Days of Awe: Being a Treasury of Traditions, Legends and Learned Commentaries Concerning Rosh Ha-Shanah, Yom Kippur and the Days Between, Culled from Three Hundred Volumes, Ancient and NewSome years ago an Englishwoman, a relative of the then Archbishop of Canterbury, asked S.Y. Agon whether there exists in traditional Judaism anything corresponding in its high drama and inntense power to the old Easter rituals. In response to this challenge - and to his own unceasing quest for style and structure - Agon composed this literary tone poem on the Days of Awe. Taking his materials from the vast storehouse of Hebrew literature of all ages, he ilustrated the procession of the High Holy Days from the period of preparation for the Day of Judgment to the "Closing of the Gates" : profound religious mediation, moving homily, travelers' reports, conversation and memoir, drama and pathos at once simple and majestic. The greatest Hebrew writer of our time studied thousands of texts and drew on 300 of them to compose this anthology of Jewish wisdom. He has arranged them to follow the order of the service of the Holy Days. His own transitional pieces are uncanny in their mastery of tone, and are often indistinguishable from their more venerable companions. "From the moment of its appearance the volume seemed to as though it had always been here, as though it had always been the companion of the Holy Day prayer book," writes Judah Goldin in the new introduction. -- Back cover |
Contents
INTRODUCTION BY Judah Goldin | vii |
The Argument of the Work | xxxi |
ROSH HASHANAH | 9 |
Copyright | |
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Abraham accepted Afternoon Prayer asked atonement become beginning benediction blessed blessed memory blowing body called candles cent close comes commandments committed compassion confession congregation custom customary death deeds earth eve of Yom evil eyes falls father fear fellow forgive give given hand hear heard heart heaven High Priest Holy honor horn House of Prayer iniquities Isaac Israel Jerusalem judgment king light living Lord master meaning month Moon Moses Name never night once one's opened pass peace phrase poems portion pray Rabbi ram's-horn Reader reason receive recited remember righteous Rosh ha-Shanah Sabbath sages Scroll seven sins soul sound speak stand Temple Teshuvah thee things thou Torah transgressions turn unto verse voice wishes written Yom Kippur