Ahavat Olam
Ahavat Olam (
Ahava Rabbah that is recited during Shacharit, and likewise, is an expression to God for the gift of the Torah.[1]
In the Ashkenazic rite, Ahava Rabbah is recited in the morning and Ahavat Olam is recited in the evening as a compromise. Sephardim recite Ahavat Olam at both Shacharit and Maariv.Hai Gaon - called for reciting Ahavat Olam at both prayers.[3]
Theme
The theme of Ahavat Olam is that God provides love in good times and in bad. Nighttime, when there is darkness, is a time associated with danger. Nevertheless, God provides protection at night, and the sun always rises in the morning.[4]
Ahavat Olam is also seen as the blessing over the mitzvah of the recitation of the Shema.[5]
References
- ^ Richard N. Levy, Śiaḥ śarfe ḳodesh, Hillel, the Foundation for Jewish Campus Life, page 62
- ^ Ronald L. Eisenberg, The JPS guide to Jewish traditions, Jewish Publication Society, p.412-13
- ^ My People's Prayer Book: Welcoming the night: Minchah and Ma'ariv By Lawrence A. Hoffman, Marc Brettler, page 63
- ^ Norman Lamm, The Shema: Spirituality and Law in Judaism, p.103
- ^ Yehuda Amital, Jewish values in a changing world, p.136