מעמד ברכת החמה בחצרות חסידיות (The Blessing Over the Sun Ceremony in Contemporary Hasidic Courts)

תקציר

The Blessing over the Sun (Birkat HaHama) is recited once every twenty-eight years. This study analyses the ritual as it was conducted in 2009 in three hasidic courts: Lubavitch, Munkatch, and Boyan. A comparative study of the choice of liturgical passages and of the manner of presentation of the liturgy, together with anecdotal evidence, reveals the narrative of each community. This narrative is not necessarily limited to this rare ceremony, and in some cases reflects the general attitude of the particular hasidic community. The uncanonised nature of the rite also exposes a theme that is common to the three hasidic courts discussed: the tension between fidelity to tradition and the creative spirit.