Keep in touch with what is happening
behind the scenes at First Fruits of Zion.
By Aaron Eby | Comments (13) | Posted on December 20, 2007
Shalom!
Many people have expressed their excitement about the FFOZ Siddur project and have asked for an status update. Here is what's going on:
One of the initial steps was to select our texts. In addition to texts selected from the traditional siddur, we included apostolic passages and important historical texts. The Hebrew text was translated into English. Text in Greek and other languages was translated into Hebrew--the language of prayer--and then also into English. Several hundred biblical references were cataloged. The Hebrew text was then compiled and collected from all of the various sources. Some of the text, although it had been translated, had yet to be typed and proofread.
The siddur page design is also being developed. We have innovated some exciting features that are not found in any other siddur. This features will make our siddur uniquely accessible to beginners, while preserving a sense of formality and sanctity. The unusual circumstances of a diglot (two-language) book with so many unique features result in a complicated and time consuming design process. We have been communicating with printers, sending them samples of books that have similar features. We are now working on details and specifications as to what type of materials and processes should be used. Our new resource in the Mayim Chayim series, "Breaking Bread: In Everything Give Thanks" will employ many of the same features as the siddur, so it will constitute a sort of "first fruits" of the FFOZ Siddur project. It is due to be released in a couple months.
We are also in the process of developing and recording melodies for the prayers that will be released on a companion audio CD. Some of the melodies come from traditional Jewish sources; others need to be created in order to be used with Messianic texts that we have inserted.
This new siddur is a desperately needed resource. Our hope is that it will play of a major role in the development of the Messianic community. Specifically, we believe that it will bring:
Maturity. Our roots reach deep into the past and can be found in every generation since the Apostles. However, the modern community of Messianic Judaism is fledgling. To ensure our future viability and success in handing off our values and way of life to the next generation, greater maturity is needed. That means a more developed faith, identity, attitude and lifestyle. Let's just say it's time we had our bar mitzvah.
The siddur will help accomplish these goals. It will develop our faith by immersing us in the word and familiarizing us with fundamental principles and values. It will develop our identity by helping us see ourselves as sons and daughters of the Almighty and a part of His people Israel. It will change our attitude by helping us remain focused on what is really important and by reminding us to be humble. It will bring discipline to our lifestyle by keeping us on a regular schedule of prayer and fellowship.
Unity. Few movements are as disjointed as ours. It's OK to hold differing theological positions. It's OK to have different opinions or preferences about styles of worship or halachah. But too often, these differences have caused us to cut off communication with each other or define ourselves against each other. Instead of driving us to strife and dis-unity, these differences should be a reason for us to discuss and communicate. The siddur will help to promote unity in our movement by helping us focus on what we have in common--our God, our Messiah, our heritage, our people--and by giving us a shared experience. I believe that having some commonality in the language of worship will also give us a sense of brotherhood. It reminds me of the prophecy in Zephaniah 3:9:
For then I will give to the peoples purified lips, That all of them may call on the name of the LORD, To serve Him shoulder to shoulder.
Continuity. While it is certainly acceptable for a congregation to have its own preferences in worship style, it would also be helpful to our movement if there was some commonality between Messianic congregations. Even congregations that are roughly similar in their comfortability with tradition may use different resources or (as might the case) a jumbled collection of readings from a multitude of sources. The FFOZ Siddur will give every congregation a common well of prayers and readings to draw from. It will also be unique among siddurim because it will be flexible enough to meet the needs of just about any congregation.
This ties in a little with the maturity aspect of things: not every Messianic leader has had the time to devote to an in-depth study on traditional Jewish prayer. As a result, the prayer services in some Messianic congregations and fellowships leave something to be desired. This siddur can help bring those congregations up to speed, which will give them more confidence in their service and leave a better impression on visitors and the surrounding community.
These are things our community needs, and the first step toward the realization of those needs is prayer. Prayer is so foundational, and that is why this is the right time for the siddur.
Our tasks in completing the siddur are far from over. Please consider supporting First Fruits of Zion's work in developing this important resource with a tax-deductible year-end donation. Please also pray that the work would go forward smoothly and by the guidance of God's Spirit. Pray that more people in the Messianic community would be receptive and begin to share this vision.
Aaron Eby
11 Tevet 5767

We Thank You offers a simple and innovative liturgy for disciples of Yeshua by weaving the ancient meal blessings of Judaism together with recently discovered prayers of the early believers.
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Visitor Comments
Hello my old friend,
Good to hear this update. But to be truly unifying this should be a siddur that has garnered input from across the spectrum of the Messy Antic movement. I hope this has been the approach of FFOZ in this regard. Otherwise it will just be known as 'FFOZ's Siddur.'
Posted by: Steve Petersen | December 20, 2007 3:26 PM
hmm...I'm even more excited about it now! I just hope you have a good cover for it....you've covered all the other - more serious bases - so now I'm just asking for a good quality cover that will withstand being carried around in my bag.
that's my .02
Posted by: Rob | December 20, 2007 9:01 PM
Shalom Aaron,
First of all many thanks for all the work you are putting in this project, this will indeed be a very valuable asset to all of us. At the moment Im using the Artscroll Siddur which also has brief commentaries below the prayers. I know this is a lot of work but would something like this also be included? It may actually be a good thing to do, because most of us want to know what we are praying. Personally I have frequently consulted with people on the forum as to what the meaning was of the certain prayers and their answers always gave me encouragement to go on. I also remember one of your blogs on the Shema, where you explained the reason for praying the Shema and all it entails. That was one of the reasons that I started praying the Shema, because before that I didnt see the significance in praying certain passages. Maybe, again like Artscroll, a brief background to the prayers?
But for now enjoy the Shabbat:D
Daniel
Posted by: Daniel_K | December 21, 2007 2:38 AM
I am really looking forward to the siddur! I have always been impressed with the quality of FFOZ work, the strong Scriptural scholarship, and the balanced viewpoint. It is my hope and my prayer that this siddur will indeed be widely received by the Messianic community as a whole and become a foundational resource.
On a personal level, I am excited at the opportunity to enrich my own prayer life. The audio CD is a great idea, as I only know a few prayer melodies, and I find that the melodies help me remember the prayers and the Hebrew words.
Aaron, I know you've put a lot of work into this worthy project. Thank you so much!
Posted by: Carrie | December 21, 2007 9:17 AM
I hope you guys are going to incorporate or consider some of the Hebrew liturgy of 19th century Jewish believers for your siddur project.
Posted by: Jorge Quiñónez | December 22, 2007 7:31 AM
Will you be including the kabbalistic inspired prayers into the text or will such things as the opening of the bedtime Shema be included (specifically the concept of transmigration)? Also, the morning blessings, like the one that says "blessed are You for not making me a gentile" cause the majority of us ARE gentiles... And finally, will the section in the Amidah on The Righteous be alter to reflect the fact that we are not "righteous converts" but have been grafted into Israel by way of Messiah?
just some things I've been wondering about... thanks!
Posted by: Connie | December 24, 2007 8:16 AM
Thank you for your response, Aaron, to the question about "upon the righteous converts and upon ourselves." It has made see that benediction in a different light.
But at the same time I just have never quite felt at home in that prayer. Perhaps "gerei hatzedek" could be rendered more literally, instead of "convert," as Tim Hegg brings out in "It is Often Said: The Torah is Only for Jews, p.45ff"?
Anyway, thank you so much for all your work and you probably don't need more input with all this stuff than all the great staff over there already.
Many blessings on the project. We do indeed need it.
Posted by: John Peter | December 25, 2007 7:12 AM
Aaron Thank you so much for the work you have put into this project. Will gentiles ever learn that they (coming into faith with the Holy One of Israel) do not set the agenda? If we are ever going to unite ourselves with the God described in the Tanakh,we must submit to Him and His ways. I can never understand the attitude of many gentiles who want to drag their ideas into ring without first checking with the written Torah (teachings) of God. Surely the prayers sent up to the Holy One must meet a certain standard. We all learned in our "church experience" the prayers of "babeling". I pray that this new Siddur will teach us sound prayer principles. Thanks for hearing my thoughts. Jack Rabine
Posted by: Jack Rabine | December 25, 2007 10:05 AM
Jack Rabine,
That last comment struck a nerve in this 58 years old gentile. I have been a presbyterian, catholic, conservative baptist, garb baptist, fellowship bible, and plymoth brethern, and now Messianic. Praying the same written prayers everyday seems to me to be babeling...praying by wrote memory, reminds me of my 12 Our Fathers and 20 Hail Mary's. Please, help me understand the WHY of our morning, afernoon and evening prayer. I do them, not daily yet, because of the babeling thing. I am obviously missing something significant here.
Jack or DL please respond. Thanks for the insights in advance. Dan
Posted by: Dan Boron | December 25, 2007 8:36 PM
I am excited about the Siddur Project, and curious about the music. I spent almost 20 years working with church music in Germany, and find the "old" tunes have a timeless vitality to them. Will the newly composed music in the new Siddur be "contemporary", "eastern" or old "western" sounding? Will the music be published in written form?
Thanks for your dedication, devotion, and hard work!
Jerry Ringo
Posted by: Jerry Ringo | December 28, 2007 5:17 PM
Shalom Aaron,
It is quite a blessing to see someone taking on this much needed resource for our fractured movement. I hope you are open to ideas as well. You could consider amending the 'AL TIRAH' after the ALEYNU to include the Messiahs words "And remember, I will be with you always, yes even until the end of the age". I use this amended form of the AL TIRAH to close out my Shacharit prayers.
My wife and I also are wondering how else can we help you in this project.
Shalom Alechem
Posted by: Tony Vigneau | December 29, 2007 8:59 PM
I hope it won't be Ashkenazic-centric. Remember the Sephardim! :o)
Posted by: Sefardita | December 31, 2007 12:54 AM
Aaron,
I'm totally impressed by your siddur project, both by its scope and its depth. I'm surprised that I have not heard about it yet. My congregation, Ruach Israel in Needham, MA, is developing a new siddur, and my friends in the Yachad Network keep exchanging ideas about making our davenning more Messiah-focused (both liturgically and in terms of kavanna). There are experiments with turning the korbanot section into a rememberance of korban ha'Mashiach; creative additions to Aleynu to make it more inclusive; I personally use an alternative Messianic Ahava Rabba that can be sung to the traditional tune; and the Amida can foster both conformity and creativity if we offer Messianic versions of the brachot either as alternatives or as additions (in the tradition of Reform and Reconstructionist siddurim). The Lord's Prayer (in Heb) could be recited after the Amida, in the spirit of the early Messianics who prayed it thrice daily.
Is there any way I could help your project?
Leah
Posted by: Leah Vaks | May 12, 2008 11:20 PM