chanted/sung in a festive melody, after which the congregation offered a resounding "Shko'ach!!", thanking the Chazzon for a [not so easy] job well done.
The service concluded with Oleinu, Tehillim, and a Dvar Halochoh from the Rav about מוקצה מחמת מצוה, each of which was followed by Kaddisch [said by one person at a time only, hence the need for multiple קדישים in the first place].
Above: the shtender from where the Rav delivers a Dvar Halochoh, covered with a festive cloth (changed immediately following davening from a white High Holiday cloth)
Overall, I found the davening very inspiring and uplifting. I hope to go back again in the future.
No comments:
Post a Comment