Sephardic Siddur

[dauer]

Bananabrain,

Is there a sephardic siddur that you would reccomend? Based on what you said in the other thread I'm curious to see what the differences are. I'd need a siddur that is hebrew-english and linear translation would be even better.

Thanks.

Dauer

[Phyllis Sidhe_Uaine]

Orginally posted by dauer
Is there a sephardic siddur that you would reccomend?

Ditto, but if it's written in Ladino, I'll be pestering you on occasion to help translate it into English so I can understand the liturgy.

Phyllis Sidhe_Uaine

[bananabrain]

the ones i recommend are the 'orot'. they're what i call opposed-line:

english verse hebrew hebrew
set with hebrew
appropriate line hebrew hebrew

on one page. the hebrew font is extremely easy to read, the translation is superb, kabbalistic yihudim are included and footnoted commentary from the ben ish hai, the leading C19th iraqi sage - and it's even got a nice cover!

i think they intend to do the whole shebang - they've already done daily and shabbat siddurim, mahzorim for the chagim and, i believe, a chumash.

let me know how you get on.

b'shalom

bananabrain

[dauer]

I bought myself a copy of the Orot Sephardic Siddur for Shabbat. I've looked through it a few times. I've been fascinated to see the many differences. I've read that originally there were more kabbalistic references in Ashkenazic liturgy but that they were removed. I don't know that this is true.

I noticed in one part of the siddur -- I don't remember what it was -- there were letters in different combinations without vowels. I was thinking these were permutations but I think I saw a letter that's not part of the Tetragrammaton. What were they?

Dauer

[bananabrain]

in some of the yihudim there are combinations of the Big T with other Divine Names. they're not to be pronounced as written obviously, but rather used as meditation points, the combination of YKVK with ADNY giving you YAKDVNKY and so on. these would then enable the correct kavvanah based around the path or [presumably] sefirah associated with that combination. sometimes there are angelic names, too, but they're also not supposed to be pronounced.

one of the most interesting things in there is the "anna bechowah" which is, of course a permutation of (i believe) a 42-letter Divine Name - you can usually spot those by the appending of 'baruch Shem qavod malkhuto le'olam va'ed'. this formula has immense power as a meditative mantra. another passage with undeniable power is the 'berich shemeh' section of zohar from parshat vayyakhel in aramaic.

b'shalom

bananabrain