“Yigdal: Do We Believe This Stuff?”

  Every now and then we include Yigdal as a closing song, especially on the High Holydays. As is usually the case among those who are affiliated with, or consider themselves Reform Jews, but truth be told Conservative and Orthodox as well, there is a question as to whether we believe what the lyrics tell us. But it’s a catchy tune so we sing it with gusto; why worry about the theology if the congregation likes to sing it? And that it’s in Hebrew, well, that adds to the irrelevance of knowing the meaning. As was said by the teens on Dick Clark’s television show (no, not Rockin’ New Year’s Eve!) back in the ‘50s, “It’s got a good beat and you can dance to it.” The words rarely mattered at all.

  I’m really not trying to be sarcastic, but I have a feeling most liberal Jews do have a problem with Yigdal’s theology. It is firmly based on Maimonides Thirteen Principles of Faith which the Reform movement questioned from its very beginnings. In those Principles we find a traditional view of God and Torah. 

   Most, though not everything in the Principles and, thus, Yigdal, is “theologically objectionable” to me or other liberals. If we permit ourselves – which, as you know, we surely do – to interpret its words there’s room for at least discussion. Of course, the very fact that Yigdal is an integral part of non-liberal liturgy, found in all their siddurim and recited or sung at virtually every worship service, should make us pause…how interpretive can it really be? After all, sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.

  Reform Jews have our own principles of faith; just about every individual one of us can tell you what his or hers are/is because, in fact, as a body, be it lay or rabbinic (the Union for Reform Judaism or the Central Conference of American Rabbis), rarely have we ever agreed on any subject related to God and Torah. You know – oh, gee, I haven’t mentioned this for quite some time – “Ten Jews, Eleven opinions!” And with our movement representing the spectrum of the Jewish community (everybody but Chasidim…and maybe a couple of those have affiliated with one of our congregations), there are more and more perspectives we can include in our Liberal Principles of Faith.

Look online for Maimonides’ Thirteen Principles. Compare it with the true translation of Yigdal. Hey, if you’re comfortable singing it, so am I…. “It’s got a good beat.” But I wonder if you can dance to it.