Days of Awe: A Treasury of Jewish Wisdom for Reflection, Repentance, and Renewal on the High Holy Days

by S. Y. Agnon

Overview

Compiled by S.Y. Agnon, one of the greatest Hebrew writers of the twentieth century and winner of the 1966 Nobel Prize in Literature, Days of Awe is the long-acknowledged classic companion to the High Holy Days prayerbook. Here in one volume are readings from the meditations from the Bible, the Talmud, the Midrash, and the Zohar, to deepen the spiritual experience of the holiest days of the Jewish year. More than three hundred texts. selected from the vast storehouse of Jewish literature from ancient to modern times, are arranged to follow the order of the synagogue service for the High Holy Days. "From the moment of its appearance," writes Judah Goldin in the Introduction, "[this] volume seemed as though it had always been here, as though it had always been the companion of the holiday prayerbook."

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780805210484
Publisher:	Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
Publication date:	08/22/1995
Pages:	336
Product dimensions:	5.30(w) x 7.95(h) x 0.72(d)

About the Author

SHMUEL YOSEF AGNON was a Nobel Prize laureate writer and was one of the central figures of modern Hebrew fiction. Agnon was born in Galicia, Austro-Hungarian Empire (today Ukraine). He later immigrated to the British Mandate of Palestine, and died in Jerusalem, Israel. His works deal with the conflict between the traditional Jewish life and language and the modern world. They also attempt to recapture the fading traditions of the European shtetl. In a wider context, he contributed to broadening the characteristic conception of the narrator's role in literature. Agnon shared the Nobel Prize with the poet Nelly Sachs in 1966.

Read an Excerpt

The Motive of Rosh ha-Shanah
A Holy Convocation
 
And the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying: Speak unto the children of Israel, saying:
 
In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall be a solemn rest unto you, a memorial proclaimed with the blast of horns, a holy convocation. Ye shall do no manner of servile work; it is a day of blowing the horn unto you. And ye shall prepare a burnt-offering for a sweet savour unto the Lord: one young bullock, one ram, seven he-lambs of the first year without blemish; and their meal-offering, fine flour mingled with oil, three tenth parts for the bullock, two tenth parts for the ram, and one tenth part for every lamp of the seven lambs; and one he-goat for a sin-offering, to make atonement for you; beside the burnt offering of the new moon, and the meal-offering therefor, and their drink offerings, according unto their ordinance, for a sweet savour, an offering made by fire until the Lord. [Num. 29:1-6]
 
And when the seventh month was come, and the children of Israel were in the cities, the people gathered themselves together as one man to Jerusalem. Then stood up Jeshua the son of Jozadek, and his brethren the priests, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and his brethren, and builded the altar of the God of Israel, to offer burnt-offerings thereon, as it is written in the Law of Moses the man of God. And they set the altar upon its bases, for fear was upon them because of the people of the countries, and they offered burnt-offerings thereon unto the Lord, even burnt-offerings morning and evening. [Ezra 3:1-3]
 
And when the seventh month was come, and the children of Israel were in their cities, all the people gathered themselves together as one man into the broad place that was before the water gate; and they spoke unto Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the Law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded to Israel. And Ezra the priest brought the Law before the congregation, both men and women, and all that could hear with understanding, upon the first day of the seventh month. And he read therein before the broad place that was before the water gate from the early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women, and of those that could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive upon the book of the Law. And Ezra the scribe stood upon a pulpit of wood, which they has made for the purpose; and beside him stood Mattithiah, and Shema, and Anaiah, and Uriah, and Hilkiah, and Maaseiah, on his right hand; and on his left hand, Pedaiah, and Mishael, and Malchijah, and Hashum, and Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam. And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people—for he was above the people—and when he opened it, all the people stood up. And Ezra blessed the Lord with their faces to the ground. Also Jeshua, and Bani, and Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaia, even the Levites, cause the people to understand the Law; and the people stood in their place. And they read in the book, in the Law of God, distinctly; and they gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.
 
And Nehemiah, who was the Tirshatha, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites that taught the people, said unto all the people: ‘This day is holy unto the Lord your God; mourn not, nor weep.’ For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the Law. Then he said until them: ‘Go your way, eat the far, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto him for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy unto our Lord; neither be ye grieved; for the joy of the Lord is your strength.’ So the Levites stilled all the people, saying: ‘Hold your peace, for the day is holy; neither be ye grieved.’ [Neh. 8:1-11]
 
THE DAY OF JUDGMENTS
 
“Blow the horn at the new moon, at the full moon for our feast-day” (Ps. 81:4). Rabbi Phineas and Rabbi Hilkiah said in the name of Rabbi Simon: All the ministering angels assemble before the Holy One, blessed be he, and say, “Master of the universe, when is the New Year’s Day?” And he says to them, “Is it me you are asking? Let us both of us ask the Court below!” Because of the verse (ibid.): “For it is a statute for Israel, an ordinance of the God of Jacob.” [Midrash Tehillim]
 
It has been taught: Rabbi Eliezer says, In the month of Tishri the world was created, in Tishri the patriarchs were born, in Tishri the patriarchs died. On Rosh ha-Shanah Sarah, Rachel, and Hannah were remembered on high and conceived, on Rosh ha-Shanah Joseph left prison, on Rosh ha-Shanah the bondage of our ancestors ceased in Egypt. In the month of Nisan they were redeemed, and in Tishri they will be redeemed in time to come. [Rosh ha-Shanah I0b-11a]
 
The world is judged at four season: at Passover, in regard to grain; on the Feast of Weeks, in regard to the fruit of the tree; on Rosh ha-Shanah, all the inhabitants of this world file before Him. As it is said, “He that fashioneth the hearts of them all, that considereth all their doings” (Ps. 33:15). On the Feast of Booths, the world is judged in regard to rain. [Mishnah Rosh ha-Shanah I.2]
 
All things are judged on Rosh ha-Shanah, and their fate is sealed on Yom Kippur, are the worlds of Rabbi Meir. Rabbi Judah, in the name of Rabbi Akiba, says: All things judged on Rosh ha-Shanah, but the fate of each and every one of them is sealed in its proper season; at Passover, the fate of the grain, at the Feast of Weeks, that of the fruit of the tree, and at the Feast of Booths, that of rain. [Tosefta Rosh ha-Shanah I.13]

Table of Contents

FOREWORD BY Arthur Green • vii
INTRODUCTION BY Judah Goldin • xix
PREFACE: The Argument of the Work • xliii
 
BOOK ONE: ROSH HA-SHANAH 
I. The Motive of Rosh ha-Shanah • 11
II. Elul: A Month of Preparation • 16
III. The Sabbath before Rosh ha-Shanah • 26
IV. Selihot: Penitential Prayers • 30
V. The Eve of Rosh ha-Shanah: “Remember the Covenant: • 38
VI. The Evening and Its Service • 48
VII. The Morning and Its Service • 56
VIII. The Blast of the Ram’s-Horn • 64
IX. The Additional Prayer: Kingships, Remembrances, Ram’s-Horns • 81
X. The Afternoon: The Casting • 92
XI. The Second Day of Rosh ha-Shanah • 100
 
BOOK TWO: THE DAYS BETWEEN ROSH HA-SHANAH AND YOM KIPPUR
I. Seek Ye the Lord • 109
II. The Laws and Customs of the Ten Days of Teshuvah • 122
III. The Fast of Gedaliah • 130
IV. The Sabbath of Return • 130
V. The Thirteen Qualities • 141
VI. The Eve of Yom Kippur • 147
VII. The Afternoon Prayer for the Eve of Yom Kippur • 165
VIII. The Final Preparations for Yom Kippur • 167

BOOK THREE: YOM KIPPUR
I. The Significance of the Day • 183
II. Restriction • 190
III. Before Kol Nidre • 203
IV. Kol Nidre and the Night of Yom Kippur • 210
V. The Gates of Compassion • 225
Vi. The Morning Service and the Memorial Prayer • 237
VII. The Additional Prayer: The Service of the High Priest • 237
VIII. The Afternoon Prayer • 261
IX. Neilah: The Closing of the Gates • 265
X. ‘Hear O Israel’ and the Final Blast • 267
XI. The Close of Yom Kippur • 272
 
BIBLIOGRAPHY • 281
PUBLISHER’S NOTE • 296

Editorial Reviews

"When you read Days of Awe, at home or in the synagogue, think of Agnon as an old Jew from a world now vanished who happens to sit down next to you. He begins to tell you a tale, a parable, or a custom . . . that will open your heart to the splendor and richness, alongside the terror and awe, with which Jews have crowned this season."
—from the Foreword by Arthur Green

From the Publisher