Shalom; this video is we call this the Geography of the Synagogue. What do you know about Synagogue Life if you do not really know a lot or you are just entering it for the time or even if you been there around and really are not sure what is going on. So, first of all most synagogues are oriented toward Jerusalem that is the major direction in face when you face the arc is toward the east assuming that you are west of Jerusalem, because you face Jerusalem and in Jerusalem you face the holy temple of all The New Western Hoa. What you are looking at is the Aron Kodesh, which is the focal point of the ark of the Bhima of the plat form at which the Rabbi usually stand in the center of that usually in the rear is the Aron Kodesh. The ark and that contains the Torah’s scrolls. Each one of the Torah’s scrolls in there is a separate scroll and written on the animal parchment and usually standing up, but we read it whenever we lied on the table. In front of the ark covering it is usually a curtain a Parokhet although I have seen some modern ones that do not really have a curtain, but it usually a Parokhet the curtain. But, all of this is modeled after the ancient tabernacle that was in the desert. Hanging above the Aron Kodesh is usually I mean all the time you always see this a Ner Tamid a light that is eternally lit.
Now, scholars are not sure whether this was simply the middle candle of the seven candle candelabra in the ancient temple or independent standing light, but we always have it lit. Now, again the word is Bimah that we everything is kind of standing on and usually we say that the Rabbi has his pulpit and the Cantra is his pulpit or even call the Bimah the pulpit the area that all of this is on. Now, every Synagogue will also have a Menorah some purposely do not have seven candle, candelabras because they do not want to be too similar to the ancient synagogue the ancient temple. In fact, that is why I went to synagogue are not called temples, because we say there was only one temple and that was the one that was burned actually two, one burned in 586 by the Babylonian before zero and one in 70CE by the Romans.
But, there is always be a Menorah, we for example have one and one side of our sanctuary that have seven candles and one that has nine for Khanak plus the helper candle. A lot of times too above the ark you will see the Ten Commandments in the kind of framed or sometimes you will see little sculpture figures of the Tirads. Now, who usually is on the Bimah and this is the kind of the modern Bimah, because in the ancient time there was basically a place in the middle with the Torah. But, today they usually see the Rabbi up there the Cantor sometimes called the Khasem the guy who leads the services if the Synagogue is big enough. The Shamash is the position of the main helper. Some synagogue ever paid position of somebody who actually helps the clergy with ritual duties.
The term Gabbai is the helper, it is an assistant and today, usually the Gabbai has the fellows stands on either side of the Torah while it is being read. The name of the person who reads the Torah is called Abal Korei, torah reader. And, then sometimes you will have ushers who usually late people who assigned different honors and get people up there. Now, I have other videos on each of the main services of Chakhari which is morning service Minikha , the afternoon service, Mauri the evening service and Musaf which is the additional service on Sabbath and holidays. Also, I have videos on various items. I have a video on Kippo the head coverings. One on tallit the prayer shawl, I have not done what I am truly up but I am going to. The siddur is the prayer book that we use on every day except for the high holidays. On the highholiday prayer book, we call the Mahzor. You will also find a bible now, the bible uses not full bible and I did a video and four recommended books to explain this. The bible uses not a full Hebrew it simply has the five the books of Moses divided by the weekly Torah portion and in between has the prophetic portion the Half Torah that we do each week. Now, the Torah scrolls are actually manuscripts that are on Atsehaim the rollers and there stored it again in the Iron the closet and they have Anhem like a crown or rimonim, which are not is like a crown looking thing, but actually two silver things that go on the handles.
Well, also there is something to bind the scroll together to hold it to what, and then usually will be a piece of medal or wood that the end of it looks like a finger called a Yad which is actually a hand that we use that to point in the text so we do not get our smudgy oil all over it. Now, it terms of the, if you are there for Saturday morning of our regular toll read reading like Monday or Thursday, people have aliyot nor aliyah, and I explained this to my video on Aliyah 101 Torah Aliyah 101. The equivalent Tori of Seya blessing, there is also some non speaking parts like opening and closing the ark. How guys the got to who lives to Torah, Galila is the person who ties the Torah. And, I also did a video on Minian the prayer column and also on a various movement of prayer. So, those are a lot of the basic things you will see when you go into a Synagogue. Hope that helps the Geography of the Synagogue.
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