Inside the Jewish Synagogue

Verses of Song

Moving out of assiyah, we move into a part of the service called Pesukei d’Zimra, or Verses of Song, which arouse our emotions and bring us to a higher realm, known to kabbalists as yetzirah. We enter with numerous repetitions of baruch - blessing - and it’s a time of, or should be a time of, exuberant praise. If you sense a lack of joy, find another synagogue! This part of the service also abounds with hodu! (Thank!) and halleluyah (Praise Yah!), and Ashrei (Happy!). Most traditional synagogues do not use musical instruments, even though our central song in Pesukei cries out to praise God with the harp and lyre and drum and cymbals and dance. You might, however, discover joy and beauty both in services that use instruments and those that do not.

Face to Face with God

After the blessings that follow the Shema, in which you’ll see some pray-ers kiss the fringes of their tallit, or prayer shawl, we move into the highest and most mystical realm of atzilut, the part of the service called the Amidah. During the amidah, congregants typically take three steps backward, then three forward, to indicate we have stepped out of the earthly realms and have entered a realm where we are panim el panim, “face to face” with God. This section of the service begins with a sort of call-and-response, and then enters a long period of silent prayer. You’ll see a considerable amount of various types of bowing and swaying, and some congregants may cover their heads with their tallit to avoid distraction.