A New Light, But Is It Useful?

By Jeffrey A. Spitzer

OR HADASH
A Commentary on Siddur Sim Shalom for Shabbat and Festivals
By Reuven Hammer.
750 pages.  The Rabbinical Assembly. $45.

Many Jews who pray regularly have a healthy suspicion of efforts to interpret the language of Jewish prayer. The poem from the introduction to the morning service summarizes the basis for that suspicion quite well. “Could song fill our mouth as water fills the sea, and could joy flood our tongue like countless waves … Never could we fully state our gratitude for one ten-thousandth of the lasting love that is Your precious blessing, dearest God, granted to our ancestors and to us.”

And yet, the words which fill the Jewish prayer book are among the most familiar Jewish texts. From an educational perspective, it makes sense to use the siddur (prayer book) as an entry point into Jewish thought. The wildly popular ArtScroll siddur set a standard: a complete siddur with brief but comprehensive "how-to" notes along with theological comments, wrapped in a pocket-sized edition. A later, transdenominational effort by Jewish Lights publishing, My People's Prayer Book (MPPB) clearly fits a different market. A detailed, collaborative commentary reflecting various perspectives, MPPB covers seven volumes and could never be used in any practical sense for prayer. ArtScroll has a siddur commentary in a siddur that is meant to be used; MPPB is designed for study.

The new siddur commentary published by the Rabbinical Assembly and the United Synagogue for Conservative Judaism tries to straddle both of these categories. Or Hadash (Hebrew for "a new light") is structured as a commentary on the complete text of the Siddur Sim Shalom for Shabbat and Festivals (affectionately known as "Slim Shalom" due to its smaller size than the complete Siddur Sim Shalom).

Or Hadash preserves the pagination of the original siddur so theoretically one could use this commentary in synagogue. In the center of each pair of facing pages is the text from the Siddur surrounded by 2 1/2 inch marginal commentaries on both sides and on the bottom. Compared to "Slim Shalom," Or Hadash's broader pages and thicker paper result in a volume that is almost four times the size of the original ("Sumo Shalom"?). The price, a hefty $45, also makes the volume somewhat difficult to handle.

Rabbi Hammer includes four elements in his commentary. Comments on synagogue choreography (e.g., covering one's eyes during the recitation of the shema) are included in italics. A running commentary on the particular language of the siddur is keyed to the text by using a brown text in both the Hebrew and English. Selections from classical texts as well as modern authors are included in boxes in the margins. In order to accommodate the need to maintain the original's pagination, longer introductions to the various sections are included in the introduction to the commentary, while shorter introductions are found in the body of the siddur.

Unlike MPPB, Or Hadash is the work of an individual commentator; nevertheless, the single voice of Rabbi Hammer speaks, as it were, in a variety of dialects. A comment on a single phrase can rapidly switch from a very learned and academic tone to a much more personal and devotional tone.

Rabbi Hammer has made some valuable contributions. He frequently illuminates the siddur text by noting the broader context of a partially quoted Biblical verse. He also uses the text of the siddur as an entry point to a broader range of Jewish learning, associating passages from the siddur with selections from the Talmud or Midrash. He successfully  draws the student's attention to the unity of the prayer experience by noting intertextual relationships between different parts of the siddur.

On the other hand, Hammer's references to the history of the text and its interpretation seem dry, and sometimes his comments about alternative translations give the impression that they are included only out of a sense of academic obligation. Rabbi Hammer's stated goal is to "encourage the use of the siddur and to facilitate the ability to pray." It is not clear which of the various voices adopted in the Or Hadash commentary might help Rabbi Hammer succeed in that goal.

One final feature of Or Hadash worth mentioning is the sparkling and thoughtful new commentary to Pirkei Avot which Rabbi Hammer assembled from the lecture notes of Professor Judah Goldin. Goldin's unique literary voice is a hidden treasure in this volume.

Although Or Hadash was obviously intended for synagogue use, it is clear that the final product would ultimately be more appropriately used for study. An inexpensive, light Conservative siddur with a useful commentary remains a desideratum.