Ruth Langer
Boston College, Theology, Faculty Member
- Ruth Langer is Professor of Jewish Studies in the Theology Department at Boston College and Associate Director of it... moreRuth 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 Ph.D. in Jewish Liturgy in 1994 and her rabbinic ordination in 1986 from Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion in Cincinnati. She is a graduate of Bryn Mawr College and a native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She writes and speaks in two major areas: the development of Jewish liturgy and ritualedit
Monographs of the Hebrew Union College 1. Lewis M. Barth, An Analysis of Vatican 30 2 Samson H. Levey, The Messiah: An Aramaic Interpretation 3 Ben Zion Wacholder, Eupolemus: A Study ofJudaeo-Greek Literature 4 Richard Victor Bergren, The... more
Monographs of the Hebrew Union College 1. Lewis M. Barth, An Analysis of Vatican 30 2 Samson H. Levey, The Messiah: An Aramaic Interpretation 3 Ben Zion Wacholder, Eupolemus: A Study ofJudaeo-Greek Literature 4 Richard Victor Bergren, The Prophets and the Law 5 Benny ...
1 Introduction 1.1 This Bibliography and Additional Resources 1.2 Hebrew Transliteration 1.2.1 Consonants 1.2.2.Vowels 1.3 Introduction to Rabbinic Literature 1.3.1 Halakhic Literature 1.3.1.1 Mishnah Translations 1.3.1.2 Talmud... more
1 Introduction 1.1 This Bibliography and Additional Resources 1.2 Hebrew Transliteration 1.2.1 Consonants 1.2.2.Vowels 1.3 Introduction to Rabbinic Literature 1.3.1 Halakhic Literature 1.3.1.1 Mishnah Translations 1.3.1.2 Talmud Translations 1.3.1.2.1 Babylonian Talmud 1.3.1.2.2 Jerusalem Talmud 1.3.2 Midrash 1.4 Historical Overview of Rabbinic Liturgy 1.5 The Structure of the Prayer Book 1.5.1 The Berakhah 1.5.1.1 God's Name 1.5.2 Preliminary Prayers 1.5.3 The Recitation of Shema 1.5.4 The Amidah 1.5.5 Tahanun/Supplicatory Prayers 1.5.6 Reading Scripture 1.5.7 Concluding Prayers 1.6 Chronological Overview of Key Trends in Jewish Liturgical Scholarship 1.6.1 Recent Bibliographic Overviews of Scholarship on Rabbinic Liturgy 1.7 Comprehensive Studies 1.7.1 Monographs 1.7.1.1 Entry-level Texts 1.7.1.2 Texts for More Advanced Study 1.7.2 Collections of Scholarly Articles 1.7.3 Overview Essays 1.7.4 Collections of Prayer Texts 2 Second Temple-Era Liturgy and Worship 2.1 In General 2.1.1 Prayer Texts 2.1.2 Secondary Discussions 2.1.3 Penitential Prayer 2.2 Dead Sea Scrolls 2.2.1 General Resources 2.2.2 Qumran Prayer Texts 2.2.3 Secondary Discussions: General 2.2.3.1 Monographs 2.2.3.2 Collections of Articles 2.2.3.3 Overview Articles 2.2.4 Secondary Discussions: Specific Issues 2.2.4.1 Dead Sea Scrolls and the Origins of Rabbinic Liturgy 2.2.4.1.1 Angelic Liturgy 2.2.4.1.2 Petitionary and Penitential Prayer 2.2.4.2 Rituals and Liturgies for Specific Seasons 2.2.4.3 Relationship to the Jerusalem Temple 2.3 Philo 2.4 Josephus 2.5 Temple Worship 2.5.1 Temple Rituals 2.5.2 Rabbinic(-Type) Liturgy in the Temple 2.5.3 Ritual Responses to the Loss of the Temple 2.6 Prayer Language 2.6.1 Hebrew, Greek, and/or Aramaic? 2.6.2 Composition of Prayers 3 The Synagogue as an Institution 3.1 General Bibliography 3.1.1 Monographs 3.1.2 Collections of Articles 3.1.3 Overview Articles 3.2 Origins 3.2.1 The Second Temple-Era Synagogue 3.2.2 Associations 3.3 Early Christian Intersections 3.4 Late-Antique Synagogues 3.4.1 In the Land of Israel 3.4.1.1 Sepphoris 3.4.2 In the Diaspora 3.4.2.1 Dura Europos 3.4.2.2 Ostia Antiqua 3.4.2.3 Sardis 3.4.3 Samaritan Synagogues 3.5 Medieval and Modern Synagogues 3.6 Synagogue and Temple post 70 CE 3.7 Synagogue Art, Architecture, and Ritual Objects 3.7.1 Late-Antique Synagogue Art 3.7.2 Medieval and Modern Synagogue Art and Architecture 3.7.3 Specific Elements 3.7.3.1 Architectural Elements: Torah Ark, Bimah, etc. 3.7.3.2 Menorah 3.7.3.3 Seat of Moses 3.7.3.4 Zodiac 3.8 Women in the Synagogue 3.8.1 Mehitzah 3.8.2 In Ancient Synagogues 3.8.3 In Medieval to Pre-20th c. Synagogues 3.8.4 In Contemporary Synagogues 3.9 Liturgical Functionaries 4 The Historical Emergence of Jewish Liturgy 4.1 Liturgy in the Era of the Tannaim and Amoraim (Mishnah and Talmud) 4.2 Medieval Liturgy 4.2.1 Geonic (Early Medieval) Liturgy 4.2.1.1. Seder Rav Amram Gaon 4.2.1.2 Geniza Texts 4.2.2 High Medieval Liturgy 4.2.2.1 Moses Maimonides 4.2.2.2 Prayer Books and their Evolution 4.2.2.3 European Rites 4.3 Modernity 4.3.1 Early Modern Liturgy 4.3.2 Contemporary Rites and Movements 4.3.2.1 Orthodox 4.3.2.1.1 Ashkenazi Rite 4.3.2.1.1.1 Minhag Ashkenaz (Ashkenazi "Custom") 4.3.2.1.1.2 Nusah S'fard (Sefardi Rite) 4.3.2.1.2 Minhag Sefarad: Iberian Rites 4.3.2.1.2.1 Eastern Sefardi (Mizrahi) 4.3.2.1.2.2. Spanish and Portuguese 4.3.2.1.3 Italian 4.3.2.2 Reform Judaism 4.3.2.2.1 Secondary Discussions 4.3.2.2.1.1 In General 4.3.2.2.1.2 In Europe 4.3.2.2.1.3 In North America 4.3.2.2.1.4 In Israel 4.3.2.2.2 Reform Movement Prayer Books 4.3.2.3 Conservative Judaism 4.3.2.3.1 Secondary Discussions 4.3.2.3.2 Conservative Movement Prayer Books 4.3.2.4 Reconstructionist Movement 4.3.2.4.1 Secondary Discussions 4.3.2.4.2 Reconstructionist Movement Prayer Books 4.3.2.5 Recent Phenomena 5 Weekday Prayers 5.1 The Berakhah 5.2 The Shema and its Blessings 5.2.1 Pre- and Non-Rabbinic Manifestations 5.2.1.1 The Nash Papyrus and the Decalogue 5.2.1.2 Second Temple Evidence 5.2.1.3 Christian Evidence 5.2.2 Origins and Early Rabbinic Developments 5.2.3 Theological Discussions 5.3 The Amidah 5.3.1 Precursors, Origins and Early Rabbinic Developments 5.3.1.1 Scholarship Before Heinemann 5.3.1.2 Recent Scholarship 5.3.2 Studies of (Clusters of) Blessings 5.3.2.1 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 Inserts 5.3.3 Other 5.4 Torah Reading 5.4.1 The Torah Scroll and its Accoutrements 5.4.2 Chanting Scripture 5.4.3 Targum (Aramaic Translation) 5.4.4 Sermons 5.4.5 Prayer for the Government 5.5 Qedushah 5.6 Introductory Prayers and Birkhot HaShahar (Morning Benedictions) 5.7 Recitation of Psalms 5.8 Tahanun 5.9 Concluding Prayers 6 Birkat HaMazon (Grace after Meals) 6.1 Precursors 6.2 Rabbinic Liturgy 6.2.1 The Zimmun (Invitation to the Grace) 7 Sabbath and Holiday…
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The result of a multi-year dialogue project seeking to provide understanding and methods for interreligious dialogue, especially between Jews and Christians, about Israel/Palestine/the Holy Land. Co-edited with Philip A. Cunningham and... more
The result of a multi-year dialogue project seeking to provide understanding and methods for interreligious dialogue, especially between Jews and Christians, about Israel/Palestine/the Holy Land.
Co-edited with Philip A. Cunningham and Jesper Svartvik
Co-edited with Philip A. Cunningham and Jesper Svartvik
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Ruth Langer offers an in-depth study of the birkat haminim, a Jewish prayer for the removal of those categories of human being who prevent the messianic redemption and the society envisioned for it. In its earliest form, the prayer cursed... more
Ruth Langer offers an in-depth study of the birkat haminim, a Jewish prayer for the removal of those categories of human being who prevent the messianic redemption and the society envisioned for it. In its earliest form, the prayer cursed Christians, apostates to Christianity, sectarians, and enemies of Israel.
Drawing on the shifting liturgical texts, polemics, and apologetics concerning the prayer, Langer traces the transformation of the birkat haminim from what functioned without question in the medieval world as a Jewish curse of Christians, through its early modern censorship by Christians, to its modern transformation within the Jewish world into a general petition that God remove evil from the world. Christian censorship played a crucial role in this transformation of the prayer; however, Langer argues that the truest transformation in meaning resulted from Jewish integration into Western culture. Eventually, the prayer shed its references to any specific category of human being and lost its function as a curse.
Reconciliation between Jews and Christians today requires both communities to confront a long history of prejudice. Ruth Langer shows through the birkat haminim how the history of one liturgical text chronicled Jewish thinking about Christians over hundreds of years.
Features
First study of the early modern and modern developments of the birkat haminim, and first comprehensive study of its medieval history
Places the birkat haminim explicitly in the context of contemporary Christian-Jewish relations and the need for Jewish self-criticism about the Jewish heritage of anti-Christianity
Drawing on the shifting liturgical texts, polemics, and apologetics concerning the prayer, Langer traces the transformation of the birkat haminim from what functioned without question in the medieval world as a Jewish curse of Christians, through its early modern censorship by Christians, to its modern transformation within the Jewish world into a general petition that God remove evil from the world. Christian censorship played a crucial role in this transformation of the prayer; however, Langer argues that the truest transformation in meaning resulted from Jewish integration into Western culture. Eventually, the prayer shed its references to any specific category of human being and lost its function as a curse.
Reconciliation between Jews and Christians today requires both communities to confront a long history of prejudice. Ruth Langer shows through the birkat haminim how the history of one liturgical text chronicled Jewish thinking about Christians over hundreds of years.
Features
First study of the early modern and modern developments of the birkat haminim, and first comprehensive study of its medieval history
Places the birkat haminim explicitly in the context of contemporary Christian-Jewish relations and the need for Jewish self-criticism about the Jewish heritage of anti-Christianity
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""The editors and the contributors to this book are successful in presenting a holistic approach to synagogue liturgy. Fascinating nonverbal liturgical aspects do indeed shed new light on Jewish liturgy. The work as a whole is a... more
""The editors and the contributors to this book are successful in presenting a holistic approach to synagogue liturgy. Fascinating nonverbal liturgical aspects do indeed shed new light on Jewish liturgy. The work as a whole is a superb reflection of strong scholarship in the area of Jewish liturgy. From excellent analysis of evidence to comprehensive footnotes to the timely display of art, images, and tables, the work reflects the diversity of scholarship and deserves to be a strong contributor to the field."—Viktor Petrovich Roudkovski, Letourneau University in Review of Biblical Literature, September 2006 "The present volume exemplifies some of the new directions in the history of Jewish liturgical studies, exciting inasmuch as they challenge a generation of form-critical approaches and evidence openness to the possibility of discontinuity with the prerabbinic Jewish liturgical world. Presenting a diverse array of methodologies, classical and interdisciplinary, these eleven richly annotated essays span the entire history of rabbinic prayer, allowing the volume to function as a primary resource for graduate level courses and seminars on the history of Jewish liturgy."—Gregory Glazov, Seton Hall University in Review of Biblical Literature, September 2006 "The purpose of this collection is to showcase the diverse approaches to studying the history of rabbinic liturgy. Traditionally, such studies have aimed at discerning the origins of prayers. In recent decades scholars have paid greater attention to the innovative nature of rabbinic prayer. There is now greater awareness that ritual aspects apart from the text are crucial to understanding the nature of liturgy. These include a variety of anthropological matters: architecture of places of worship, music, clothing, body language. The book here reviewed contains essays which, taken together, employ all of these as evidence in their various arguments. . . . There is much to recommend this stimulating collection which spans the entire history of rabbinic prayer and demonstrates the diverse approaches that can be taken to studying it." --Daniel Davies, Journal of Jewish Studies, Vol. LIX, no. 1 (2008), Clare Hall College, Cambridge "
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Monographs of the Hebrew Union College 1. Lewis M. Barth, An Analysis of Vatican 30 2 Samson H. Levey, The Messiah: An Aramaic Interpretation 3 Ben Zion Wacholder, Eupolemus: A Study ofJudaeo-Greek Literature 4 Richard Victor Bergren, The... more
Monographs of the Hebrew Union College 1. Lewis M. Barth, An Analysis of Vatican 30 2 Samson H. Levey, The Messiah: An Aramaic Interpretation 3 Ben Zion Wacholder, Eupolemus: A Study ofJudaeo-Greek Literature 4 Richard Victor Bergren, The Prophets and the Law 5 Benny ...
How do Jews pray and why? What do the prayers mean? From where did this liturgy come and what challenges does it face today? Such questions and many more, spanning the centuries and continents, have driven the study of Jewish liturgy. But... more
How do Jews pray and why? What do the prayers mean? From where did this liturgy come and what challenges does it face today? Such questions and many more, spanning the centuries and continents, have driven the study of Jewish liturgy. But just as the liturgy has changed over time, so too have the questions asked, the people asking them, and the methods used to address them.
Jewish Liturgy: A Guide to Research enables the reader to access the rich bibliography now available in English. In this volume, Ruth Langer, an expert on Jewish liturgy, provides an annotated description of the most important books and articles on topics ranging historically from the liturgy of the Second Temple period and the Dead Sea Scrolls to today, addressing the synagogue itself and those gathered in it; the daily, weekly, and festival liturgies and their components; home rituals and the life cycle; as well as questions of liturgical performance and theology. Introductions to every section orient the reader and provide necessary background.
Christians seeking to understand Jewish liturgy, either that of Jesus and the early church or that of their Jewish contemporaries, will find this volume invaluable. It’s also an important reference for anyone seeking to understand how Jews worship God and how that worship has evolved over time.
Jewish Liturgy: A Guide to Research enables the reader to access the rich bibliography now available in English. In this volume, Ruth Langer, an expert on Jewish liturgy, provides an annotated description of the most important books and articles on topics ranging historically from the liturgy of the Second Temple period and the Dead Sea Scrolls to today, addressing the synagogue itself and those gathered in it; the daily, weekly, and festival liturgies and their components; home rituals and the life cycle; as well as questions of liturgical performance and theology. Introductions to every section orient the reader and provide necessary background.
Christians seeking to understand Jewish liturgy, either that of Jesus and the early church or that of their Jewish contemporaries, will find this volume invaluable. It’s also an important reference for anyone seeking to understand how Jews worship God and how that worship has evolved over time.
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An analysis of the various ways that Jews have prayed to avert or end plagues, including a discussion of directions for such a response to the 19th c. cholera epidemic in Europe, all in light of actual communal responses to the COVID-19... more
An analysis of the various ways that Jews have prayed to avert or end plagues, including a discussion of directions for such a response to the 19th c. cholera epidemic in Europe, all in light of actual communal responses to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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BIBLICAL TEXTS IN JEWISH PRAYERS: THEIR HISTORY AND FUNCTION Ruth Langer Boston College, USA Biblical1 texts appear in rabbinic liturgy in four primary modes: as the citation of complete biblical pericopes as prayers or study passages; as... more
BIBLICAL TEXTS IN JEWISH PRAYERS: THEIR HISTORY AND FUNCTION Ruth Langer Boston College, USA Biblical1 texts appear in rabbinic liturgy in four primary modes: as the citation of complete biblical pericopes as prayers or study passages; as the explicit citation of verses ...
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"The editors and the contributors to this book are successful in presenting a holistic approach to synagogue liturgy. Fascinating nonverbal liturgical aspects do indeed shed new light on Jewish liturgy. The work as a whole is a... more
"The editors and the contributors to this book are successful in presenting a holistic approach to synagogue liturgy. Fascinating nonverbal liturgical aspects do indeed shed new light on Jewish liturgy. The work as a whole is a superb reflection of strong scholarship in the area of Jewish liturgy. From excellent analysis of evidence to comprehensive footnotes to the timely display of art, images, and tables, the work reflects the diversity of scholarship and deserves to be a strong contributor to the field."—Viktor Petrovich Roudkovski, Letourneau University in Review of Biblical Literature, September 2006 "The present volume exemplifies some of the new directions in the history of Jewish liturgical studies, exciting inasmuch as they challenge a generation of form-critical approaches and evidence openness to the possibility of discontinuity with the prerabbinic Jewish liturgical world. Presenting a diverse array of methodologies, classical and interdisciplinary, these eleven richly annotated essays span the entire history of rabbinic prayer, allowing the volume to function as a primary resource for graduate level courses and seminars on the history of Jewish liturgy."—Gregory Glazov, Seton Hall University in Review of Biblical Literature, September 2006 "The purpose of this collection is to showcase the diverse approaches to studying the history of rabbinic liturgy. Traditionally, such studies have aimed at discerning the origins of prayers. In recent decades scholars have paid greater attention to the innovative nature of rabbinic prayer. There is now greater awareness that ritual aspects apart from the text are crucial to understanding the nature of liturgy. These include a variety of anthropological matters: architecture of places of worship, music, clothing, body language. The book here reviewed contains essays which, taken together, employ all of these as evidence in their various arguments. . . . There is much to recommend this stimulating collection which spans the entire history of rabbinic prayer and demonstrates the diverse approaches that can be taken to studying it." --Daniel Davies, Journal of Jewish Studies, Vol. LIX, no. 1 (2008), Clare Hall College, Cambridge
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agems, Kaplan sees a problem that only caused him some “discomfort.” According to Kaplan, Mendelssohn could justify the punishments meted out under the original Mosaic constitution because the order that it reinforced, although it had a... more
agems, Kaplan sees a problem that only caused him some “discomfort.” According to Kaplan, Mendelssohn could justify the punishments meted out under the original Mosaic constitution because the order that it reinforced, although it had a religious character, “was imposed by coercion qua political law, not qua religious law” (191). My dissatisfaction when I encountered this argument in the middle of Kaplan’s essay nearly dissolved when I read in one of his last footnotes that “Arkush, I believe, is correct in sensing that this technically valid distinction would not serve to allay Mendelssohn’s concerns” (202–3). To this I would emphatically add that it is not merely a question of concerns but of Mendelssohn’s philosophically grounded, vital opposition to religious coercion. I therefore remain more inclined to believe that Mendelssohn wished to see the Mosaic constitution forever relegated to the past than that he might have hoped, as Kaplan speculates in his last footnote, that God would in the long run act in accordance with the dictates of reason and include in any “future public revelation of the divine law” not “even the most limited” religious coercion (203).
Research Interests: History, Classics, Jewish Studies, Prayer, Judaism, and 3 moreGenizah, Brill, and Annotated Bibliography
With few exceptions, classical study of Jewish liturgy has focused on the words of the prayers, largely ignoring the less tangible elements of setting, gesture, halakhic guidance, and music. When scholars like Eric Werner and A. Z.... more
With few exceptions, classical study of Jewish liturgy has focused on the words of the prayers, largely ignoring the less tangible elements of setting, gesture, halakhic guidance, and music. When scholars like Eric Werner and A. Z. Idelsohn wrote about liturgical music, they, too, considered it a text. In recent years, and influenced by trends in the larger academy, the field has become more interdisciplinary, open to the insights of other scholarly methodologies, resulting in important studies on the archaeological history of the synagogue itself, prayer gestures, liturgical halakhah, and mystical approaches to prayer. Into this context, we can welcome warmly Jeffrey Summit's The Lord's Song in a Strange Land and its ethnographic study of the musical dimension of contemporary American Jewish liturgy.
Research Interests: History, Jewish Studies, Liturgy, Jewish History, Prayer, and 6 moreMysticism, Judaism, Jewish Music, Worship, Musical, and Summit
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A study of the emergence of the recitation of Psalms preceding the daily morning service in Judaism in the post-talmudic period.
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This paper argues that the rabbis seem gradually to have taken over the communal non-rabbinic synagogues and adapted them to the needs of rabbinic liturgy, succeeding mostly from the third century and onward.
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This paper argues that the rabbis seem gradually to have taken over the communal non-rabbinic synagogues and adapted them to the needs of rabbinic liturgy, succeeding mostly from the third century and onward.
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This chapter examines the power and construction of Jewish memory as well as the image of the religious Other in Jewish liturgy, which has been so heavily conditioned by adversarial biblical narratives and the experience of historical... more
This chapter examines the power and construction of Jewish memory as well as the image of the religious Other in Jewish liturgy, which has been so heavily conditioned by adversarial biblical narratives and the experience of historical persecution. In the memory shaped by Jewish liturgy — be it the daily Amidah, the High Holiday prayers, Passover and Purim texts, or the Ninth of Av piyutim (liturgical poems) memorializing the destruction of the Temple, the tragedies of the Middle Ages, and the Holocaust — the religious or political Other is portrayed as almost universally negative. The non-Jew — usually considered in the impersonal abstract, rather than the particular other — is a threat to Jewish uniqueness. It disrupts God's covenantal plan for Israel. The chapter then looks at the ongoing tension between making historical memory part of Jewish identity and an openness to allowing history to unfold into a future that may move beyond tragedy.
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The Dead Sea Scrolls, Cairo Geniza, and critical study of rabbinic literature have contributed to our understanding of when and how fixed public worship developed within the Jewish community. The Dead Sea Scrolls show that prayer was... more
The Dead Sea Scrolls, Cairo Geniza, and critical study of rabbinic literature have contributed to our understanding of when and how fixed public worship developed within the Jewish community. The Dead Sea Scrolls show that prayer was practiced by at least some Jewish groups while the Second Temple still stood and that it drew heavily from biblical language, as can also be seen in the latest biblical books. However, Genizah documents demonstrate the persistence of liturgical diversity as late as the tenth century and, with critical study of rabbinic texts, raise questions about the acceptance of rabbinic authority.
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An overview of Jewish liturgy in the modern world.
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In The Medieval Roots of Antisemitism:Continuities and Discontinuities from the Middle Ages to the Present Day, ed. Jonathan Adams and Cornelia Hess (Routledge, 2018), 377-391. An overview of the relationships Jews have had to the Land of... more
In The Medieval Roots of Antisemitism:Continuities and Discontinuities from the Middle Ages to the Present Day, ed. Jonathan Adams and Cornelia Hess (Routledge, 2018), 377-391. An overview of the relationships Jews have had to the Land of Israel over the century.
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In Ritual Participation and Interreligious Dialogue: Boundaries, Transgressions and Innovations, ed. Marianne Moyaert and Joris Geldhof (London: Bloomsbury, 2015), 205-217. Written from a personal perspective, this essay explores the ways... more
In Ritual Participation and Interreligious Dialogue: Boundaries, Transgressions and Innovations, ed. Marianne Moyaert and Joris Geldhof (London: Bloomsbury, 2015), 205-217. Written from a personal perspective, this essay explores the ways that hospitality functions in enabling interreligious participation, both in welcoming guests and in respecting guests' own boundaries.
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One of the central arenas of controversy in the medieval world between actual synagogue custom and the Babylonian talmudic traditions was the question of the legitimacy of the insertion of liturgical poetry (piyyut) into the statutory... more
One of the central arenas of controversy in the medieval world between actual synagogue custom and the Babylonian talmudic traditions was the question of the legitimacy of the insertion of liturgical poetry (piyyut) into the statutory prayers. A variety of arguments against piyyut by influential sages eventually led to the elimination or marginalization of this poetry in most Sephardi rites. In Ashkenaz, in contrast, the tradition continued into the modern period, largely because of the great importance placed there on maintaining ancestral custom, but also because of the vigorous defense of this custom by several sages, the most important of which was Rabbenu Tam. In this paper, the A. analyzes Rabbenu Tam's famous responsum defending piyyut and suggests that his unprecedented identification of Kalir as the second-century Tanna, Rabbi Elazar beRabbi Shimon, is a) a deliberate invocation of the authority placed on antiquity in Judaism, especially in Ashkenaz;and b)likely a speci...
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A discussion of the intersections between Christian and Jewish liturgy and ritual.
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A brief bibliographic article pointing to my longer discussions of this topic.
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Today’s positive relationship with Christians and Christianity challenges the voices of particularism in Jewish tradition. To discern how contemporary Jewish leaders are guiding their communities to think about the place of Jews within... more
Today’s positive relationship with Christians and Christianity challenges the voices of particularism in Jewish tradition. To discern how contemporary Jewish leaders are guiding their communities to think about the place of Jews within the larger human community, this article analyzes commentaries on a selection of Rosh Hashanah prayers from recently published prayer books commonly used in North American congregations. These prayers’ traditional texts themselves engage in a dialectic between universalism and particularism. The commentaries’ responses range along a spectrum, from an embrace of universalism by Reform Jews, to an advocacy also, but not exclusively, for particularism, among the orthodox.
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A primary focus of scholarly dispute has been the degree to which early rabbinic liturgy was fluid in its verbal formulation or was centrally composed. This essay applies new methodology to the exploration of this question, restricting... more
A primary focus of scholarly dispute has been the degree to which early rabbinic liturgy was fluid in its verbal formulation or was centrally composed. This essay applies new methodology to the exploration of this question, restricting the evidence consulted to that of unquestionable Tannaitic origin. What are the consequences of excluding the Babylonian narrative of the formation of the Amidah in the late first century at Yavneh? We conclude that there is substantial evidence that liturgical structures retained flexibility throughout the Tannaitic period, a conclusion that is inconsistent with a presumption of centralized and absolute rabbinic authority emanating from Yavneh.
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Jewish liturgy is a complex phenomenon, manifesting change over time and place as well as some significant diversity today. Today’s prayers emerged from the rituals of the rabbis of the early centuries of the Common Era, compensating for... more
Jewish liturgy is a complex phenomenon, manifesting change over time and place as well as some significant diversity today. Today’s prayers emerged from the rituals of the rabbis of the early centuries of the Common Era, compensating for the loss of the Jewish ritual center, the Jerusalem Temple, destroyed by the Romans in 70 ce. Little is known for certain about how rabbinic prayers spread and became universally normative, but by the High Middle Ages, they were.The received rabbinic worship is highly structured and scripted. There are three services every day, with a fourth on festive days. The key structural elements combined in these services are the recitation ofshema῾and its blessings, the multi-blessing ῾amidah, and the reading of Torah. To these, other elements have aggregated, like introductory prayers, Psalms, and supplicatory prayers. Meals also require short blessings before eating and a longer grace afterwards. The Passoversederextends this meal ritual with narrative, Ps...
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Words about Recommended Books on Jewish-Christian Dialogue: Irreconcilable Differences? A Learning Resource for Jews and ChristiansIrreconcilable Differences? A Learning Resource for Jews and Christians, ed. by SandmelDavid F., CatalanoRosann M., and LeightonChristopher M.. Boulder, CO: Westview ...more
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Worship marks the human experience almost from the beginning. According to the Bible, after Adam and Eve give birth to Cain and Abel, Abel became a keeper of sheep, and Cain became a tiller of the soil. In the course of time, Cain brought... more
Worship marks the human experience almost from the beginning. According to the Bible, after Adam and Eve give birth to Cain and Abel, Abel became a keeper of sheep, and Cain became a tiller of the soil. In the course of time, Cain brought an offering to the Lord from the fruit of the soil; and Abel, for his part, brought the choicest of the firstlings of his flock. The Lord paid heed to Abel and his offering, but to Cain and his offering He paid no heed. Cain was much distressed … and when they were in the field, Cain set upon his brother Abel and killed him. (Genesis 4:2b–8) The presumptions here are that God delights in human worship and that the choicest form for this worship is animal sacrifice. These presumptions shape formal Jewish worship of God throughout subsequent history, even when sacrificial worship is not possible. Throughout the centuries, Jews have endeavored not only to communicate their needs and desires to God, but also to worship God in ways that they believed would be pleasing on high. IN THE HEBREW BIBLE According to the biblical narrative, before the Israelites received the ground rules for corporate worship of God at Sinai, they worshiped through sacrifices. Indeed, in their world, one could hardly conceive of alternatives. Surrounding cultures all made physical offerings to their gods.
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... Arthur J. Magida and Stuart M. Matlins, eds., How to be a Perfect Stranger: The Essential Religious Etiquette Handbook (5th ed.) (Woodstock, VT ... Samuel N. Gordon and Stephanie Perdew VanSlyke, A House of Prayer for All People: Can... more
... Arthur J. Magida and Stuart M. Matlins, eds., How to be a Perfect Stranger: The Essential Religious Etiquette Handbook (5th ed.) (Woodstock, VT ... Samuel N. Gordon and Stephanie Perdew VanSlyke, A House of Prayer for All People: Can Jews and Christians Share Ritual Space ...
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... Arthur J. Magida and Stuart M. Matlins, eds., How to be a Perfect Stranger: The Essential Religious Etiquette Handbook (5th ed.) (Woodstock, VT ... Samuel N. Gordon and Stephanie Perdew VanSlyke, A House of Prayer for All People: Can... more
... Arthur J. Magida and Stuart M. Matlins, eds., How to be a Perfect Stranger: The Essential Religious Etiquette Handbook (5th ed.) (Woodstock, VT ... Samuel N. Gordon and Stephanie Perdew VanSlyke, A House of Prayer for All People: Can Jews and Christians Share Ritual Space ...
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A comparison of Jewish and Christian liturgical life and their dynamics and intersections over the past two millennia.
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An analysis of the liturgies penned by Dr. J. Leonard Levy, primarily for Rodef Shalom Congregation in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania during his tenure as their rabbi in the first two decades of the 20th c., with attention to the theology... more
An analysis of the liturgies penned by Dr. J. Leonard Levy, primarily for Rodef Shalom Congregation in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania during his tenure as their rabbi in the first two decades of the 20th c., with attention to the theology expressed and his reworkings of the liturgy.
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In March 2020, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, American synagogues locked their doors. This required emergency planning for Passover observances, and then gradually less panicked planning for subsequent liturgies. Based primarily on the... more
In March 2020, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, American synagogues locked their doors. This required emergency planning for Passover observances, and then gradually less panicked planning for subsequent liturgies. Based primarily on the experiences of three Boston-area synagogues, Reform, Conservative, and Orthodox, and interviews with their rabbis, this article compares the liturgical responses of Jews in these three movements, offering explanations for their different approaches. It also briefly traces, where appropriate, their resumption of services over the summer and their plans for the fall holy days.
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An analysis of Jewish responses to the liturgical challenges created by the early months of the Covid-19 pandemic, focused on a comparison of three Boston-area synagogues, Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform.
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In Dieu de raison ou de violence?, ed. Gabriele Palasciano (Lyon, France: Olivétan, 2020), 183-189.
In a volume of responses to Pope Benedict XVI on the tenth anniversary of his Regensburg address.
In a volume of responses to Pope Benedict XVI on the tenth anniversary of his Regensburg address.
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An overview of "Israel" as people, land, and state in Jewish understandings through the centuries. Ruth Langer, “Israel in Jewish Theologies: A Schematic Overview,” in Enabling Dialogue about the Land: A Resource Book for Jews and... more
An overview of "Israel" as people, land, and state in Jewish understandings through the centuries.
Ruth Langer, “Israel in Jewish Theologies: A Schematic Overview,” in Enabling Dialogue about the Land: A Resource Book for Jews and Christians, ed. Philip Cunningham, Ruth Langer, Jesper Svartvik (New York/Mahwah, NJ: Stimulus/Paulist Press, 2020), 43-62.
Ruth Langer, “Israel in Jewish Theologies: A Schematic Overview,” in Enabling Dialogue about the Land: A Resource Book for Jews and Christians, ed. Philip Cunningham, Ruth Langer, Jesper Svartvik (New York/Mahwah, NJ: Stimulus/Paulist Press, 2020), 43-62.
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A primary focus of scholarly dispute has been the degree to which early rabbinic liturgy was fluid in its verbal formulation or was centrally composed. This essay applies new methodology to the exploration of this question, restricting... more
A primary focus of scholarly dispute has been the degree to which early rabbinic liturgy was fluid in its verbal formulation or was centrally composed. This essay applies new methodology to the exploration of this question, restricting the evidence consulted to that of unquestionable Tannaitic origin. What are the consequences of excluding the Babylonian narrative of the formation of the Amidah in the late first century at Yavneh? We conclude that there is substantial evidence that liturgical structures retained flexibility throughout the Tannaitic period, a conclusion that is inconsistent with a presumption of centralized and absolute rabbinic authority emanating from Yavneh.
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In Early Judaism: New Insights and Scholarship, ed. Frederick Greenspan (2018) When Jews hold in their hands a Jewish prayer book today, no matter of what movement, they are participating in a form of worship about which the Bible tells... more
In Early Judaism: New Insights and Scholarship, ed. Frederick Greenspan (2018)
When Jews hold in their hands a Jewish prayer book today, no matter of what movement, they are participating in a form of worship about which the Bible tells us nothing, but one which derives from the earliest layers of rabbinic teachings. 1 The origins of what Jews do in their formal scripted prayer intersect deeply with the origins of rabbinic Judaism itself; con sequently, our understanding of how Jewish liturgy took its form has shifted with debates and emerging understandings of larger questions about rabbinic Judaism in general. Jewish liturgists ask not only how and when rabbinic liturgy emerged and how it took shape, but also how and when this nonsacrificial, highly scripted verbal and communal worship of God come to be the universal Jewish mode of worship.' That it did so is an undeniable marker of the success of rabbinic influence; it is also one that can, to a degree, be traced through evidence that goes beyond the authoritative books of the rabbis' own library. In 2001, I enumerated some emerging questions and methods in the discipline.' In the interim, the study of early rabbinic liturgy itself has been fairly quiescent, but there have been some exciting changes on its borders that have the potential to affect it deeply. This chapter ex plores some ways in which these scholarly developments put us on the verge, potentially, of a radical rethinking of method that might lead us to revolutionary new understandings of Jewish liturgical history. This rethinking not only builds on specifically liturgical work of the past few decades, but also requires us to think about liturgy with the tools and methods that scholars apply today to the rabbinic sources on which li turgical studies relies. "From where and how did Jews get the liturgy that became the prayers familiar today?" has been the central question of Jewish liturgical studies. I do not seek to decenter this question so much as to ground our answers to it more securely.
When Jews hold in their hands a Jewish prayer book today, no matter of what movement, they are participating in a form of worship about which the Bible tells us nothing, but one which derives from the earliest layers of rabbinic teachings. 1 The origins of what Jews do in their formal scripted prayer intersect deeply with the origins of rabbinic Judaism itself; con sequently, our understanding of how Jewish liturgy took its form has shifted with debates and emerging understandings of larger questions about rabbinic Judaism in general. Jewish liturgists ask not only how and when rabbinic liturgy emerged and how it took shape, but also how and when this nonsacrificial, highly scripted verbal and communal worship of God come to be the universal Jewish mode of worship.' That it did so is an undeniable marker of the success of rabbinic influence; it is also one that can, to a degree, be traced through evidence that goes beyond the authoritative books of the rabbis' own library. In 2001, I enumerated some emerging questions and methods in the discipline.' In the interim, the study of early rabbinic liturgy itself has been fairly quiescent, but there have been some exciting changes on its borders that have the potential to affect it deeply. This chapter ex plores some ways in which these scholarly developments put us on the verge, potentially, of a radical rethinking of method that might lead us to revolutionary new understandings of Jewish liturgical history. This rethinking not only builds on specifically liturgical work of the past few decades, but also requires us to think about liturgy with the tools and methods that scholars apply today to the rabbinic sources on which li turgical studies relies. "From where and how did Jews get the liturgy that became the prayers familiar today?" has been the central question of Jewish liturgical studies. I do not seek to decenter this question so much as to ground our answers to it more securely.
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Long largely ignored by most Jews engaged in interfaith work with Christians, Evangelical Protestants suddenly and increasingly insistently entered the conversation in the opening years of the twenty-first century. Driving this change was... more
Long largely ignored by most Jews engaged in interfaith work with Christians, Evangelical Protestants suddenly and increasingly insistently entered the conversation in the opening years of the twenty-first century. Driving this change was the growing political clout of the American ...
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No abstract is available
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content to admit the “depths of our ignorance” (567), and a helpful reflection on his desire for a time “when the Paul of the authentic letters is freed from the Paul of theological myth” (572). One of the great strengths of H.’s... more
content to admit the “depths of our ignorance” (567), and a helpful reflection on his desire for a time “when the Paul of the authentic letters is freed from the Paul of theological myth” (572). One of the great strengths of H.’s translation is that his rendering is often awkward and angular (even in Luke, the smoothest of all the evangelists), to remind us that it does not run easily; occasionally I found myself thinking “I wish I had thought of that,” such as “chafe” (Luke 6:1) and “unthinking rage” (Luke 6:11). I was charmed by “Madam” for γύναι in Luke 13:12, and “transformation of the heart” for μετάνοια. Then there was “dissemblance” for “hypocrisy” and “charlatan” for “hypocrite.” Here I agree with avoiding the h-word, since we all think we know what it means, but am not convinced by these two alternatives; that, however, only confirms my general thesis of the impossibility of translation. One feature that I found decidedly unhelpful is that each verse (and there were of course no verses in the original) is made to begin with a capital letter. One translation that did not convince me was “journey forth” for ἔξοδός in Luke 9:31, where I think “exodus” is closer to what Luke is trying to say. All in all, however, this is a translation to keep near at hand, whether or not you know enough Greek to read the NT unaided. What H. achieves triumphantly is to make each text sound like itself; and in particular I warmly recommend the very thoughtful translation of the notoriously difficult Letter to the Hebrews, and his refusal to skate over the difficulties that face the translator of Romans. This translation of the New Testament should remain close at hand on the desks of all those who wish to think seriously about what it all means.
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agems, Kaplan sees a problem that only caused him some “discomfort.” According to Kaplan, Mendelssohn could justify the punishments meted out under the original Mosaic constitution because the order that it reinforced, although it had a... more
agems, Kaplan sees a problem that only caused him some “discomfort.” According to Kaplan, Mendelssohn could justify the punishments meted out under the original Mosaic constitution because the order that it reinforced, although it had a religious character, “was imposed by coercion qua political law, not qua religious law” (191). My dissatisfaction when I encountered this argument in the middle of Kaplan’s essay nearly dissolved when I read in one of his last footnotes that “Arkush, I believe, is correct in sensing that this technically valid distinction would not serve to allay Mendelssohn’s concerns” (202–3). To this I would emphatically add that it is not merely a question of concerns but of Mendelssohn’s philosophically grounded, vital opposition to religious coercion. I therefore remain more inclined to believe that Mendelssohn wished to see the Mosaic constitution forever relegated to the past than that he might have hoped, as Kaplan speculates in his last footnote, that God would in the long run act in accordance with the dictates of reason and include in any “future public revelation of the divine law” not “even the most limited” religious coercion (203).
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Research Interests: History, Talmud, Early Christianity, Jewish History, Second Temple Judaism, and 13 moreHistory of Religions, Rabbinics, Midrash, Jewish Thought, Rabbinic Literature, Bible, Heresy and Orthodoxy, Qumran, Jewish Christian relations, Tanach, Halacha, History of Judaism In Antiquity, and Greco Roman World
This is an interesting, well-written and important study, relevant to anyone in-terested in better understanding metaphor in the Bible, figurative language, or idol-atry. David Aaron, Professor of Bible at Hebrew Union CollegeJewish... more
This is an interesting, well-written and important study, relevant to anyone in-terested in better understanding metaphor in the Bible, figurative language, or idol-atry. David Aaron, Professor of Bible at Hebrew Union CollegeJewish Institute of Religion in Cincinnati, was trained ...
Tucker assesses a wide-ranging array of historical work (from Ranke to the Annales school and current scholars) in order to explore how historians operate in practice, and he writes sympathetically of their predilection for common sense.... more
Tucker assesses a wide-ranging array of historical work (from Ranke to the Annales school and current scholars) in order to explore how historians operate in practice, and he writes sympathetically of their predilection for common sense. He reinforces this analysis with ...