Posted June 17, 2004 by Rabbi Judy Abrams. Please refer to Maqom's home page for information about previous passages.
What is the emotion felt by most people, clergy and laity, upon hearing the call to rise for Aleinu? Relief. The service is almost over. This is definitely the ninth inning. A rousing song before the open ark and then bittersweet Kaddish and perhaps a closing song and benediction and we're "outta here". What a pity that this powerful piece of liturgy is consigned to such a fate.
In Ma'aseh Merkavah, one of the forms of mysticism that existed
during the rabbinic era (70-500 C.E.), the Aleinu (in singular
form, i.e., "Alai") is the prayer the mystical journeyer
utters upon reaching the seventh, final heavenly hall. It is a
song of triumph. The long pilgrimage is over and the journeyer
stands at the very footstool of God, having made his/her way through
all the seven heavenly halls. In many prayer books the Aleinu
comes after the Kaddish and is completed with a recitation of
the Shema.
In the Merkavah literature the Aleinu is an individual's prayer
and reads as follows:
It is incumbent upon me to praise the Lord of all; to ascribe greatness to the Former of Creation, who did not make us like the nations of the lands and did not place us like the families of the earth. Who did not place my lot among them and my destiny among all their masses. For they bow down to vanity and emptiness and pray to a god who cannot save. But I pray before the King of kings, the Holy One, blessed be He. (Michael D. Swartz. Mystical Prayer in Ancient Judaism, p. 228).
The rather inflammatory assertion that others bow to emptiness is excised from Ashkenazic prayer books but can still be found in Sephardic prayer books. Some Sephardic congregations do not go on to recite the second part of the Aleinu as we find it in our prayer books today which expresses the hope that the messianic age will arrive quickly and that God's name shall be one.
Discussion Questions:
I look forward to your answers!