No "textual rituals" here

(well, at least not as much.)


Marc Chagall, "Jew at Prayer"

Tzemach has been complaining alot recently about textual rituals, and Judaism being all "textual" and stuff. See Here, and Here, where he laments the "Overemphasis on the textual." Some would say that he fails to connect with the words, and he's certainly not the only one, hence he sees no need to repeat the same words over and over again. I'm not sure why davke the holiday of Pesach brings out this disregard for the textual; after all Rosh Hashonoh and Yom Kippur should have just the same affect, but that's the case. I see something else here, and I think the Alter Rebbe may have seen the same problem, at least in some instances, and to some extent. Other Chassidic groups like the Gerrer Chassidim, and other groups stemming from Kotzk seem to have taken the same road, slashing the Siddur and Machzor at almost every occassion. Is there a future "convert" to Ger in the making?

In some Kehillos all there is to Yom Tov is the text. They recite maarovis, (which is Yotzres at Maariv,)Yotzer at every Tefilloh, including Shacharis and Mussaf, and any other possible Yotzer ever invented. At the Seudos they have special Zemiros for every Yom Tov, and the list goes on. Some even have extra Yotzres to say that aren't even printed in the Machzor! If you tell people like that that there are those who say no Yotzres at all on any of the daled Parshiyos, or any of the Sholosh Regolim, or that you don't say Rus on Shavuous they'd say you're not Jewish....Imagine a guy who complains about texts davening in a shul where they say all that.... I can relate to it in a way, not being able to last in situations like that, at least I did in my adolescent years, but now I live and let live. I see how for many people the only connection they have to a time and moment is the text; they can only relate through reciting words and singing songs, and I respect and honor that.

IMHO the Alter Rebbe took a different road, and decided that this is not his way. In every way possible, and wherever possible, the AR cut and slashed text from his siddur. There is no Yotzer said on any of the Sholosh Regolim, no Yotzres said on any of the Daled Parshiyos, and little Zemiros said on Shabbos. At every occassion the AR saw fit to omit text, possibly because of the disconnect that many people have with the text. Later generations saw the omission of Selichos after Rosh Hashonoh, possibly for the same reason, as "Tshuveh should now be done BeMachshovoh, not BeDibur." Obviously we're not condoning the banning of "all textual prayer and embrace human interaction as the ultimate mitzvah," like Tzemach is, simply because that would be a knee-jerk reaction to a problem not facing all of us. Most shuls are pretty understanding when it comes to people not participating in all aspects of the textual obligations of davening. On any given Shabbos and Yom Tov you'll see plenty of people hanging out outside shuls while long texts are being dissected, and nobody condemns them.