Tishrei in Adar

[cellio]

The rabbis say that in the time of the moshiach (messiah) Yom Kippur, the day of atonement, will be like Purim. (There's word-play there.) No moshiach yet, but something along those lines (in reverse) is coming up.

I'm part of a group that's doing a pilot evaluation of a new machzor (high-holy-day prayerbook). Tomorrow night we're sort-of having a Kol Nidrei service for the evening of Yom Kippur. Should be interesting! Years ago our morning minyan piloted the new siddur Mishkan T'filah (over several weeks) and I found that process very engaging for me. I'm looking forward to seeing what the new machzor has in store for us.

(Well ok; I have an advance copy of just this part of it and I paged through it tonight. But going through it with a congregation is different.)

Comments

[miz-hatbox.livejournal.com]

Let me know what you think, please. We are hoping to pilot the new MT as well.

[http://users.livejournal.com/merle_/]

Going through any discourse with a group, no matter how large, is always different than going through it in your head. Something will come up or be a trigger for someone that was not anticipated.

Well, either that or I totally suck. ;-)

[cellio]

Pico-review: a lot of nice updates, some translations are at first peculiar but settle in, typography/layout needs serious work. Interesting observation: as with early drafts of MT they added back the full Sh'ma; in MT they recanted some of that (kept tzitzit, killed national reward/punishment), so it'll be interesting to see what happens with that here. Somebody is obviously determined to try. :-)

I'll be writing a more-thorough analysis/reaction to submit to them, but it will take at least several days. I'm reluctant to share that before this round of the piloting is over, lest I prejudice you. (This round is to be completed in Adar, as I understand it.) Let me know what your status is and I look forward to comparing notes later.

[cellio]

No, you don't suck, and this is why it's important to actually conduct services from it and not just distribute reading copies for critique.

[http://users.livejournal.com/merle_/]

I would disagree that in many arenas I am stone cold stupid, but it might be unwise to post such a thing.

But I agree it is important to do it as a communal act. That's the only way to tell whether your chosen road is right, wrong, popular, out of vogue, or whatever.