Prayer
customs and the treasures of liturgical poetry brought to Israel from the Diaspora
have been the subject of diverse studies in the past few years, encompassing every
community and its customs, every community and its poetry. This classic study,
a translation of Leopold Zunz’s Ritus des synagogalen Gottesdienstes, reviews
the history of prayer customs of diverse communities from ancient times to the nineteenth
century. The author examines the uniqueness of each community, both through the
wording of the permanent prayers and through the treasures of liturgical poetry
recited in the Middle Ages and the Modern Era. Relations and influential
factors between ethnic groups are discussed in detail.
The
introductory chapters present the history of Jewish prayer since the Geonic
period, including the formation of the first prayer books; the creation of
communal manuscripts; the impact of print; and the creation of fixed forms of public
prayer. The study takes account of: books of Jewish law dealing with prayer; books
of customs; exegeses on prayer and liturgical poetry; translations of Hebrew
prayer into other languages; additions to and deletions from liturgical texts; the
status and role of the prayer leader; the influence of mysticism and kabbalah;
the influences of censorship and the Enlightenment. Other chapters are
dedicated to the prayers of Yom Kippur, the status of Slichot prayers, debates on integrating liturgical poetry into public prayers,
and a description of the Karaite prayer book.
For
many years, Zunz’s study, originally published in 1859, served as a fundamental
textbook for research on the history of prayer. This
contemporary Hebrew translation includes research updates, many clarifications,
and detailed indexes; among them an index of prayers, an index of prayer
customs, an index of liturgical poetry, and an index of early manuscripts and
printings of the prayer books mentioned in the study. In addition, the Hebrew
edition includes notes and additions found on the author's personal copy, never
to have been published before.