The most important features in the institutions of the synagogue are the litztrgy, the reading of the law and the prophets, and the homilies. To know the exact words of the prayers which our Saviour and his apostles recited when they fre quented the synagogue is to us of the utmost interest. That the Jews in the time of Christ had a liturgical service is certain ; but it is equally certain that the present liturgy of the synagogue embodies a large admixture of prayers which were cmnpiled after the destruction of the second tem ple. Though the poetic genius of the Psalmists bad vanished, and the temple music was hushed, yet numemus fervent and devout spirits were still unquenched in Israel. These earnest spirits made themselves audible in the synagogue in most de vout and touching pmyers, embodying the new anxieties, the novel modes of persecution and oppression which the Jews had to endure from the children of Christianity; the religion newly born and brought up in the lap of Judaism, who deemed it their sacred duty to heap unpamlleled sufferings upon their elder brothers. These prayers, formed after the model of the Psalms, not only ask the God of Israel to pity the sufferers, to give them patience to endure, and in his own time to confound their enemies, and free them from all their troubles, but embody the teachings of the sages and the sentiments propounded by the Ilagadists in the Sabbatic homilies. Hence, in describing the ritual of the synagogue it is most essential to separate the later element from the earlier portions. As it is beyond the limits of tbis article to trace the rise, progress, and development of all the com ponent parts of the liturgy in its present order, we shall simply detail those portions which are un doubtedly the ancient nucleus, which beyond a question were used by our Saviour and his disci ples, and around which the new pieces were grouped in the course of time.
i. The Hymnal Group virrnt von).—just as the temple building was the prototype for the synagogue edifice, so the temple service vvas the model for the ritual of the synagogue. IIence just as the temple service consisted of the priests reciting the Ten Commandments, pronouncing the bene diction upon the people (Num. vi. 24-27), the offering of the daily morning and evening sacrifice, the Levites chanting Ps. cxv. 1-16 ; Chron. xvi. 8-22 (11111), during the morning sacrifice ; and Ps. cxvi., Chron. xvi. 23-36 onv) during the even ing sacrifice, so the ritual of the synagogue consisted of the same benediction, the chanting of the sacri ficial Psalms, as the sacrifices themselves could not be offered except in the temple, and sundry addi tions made by Ezra and the men of the Great Synagogue. It is for this reason that the ritual began with the temple Psalms. These were followed by the group consisting of Ps. c. [xix., xxxiv., xci., cxxxv., cxxxvi., xxxiii., xcii.), xciii., cxlv.-c1.—those enclosed in brackets being omitted on the Sabbath—r Chron. xxix. ro-13 ; Neh. ix. 6-12 ; Exod. xiv. 30-xv. r8, and sundry sentences not found in the Bible, denominated the order of the Hymnal Sentences (11111121 VIDD). The use of this hymnal group as part of both the temple and the synagogue service is of great anti quity, as is attested by the Solar Olam, xiv., and Masa/tea Sopherim ; see also Sabbath, HS b, where we are told that Mil was ordained by David, and 1-1,e1 by the Sopherim or scribes.
The Shona or Keriath Shona (3;ner ntrelp, pnrY).—This celebrated part of the service was preceded by two benedictions, respectively denomi nated 'the Creator of Light' (i1t. WI) and Great LOVe' (nn rum:), and followed by one called Truth' (nnt., now expanded into zon
The two introductory benedictions were as follows —a. Blessed are thou, 0 Lord our God, King ot the Universe, who createst light and formest dark ness, who makest peace and createst all things 1 He in mercy causes the light to shine upon the earth and the inhabitants thereof, and in goodness renews every day the work of creation. Blessed art thou, the Creator of light !' b. With great love hast thou loved us, 0 Lord our God ; thou hast shown us great and abundant mercy, 0 our Father and King, for the sake of our forefathers who trusted in thee ! Thou who didst teach them the love of life, have mercy upon us, and teach us also . . . to praise and to acknowledge thy unity in love. Blessed art thou, 0 Lord, who in love hast chosen thy people !' (Mishna 7'aamid, v. 1; Berachath, b). Hereupon the Ten Command ments were recited, which however ceased at a very early period. because the Sadducees declared that this was done to show that this was the most essential portion of the revealed law (Mishna Taamid, v. r, with Berachoth, 14 b). Then came the Shema proper, consisting of Dem. vi. 4-9 ; xi. 13-21 ; Num. xv. 37-41 ; which was concluded with benediction c. entitled Tiwe and Established' (TV') rinN) as follows It is true and firmly established that thou art the Lord our God and the God of our forefathers ; there is no God be sides thee. Blessed art thou, 0 Lord, the redeemer of Israel !' (Mishna Berachoth, i. 4 ; Gemara ibid. 13 a ; Mishna Taamid, v. r ; Gemara ibid. 32 b). There is evidently an allusion to the read ing of the Shona in the reply which our Saviour gave to the lawyer who asked him, Master, what must I do to inherit eternal life?' when the lawyer forthwith recited the first sentence of the Shona (Luke x. 26).
iii. The third portion which constituted the ancient liturgy embraces the Eighteen Benedictions (mop rolvv), called ?car' the Prayer (riDn). They are as follows :—r. (inn) Blessed art thou, 0 Lord our God, the God of our fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, great, omnipotent, fearful, and most high God, who bountifully showest mercy, who art the possessor of all things, who rememberest the pious deeds of our fathers, and sendest the Redeemer to their children's children, for his mercy's sake is love, 0 our King, Defender, Saviour, and Shield ! Blessed art thou, 0 Lord, the shield of Abraham ! 2. (ilna anN) Thou art powerful, 0 Lord, world without end ; thou bringest the dead to life in great compassion, thou holdest up the falling, healest the sick, loosest the chained, and showest thy faithfulness to those that sleep in the dust. Who is like unto thee, Lord of might, and who resembles thee ?—a Sovereign killing and bringing to life again, and causing salvation to flourish—and thou art sure to raise the dead. Blessed art thou, 0 Lord, who raisest the dead 3. (nip int.) Thou art holy, and thy name is holy, and the holy ones praise thee every day con tinually. Blessed art thou, 0 Lord, the Holy God ! 4. (pm ruiN) Thou mercifully bestowestknowledge upon men and teachest the mortal prudence. Merci fully bestow upon us, from thyself, knowledge, wis dom, and understanding. Blessed art thou, 0 Lord, who mercifully bestowest knowledge ! 5. (1)1'n) Our Father, lead us back to thy law ; bring us very near, 0 our King, to thy service, and cause us to return in sincere penitence into thy presence ! Blessed art thou, 0 Lord, who delightest in re pentance ! 6. (4n) Our Father forgive us, for we have sinned, our King pardon us, for we have transgressed, for thou art forgiving and pardoning,.