CARR 199-200 - Central Conference of American Rabbis

QUESTION: Why is no blessing recited before and after

the reading of Ruth, Song of Songs, Lamentations and Ecclesiastes when they are read in the

liturgical cycle? (Rabbi H. Waintrup, Abington, PA)ANSWER: The public liturgical

reading of these scrolls from the ketuvim was not known until the post-Talmudic period.

All except Ecclesiastes were first mentioned liturgically in the Tractate Soferim (14.3 ff).

Ecclesiastes was initially mentioned as part of the Sukot service by the Mahzor

Vitry (p. 440 f). Soferim indicated that the Song of Solomon was read during

Pesah (on Shabbat or an evening), and Ruth on Shavuot. The Tractate

Ta-anit (30 a) indicated that Biblical studies may occur on Tisha Beav, and that

Job, Lamentations or selections from Jeremiah may be read. When the Tractate Soferim

was written, the custom of reading Lamentations on Tisha Beav had become

widespread (14.3). Some in the Middle Ages read it responsively (Mahzor Vitry, p.

226). These discussions demonstrate that all practices connected with these books

are late. Soferim suggested that a benediction be said for Lamentations (14.3). In

Sephardic communities it became the minhag to adopt the benedictions normally used

for Esther with the appropriate changes (Mahzor Vitry, pp. 304, 344). That remains the

custom in Sephardic lands, but not among the lands of the Ashkenazim of Northern Europe (I.

Elbogen, Der jüdische Gottesdienst, p. 185). We have chosen to follow

the general Ashkenazic European custom of reading the scrolls without a benediction. There

would be, however, nothing wrong with following the Sephardic minhag if the

congregation desires to do so.November 1986