Sabbath Morning service – part 2
The service continues with the reading of the Torah. The Hazan announces the Mitsvot that will be allocated during the reading, and then sings “Kohanecha” on page 110.
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On special Shabbatot, the congregation sings the verse Ba’abur David:
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Sung by the choir under Hadida in 1956.
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On regular Shabbatot, the Hazan sings Ba’abur David. In all cases, the congregation sings Baruch Hamakom as the doors of the Hechal are opened:
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As the Torah scroll (or scrolls) are carried to the Tebah, the congregation sing Romemu on page 110:
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As the Torah is lifted up and shown to the congregation, they sing Vezot Hatorah at the foot of page 110:
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Then the Torah is read. The congregation recite the last few words of each portion, before they are read by the Reader.
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When the last Parasha of each of the Five Books of Moses is read, the congregation sing Chizku Veya’amets on page 111:
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After the reading of the Maftir portion (and also after the reading of the Mashlim portion if more that one Torah scroll is taken out) the Kaddish Le’ela is read, after which the congregation sing Adonai Elohim Tsebaot as the scroll is lifted off the lectern:
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The Haftarah is then read. The congregation sings the last few words of the portion, and continues with Goalenu, after which the same section is repeated by the reader:
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After the blessings following the Haftarah, the minister recites Hashcabot for the following week, and then all stand for the Prayers for the Royal Family, State of Israel and the Congregation (pp. 112-3), with responses as follows:
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Read by the late Haham Gaon in 1956
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Prayer for the State of Israel
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Read by the late Haham Gaon in 1956
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On Shabbat Mebarachin, the blessing for the coming month is read.
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The next section of the service leads up to the Torah being replaced into the Hechal. The Hazan reads Ashre (p. 114), with the congregation coming in for the three verses “Ashre yoshebe betecha”, “Tob Adonai lakol” and “Poteach et yadecha”:
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On special Shabbatot, the congregation may sing Tehillat Adonai yedaber pi at the end of the Psalm. Otherwise the Hazan reads straight through this text.
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After Ashre, a selection of biblical verses are read. When the Hazan reaches the words before Lema’an da’at (p. 115), the congregation rise and sing the verse as the Torah scroll is brought forward to the lectern:
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Next comes Yimloch, which is sung twice by the Hazan and repeated by the congregation each time. It may be sung to one of three different melodies.
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The first is the so-called Traditional melody, which is the basic chant for this verse:
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Yimloch – Traditional Sung by the choir under Hadida in 1951
Yimloch – Traditional Another recording, from the CD “A Sephardi Celebration”, 2004.
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The second was written by Wasserzug, an Ashkenazi Hazan practicing in England in the mid-nineteenth century, but is has become commonplace in our synagogues:
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Sung by the choir in 1956
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The third is generally reserved for special occasions, and is based on a Festive motif from the Simhat Torah – Shabbat Bereshit period:
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After Yimloch, the congregation sing Mizmor LeDavid (Psalm 29) to one of two melodies, as the Torah is being carried back to the Hechal.
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The first melody is the congregation’s traditional chant for the Psalm in this part of the service:
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Sung by the choir in 1960
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The alternative is known as the “Continental” melody, due to its being ubiquitous in Sephardic communities right across the continent of Europe. It was introduced into our repertoire in the mid-twentieth century:
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From the CD “A Sephardi Celebration”, 2004.
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Once the Torah has been returned to the Hechal, the Hazan sings “Shubah Lim’onach” (p. 116), and the congregation sings the final verse of this passage – Hashibenu – to one of three melodies.
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The most common, which is considered traditional to the congregation, was in fact composed by E. Hart of the West London Synagogue:
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The second melody is adapted from a song in Mendelssohn’s Elijah:
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Hashibenu – Mendelssohn
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The third, which is usually reserved for special occasions, was composed by Charles Verrinder, another organist of the West London Synagogue:
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From the CD “A Sephardi Celebration”, 2004.
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The doors of the Hechal are then closed, and this completes the middle portion of the Sabbath morning service.