#maariv

[ask-jumblr]

I'm currently converting to Judaism. I can't figure out if I'm supposed to go to the morning/evening minyan or not. Do I or do I not?

[enkelimagnus]

Alec Lightwood x Magnus Bane / 1080 words / Rated G / Judaism

Jewish Alec spends some time at the synagogue after a long day.

Read on AO3

The chazzan’s voice resounded in the synagogue. Alec’s eyes followed the lines on his siddur. He liked following the text this way, even if he had known this prayer by heart for years. This chazzan was good. He was a new one, and there was something special about his voice, that stuck especially deep in him.

He straightened up his tie a little. He hadn’t been able to get out of work early enough for Maariv lately, and it was nice to be back. It was maybe his favorite of the three daily prayers, followed closely by shacharit, in the morning.

His day had been long but he’d been able to get to the synagogue around nightfall. There was nothing more comfortable than this. Sitting on his usual seat, with his siddur, and his friends sitting at their own seats. There was an amazing familiarity to everything.

One of the reasons he enjoyed this service was because talking was forbidden during it. It was entirely made for prayer, for looking in yourself and up to G-d, and damn, didn’t Alec love every single second of it. Only the chazzan’s voice was resounding, filling up the room with an adoration that Alec rarely felt elsewhere.

They’d just finished Borchu, and were in the middle of Maariv Aravit. G-d had created the darkness, the stars and the night, and for that, they were thankful. Many wonders happened in the night, many a birth, many a love blossoming, many a miracle.

Ahavat Olam started, and they all prayed in thanks for the protection G-d gave them during the night. For every miracle, there was a danger, but G-d would keep them safe from the dangers, so they could rejoice and survive. G-d had given them the Torah, and a sanctuary from everything that could hurt them.

Alec closed his eyes for a second, as Shema Yishrael started.

“Sh'ma Yisrael Adonai Eloheinu Adonai Ecḥad.”

This was strong. This was a call that had always moved him, always made him feel part of the community. He could remember clearly being moved almost to tears the day of his aliyah to the Torah, when the Shema had been recited.

Hear, O Israel, the LORD is our God, the LORD is One.

This blessing was ancient. It was the link between Alec and his people, between Alec and those who had written the Torah, Jews thousands of years ago.

“Barukh sheim k'vod malkhuto l'olam va'ed.”

Blessed be the Name of His glorious kingdom for ever and ever.

“V'ahav'ta eit Adonai Elohekha b'khol l'vav'kha uv'khol naf'sh'kha uv'khol m'odekha.”

And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.

The melody and the words were so familiar that Alec knew he would always remember it, no matter where and when. He’d always known this melody. It was one of his oldest memory. Sitting at the seat he was occupying now as a man, next to his father, chanting the Shema, not yet knowing how deep it would resound with his adult life.

It was over too soon, and the service continued on to Emet V'Emunah. It served to recall the Exodus from Egypt. It was a reminder of the way the Jewish people had been chosen by G-d to fulfill the task of bettering the world, it was a reminder that the future was certain, that the redemption was certain to the Jewish people.

The daily worries of Alec’s day gently left his body, and soon enough, there was in his mind the certainty that everything would be alright. There was no reason why it wouldn’t be. The chazzan’s voice guided the stress off of his shoulders, taking every last weight off of him until he was home and happy.

With Hashkiveinu, Alec asked for G-d to grant him protection for the following day, and the coming night. He would lay down in his bed with his fiancé and wake up in the morning, safe and whole, and protected as ever, if G-d was willing.

He stood up for the Amidah, and stayed up through the Aleinu prayer.

The prayer was over way too fast. He stood up, closing his siddur and putting it back in his bag.

“Buenas tardes, Alec!” A family friend called as Alec was stepping out of the sanctuary.

“Kedavos en buenora,” he replied.

The synagogue hosted a Spanish Sephardic community, and most people enjoyed speaking Ladino as well as English. Alec did enjoy it too. That and Hebrew. The tongues of his culture.

He slipped on his coat, and decided to keep his kippah tonight. He knew Magnus didn’t mind him wearing it around, and he liked the light weight of it on the back of his skull. He said goodbye to a few others, told them he would see them for Shabbat anyway, and walked out.

Magnus was standing, leaning against a lamppost on the other side of the street. He always waited there, ever since the first time he’d come pick Alec up from the synagogue. Alec crossed the street.

He was a lucky man. There was no doubt in his mind, and he thanked G-d every day for the beauty that was Magnus Bane. Before Magnus, Alec had never imagined he would ever date a gentile. Too many things that didn’t fit, too many things to explain. But Magnus had been surprisingly knowledgeable already, and ready to learn.

Now, it had been three wonderful years, and Magnus had started to talk about conversion. Conversion and marriage, since they were already engaged. It made Alec the happiest man on Earth, even if he hadn’t wanted to pressure Magnus into converting. It had to be his own decision.

“Shalom, Magnus,” Alec said softly, leaning close to him to press a kiss to his lips. He felt Magnus smile in the kiss.

“Hey, love,” the man replied, and took Alec’s hands. “How was it?” He asked.

“Wonderful, as always.”

Magnus grinned at him, and Alec kissed him again immediately. He couldn’t help himself. When he finally managed to stop kissing him for a second, they started making their way back to the subway station, and back to their apartment.

They sat next to each other on the train, Alec’s head falling a little on Magnus’ shoulder. He was tired. Long day, and a good time spent in prayer. Tomorrow was his day off, and he was very very thankful for that too.

[adamavshamayim]

Nine Days Until Tu BShvat

A list of practices about nature:

(Inspiration: My reaction to someone I met on a Jewish nature trip who left observant life because he felt that it wasn’t a life of nature.)

1) We pay attention to when the sun rises and sets for shacharit and maariv (I never thought about it as much as I do now that I daven every day)

2) Shuls physically need to have windows. 

3) We change liturgy in the amida depending on the season, asking for rain or just for dew

4) Sukkot is in large part about the harvest and being outside

5) Rosh chodesh - you can look at the moon and know when in the Jewish month we are! (Also, kiddush levana, which I only learned about recently).

6) The second paragraph of the shema. Need I say more?

7) Brachot on food. We have extensive debates about whether certain foods are fruits or vegetables, which makes us think about where our food came from and how it grew.

8) Toveling, which I’ve already posted about a lot on here - it asks you to find a natural, flowing, body of water!

9) Tu BShvat itself - the fact that we have four new years, and one of those four is for trees.

(Sunset photo because we pay attention to sunset!)

[jewishvirtuallibrary-blog]

Maariv service concluding Shabbat at the Western Wall in Jerusalem, Israel; 2008. x

The Maariv service following the end of Shabbat, which takes place during Motza'ei Shabbat or the ‘going out of Shabbat’ in Hebrew, slightly differs from the Maariv service said on other days of the week.  For one, an extra paragraph is added to the Amidah called Ata Chonantanu; which officially ends Shabbat.  Furthermore, two sections of prayers are added, including Vihi Noam and V'Ata Kados.  Finally, Asheknazim add Veyiten Lecha to the service while Sephardim recite it at home.

Shabbat Shalom from all of us at the Jewish Virtual Library!

[infosisraelnews]

Plus court, plus rapide, plus meurtrier : les armées du monde stupéfaites par la puissance de l'armée de l'air israélienne

Trois sorties par jour et par pilote. Cinq mille munitions larguées en quatre jours. Une coordination inédite avec les États-Unis qui a transformé deux forces aériennes en une seule. Et au sol, des équipes techniques majoritairement féminines qui ont battu tous les records mondiaux de délai de remise en condition entre deux missions. Dans sa chronique publiée ce vendredi dans Maariv, le…

Plus court, plus rapide, plus meurtrier : les armées du monde stupéfaites par la puissance de l'armée de l'air israélienne

[kokchapress]

Netanyahu has issued a warning to countries hosting Hamas members, indirectly threatening Turkey with military action. Analysts suggest Turkey could be the next target after Qatar. #Israel #Netanyahu #Turkey #Qatar #Hamas #MilitaryThreat 🌍⚔️Hebrew media criticizes Netanyahu’s portrayal of the Gaza conflict, stating it diverges from ground realities. His claims about military operations and humanitarian efforts are contradicted by facts. #Israel #Netanyahu #Gaza #Hamas #MediaCriticism 🌍📰

Netanyahu Threatens Turkey with Military Action Alongside Qatar

[kokchapress]

Maariv criticizes Netanyahu, saying he has no right to claim ignorance about the Gaza war's consequences. The newspaper calls for an immediate halt to the war and a reevaluation of military strategies. 🚨⚔️ #GazaWar #Netanyahu #Maariv #StopTheWar

Maariv: Netanyahu, You Have No Right to Say "I Didn't Know," the War Must Stop

[starlight-edith]

Where’s my pretty jewish boy who recites Maariv with me and then gives me a little forehead kiss goodnight??