P’sukei D’Zimrah – Preparatory Readings and Songs
P’sukei D’Zimrah (“verses of song”) serve as a ‘liturgical warm-up’ before the rest of the morning prayers service. At KBI, we recite the entire set of songs, mostly privately. This usually takes about 20 minutes at the start of our Shabbat morning service.
The Sh’ma and Its Blessings
Sh’ma is a declaration of Jewish faith and a centrepiece of Jewish prayer services. This section begins with a call to worship for which Jews stand and proclaim, “Praise God to Whom our praise is due!” The essence of this part of the service is the proclamation of our faith: “Hear, O Israel: the Lord is our God, the Lord is One!”.
The Amidah
The Amidah is a central prayer in every Jewish service. It is recited standing up (“amidah” in Hebrew means “standing”). It is typically recited twice: first quietly by the congregation, then repeated aloud by the Chazzan (Cantor). The Amidah is modified on various occasions, with content changing slightly according to the day of the week, the time of year, and on Festivals. This section ends with a prayer for peace.
Reading and Interpretation of the Torah
The fourth part of the Shabbat service is the reading and interpretation of Torah. The Torah reading can be found in the chumash (large red books by the sanctuary entrance). Blessings for these portions are chanted before and after each of the readings, thanking God for the gift of teaching and for the prophets and sages who interpreted God’s teaching. The reading of the Torah is usually preceded or followed by a lesson on the weekly Torah portion offered by the Rabbi. This sermon is called a D’var Torah, meaning “a word of Torah”.
The Haftarah
Following the reading from the Torah, we chant a selection from the writings of the Prophets (ie., Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, etc.). This reading is called the Haftarah (which in Hebrew means the “closing” section of the readings). Each prophetic portion was chosen by the ancient rabbis to match the themes in that week’s Torah portion or to reflect thoughts of the season. This reading can also be found in the chumash.
Conclusion of the Service
After the Torah reading, we return to the siddur for the last part of the service. The service concludes with a summation prayer called Aleinu that evokes a vision of healing for all that is broken in the world. Mourners recite a prayer called the Kaddish (whose meaning is “sanctification”), which praises God even in the face of death. The Kaddish is an affirmation of life, of our belief in the holiness and dominion of God, and our hope for a better world for all of God’s children.
On Shabbat and other holidays, we add another prayer service called Musaf (meaning “additional” or “supplementary” service) at the end of the main morning service. The exact content varies by occasion, but it is often a shorter service consisting of several features from the main service, including introductory blessings and another Amidah.
Kiddush and HaMotzi
Kiddush is the Hebrew word for sanctification. The kiddush prayer is chanted over a cup of wine to bless the Sabbath. An honouree ritually washes their hands and recites HaMotzi, the blessing before eating bread. The response to both prayers is “Amen”.