Tradition and Change: The Motto of the Conservative Movement

During this past year, the Ritual Committee along with the rabbi and me has been very active. We have spent many hours discussing and studying about the various options available to invigorate our worship services and which ones would be the most beneficial for the spiritual and educational development of our congregation. As part of that, the rabbi and I are very proud of the collaboration with Dr. Joe Lewis and our yearlong effort to bring you our new siddur, "Tefillah L‘Moshe."

Some of the smaller changes which may have fallen under the radar have been the institution of using adults to lead many prayers that have been heretofore given just to children. For example – Ashrei and bringing back the scheduling of classes from our L.I.F.E. program to lead Ein Keloheinu weekly. We have also invited the CBM Choir to end our services once a month, along with their occasional participation in Musaf, in order to help present new music for the singing of Ein Keloheinu and Adon Olam.

One of the more dramatic changes for our service will be the inauguration of a modification in our Shabbat Torah readings beginning, appropriately, on Shabbat Bereishit. This decision was based on many meetings of the ritual committee where the rabbi and I presented the history and halachic explanations behind the various historical Torah reading options and the ratification and support of the Board of Directors. To answer some of the questions that are being raised, I have included some of this background in my article. For those interested in a complete understanding of the Triennial Torah reading cycle: History and Halacha, I will hold a one session course of study during the summer.

The first question is: Is the reading of the Torah on a triennial schedule, acceptable under Jewish law? The vast majority of Conservative congregations in America are currently utilizing a triennial cycle for the reading of the Torah. There are several ways of implementing such a cycle, and all sorts of variations are practiced in different congregations. The one which we have chosen is as recommended by the majority opinion of the Rabbinical Assembly Law Committee.

The use of a triennial torah reading is actually an older custom than the Babylonian annual cycle which we currently use. We see that the Babylonian Talmud mentions 'the people of the west who complete [the reading] of the Torah in three years…' Also the Tosafot, commentators and the great Rabbi Meir both make reference to the reading of the Torah over a three-year period. We do know that by the fourth or fifth century the Jews of Babylonia were reading the Torah on an annual cycle, but they were well aware that their cycle differed from the triennial cycle being used elsewhere.

Therefore, we ask, can a legitimate triennial cycle be re-introduced today, in light of the universal practice of an annual cycle since the thirteenth century? Can the halachic requirements, especially those of the Mishnah and Tosefta, successfully be applied to such a triennial cycle? I could just make it simple by saying, that the RA Law Committee has answered that in the affirmative, along with our own rabbi‘s agreement, but I would like to add a few more historical sources which reference similar situations to modern day synagogues.

Yohanan ben Nappaha directed the shortening of the Torah reading whenever there was an official meturgeman, one who translates the reading, or an accompanying sermon, apparently in order not to weary the congregation by too prolonged a service.

Today we use a printed Chumash with translation. Other sources talk about shortening the reading, whenever there was a D'var Torah given by a rabbi. Rabbis speaking in synagogue was not a weekly occurrence, as it is today, and since the ostensible purpose of reading the Torah in the first place was pedagogic and the purpose of the sermon, ideally, should be to teach Torah and make its message more understandable, there seemed to be added justification for abbreviating the formal reading of the Torah to allow ample time for its amplification. Moreover, wearying the congregation by prolonging the service, an ongoing and serious part of halachic discussions regarding the service, may take away from the aesthetic appeal of the service and thereby discourage people from participating regularly in public worship.

The distinct advantage of the triennial cycle that we have chosen is that it enables a congregation to adhere to the calendar used throughout the Jewish world while at the same time shortening the Torah reading. Both traditional functions of the Torah reading — teaching the Torah to the congregation and reenacting the acceptance of the Torah at Sinai — is achieved by this triennial cycle. It is not a violation of Jewish law and in fact is based on many different and equally accepted variations on Torah reading schedules that have been used through the centuries.

One of the main reasons behind this change for our congregation was to increase the level of participation of our members. We have used, primarily, a lay reader group, since the passing of our Baal Kriah, Mr. Rabinovitz over 10 years ago. Already before even making the change official, the excitement has nurtured 10 members to join a Torah reading class on Sunday mornings, based on what will be a newer accessibility in becoming one of our congregations Torah readers. I know and pray that their success will set an example for many others to join the ranks of Baaley Kriah and look forward to seeing each of you sign up for the next torah reading class. We will, also, use the new found time to make some additions to the service in terms of increased Jewish education by both the rabbi and me within the Shabbat morning service parameters, knowing that a learned congregation is a happier congregation.