3. The Legate of the Congregation, or the Leader of Diuine Worship (T^3j£ H^siy = ayytXoc tKK\i](jia(;, aTToffroXof). — To give unity and harmony to the wor- ship, as well as to enable the congregation to take part in the responses, it was absolutely necessary to have one who should lead the worship. Hence, as soon as the legal number required for public worship had as- sembled Cpd'O), the ruler of the synagogue (D;"''S = ■Koifii]}'), or, in his absence, the elders (n"'3pT = 7rp£(T- jivTtpoi), delegated one of the congregation to go up before the ark to conduct divine service. The function of the apostle of the ecclesia ("iin^J rr^P^U) was not permanently vested in any single individual ordained for this purpose, but was alternately conferred upon any lay member who was supposed to possess the qualifica- tions necessary for offering up prayer in the name of the congregation. This is evident from the reiterated declarations both in the Mishna and the Talmud. Thus we are told that any one who is not under thirteen years of age, and whose garments are not in rags, may officiate before the ark (Mishna, Megilkih, iv, 0) ; that " if one is before the ark [ — ministers for the congrega- tion], and makes a mistake [in the prayer], another one is to minister in his stead, and he is not to decline it on such an occasion" (Mishna, Berakoth, v, 3). " The sages have transmitted that he who is asked to conduct public worship is to delay a little at first, saying that he is unworthy of it; and if he does not delay, he is like unto a dish wherein is no salt; and if he delays more than is necessary, he is like unto a dish which the salt has spoiled. How is he to do it? The first time he is asked, he is to decline; the second time, he is to stir; and the third time, he is to move his legs and ascend before the ark" {Berakoth, 34 b). Even on the most solemn occasions, when the whole congregation fasted
SYNAGOGUE
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SYNAGOGUE
and assembled with the president and vice-president of the Sanliedriin lor national luiiniliation and prayer, no stated niiiiister is spoken of; but it is said that one of the aged men present is to deliver a penitential ad- dress, and another is to offer up the solemn prayers (Mishna, Taanith, ii, 1-4). See Fast. On ordinary occasions, however, the rabbins, who were the rulers of the synagogue, asked their disciples to act as officiating ministers before the ark {Utnihil/i, iU a). Hut since the sages declared that '' if the legate of the congrega- tion (~i12S r'\'^'S'CJ=dyyt\og iKK\7i(Tia(;, uTrodToXoc) commits a mistake while officiating, it is a bad omen for tlie congregation who delegated him, because a man's deputy is like the man himself" (Alishna, Bera- kotJi, V, 5) ; and, moreover, since it was felt that he who conducts public worsliip should both be able to sympa- thize with the wants of the people and possess all the moral qualifications befitting so holy a mission, it was afterwards ordained that "even if an elder ("ipT^TTptCT- j3:jrepo(;) or sage is present in the congregation, he is not to be asked to officiate before the ark ; but that man is to be delegated who is apt to officiate, who has chil- dren, whose famih' are free from vice, who has a proper beard, whose garments are decent, who is acceptable to the people, who has a good and amiable voice, who un- derstands how to read the law, the prophets, and the Hagiographa, who is versed in ihe homiletic, legal, and traditional exegesis, and who knows all the benedic- tions of the service" (Mishna, Taanilh, ii, 2; Gemara, ibid. IG a, b; JIaimonides, [ud Ha-Chezaka liilchoth Te- phila,\i\\,l\,V2\ com]i. ITim. iii, 1-7; Tit. i, 1-9). As the legate of the people, the most sacred portions of the liturgy (e. g. 1333', Di3l-t3 r=-a, Irrilp, "6"ilp), which could only be offered up in the presence of the legal number, were assigned to him {Berakoth, 21 b, and Raslii, ad loc), and he was not only the mouth- piece of those who were present in the congregation on the most solemn feasts, as on the Oreat Da^' of Atone- ment and New Year, but he was the surrogate of those who, by illness or otherwise, were prevented from at- tending the place of worship {Bosh Ila-Shanak, 35 ; Mai- monides, lad Ha-Chezaka liilchoth TejMlu, viii, 10).
4. The Interpreter, or Methurgemun ("jT^STir!, "•^Mlinp). — After the Babylonian captivity, when the Hebrew language was rapidly disappearing from among the common people, it became the custom to have an interpreter at the reading-desk (n^"^3) by the side of those who were alternately called up to read the sev- eral sections of the lessons from the law and the proph- ets. .See Hai'HTAkaii. This methurc/einan had to in- terpret into Chaldee or into any other vernacular of the country a verse at a time when the lesson fronii the law was read, as the reader was obliged to pause as soon as he finished the reading of a verse in Hebrew, and was not allowed to begin the next verse till the methurge- tnan had translated it: while in the lesson from the prophets three verses were read and interpreted at a time (Mishna, Mcgillah, iv, 4). The reader and the in- terpreter had to read in the same tone of voice, and the one was not allowed to be louder than the other (Bera- koth, Ab a). The interpreter was not allowed to look at the law while interpreting, lest it should be thought that the paraphrase was written down. The office of inter[)reter, like that of conducting ])ublic worship, was not permanentl}'^ vested in any single individual. Anj' one of the congregation who was capable of interpret- ing was asked to do so. Even a minor, i. e. one under thirteen years of age, or one whose garments were in such a ragged, condition tliat he was disqualified for reading the lesson from the law, or a blind man, could be asked to go up to the reading-desk and explain the lesson (Jlishna, Megilluh, iv, 5 ; ^Maimonides, lad lld- Chezaka IliUholh fephila, xii, 10-14).