Yom Kippur: Does the community say Seder Hakedusha of Rebbe Yehuda Halevy?

This common story is said about Jewish arguments.

To the One who sits in praise,
To the One who rides chariots,
Holiness and Blessing.

Every year on Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish Calendar, a great argument occurs in the local knis – Synagogue . Do we say Seder Hakedusha of Rebbe Yehuda Halevy or not? The greatest row would always erupt at the moment that the Chazan would reach the Holy, Kedusha of Nakdishach. Screaming and yelling was central but even more harsh than screaming some people were ignoring each other.

One year the committee decided to put an end to the perpetual argument and tried to find out what the true custom was. They found a one hundred and four year old man in the local retiree village. He told them “Yes, that is the true custom, every year we argue like mad men.”

That is the traditional story. There are many variations on it. However, I would like to fill you in on how cruelly the congregation argued.

Itzik Mashala, the Chazan, was against saying Seder Hakedusha, when he got there he just skipped it. He believed that it is a Hefsek, interruption, to say it and it doesn’t matter whether Rabbi Yehuda Halevy wrote it or Moshe Rabienu himself. Solly screamed out in front of the whole knis. He called Itzik an irresponsible apikorus. Solly claimed that you have to say it since it adds so much holiness to the day. As with all arguments many other reasons were volunteered. Yankee Mashala was so disturbed by Itzik that he didn’t speak to him for eleven years. Itzik didn’t know this because he was never told and didn’t understand why Yankee never returned his calls. Some said the argument was stupid while others said that the Arguers were evil. So continued the custom for many years. Some parted from the congregation while others parted with G-d. While many others happily remained in the dysfunctional congregation. Certainly some people grew above the situation and acted to heal the ill relationships.

To the One who sits in praise,
To the One who rides chariots,
Holiness and Blessing.
(Seder Hakedusha of Rebbe Yehuda Halevy)
mailto:steve@gindi.co.il