The Gift of Rest by Senator Joe Lieberman & David Klinghoffer

Author:Senator Joe Lieberman & David Klinghoffer
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Howard Books

READING THE TORAH

Each weekly reading is divided into seven sections (there’s that important and familiar number again). Before each of the seven sections is read, a member of the congregation is called up to bless God: “Bless the Lord, the blessed One.” To which the congregation responds, “Bless the Lord, the blessed One, for ever and all time.” And then the honoree declares: “Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe, who has chosen us from all peoples and has given us His Torah. Blessed are You Lord, Giver of the Torah.”

The first of the seven people called to the Torah is always a Kohane, a descendant of the first high priest, Moses’ brother Aaron. Aaron’s succeeding generations presided in the Temple in Jerusalem. The second person called is always a descendant of the Levites, who assisted the priests. Although the Temple was destroyed almost two thousand years ago, the descendants of the priests and Levites are given the first honors of the Torah reading out of respect for the lost sanctuary. Lineal descent is what matters; it doesn’t matter whether you are one of the wealthiest or most accomplished members of the congregation or one of the poorest or least accomplished. If you are descended from the priests and Levites, you come first and second. Though a U.S. senator, if I am chosen as one of the seven, I come third, at best, because I am neither a descendant of Aaron nor of Levi, but merely one of the Children of Israel.

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