נוסחים בתפילה ובחיים

(1) You are children of the LORD your God. You shall not gash yourselves or shave the front of your heads because of the dead.

(8) My son, heed the discipline of your father, And do not forsake the instruction of your mother;

As the mishna discusses the requirement to observe local customs, the Gemara relates: The residents of Beit She’an were accustomed not to travel from Tyre to market day in Sidon on Shabbat eve. In deference to Shabbat, they adopted a stringency and would not interrupt their Shabbat preparations even for a short sea voyage. Their children came before Rabbi Yoḥanan to request that he repeal this custom. They said to him: Due to their wealth, it was possible for our fathers to earn a living without traveling to the market on Friday; however, it is not possible for us to do so. He said to them: Your fathers already accepted this virtuous custom upon themselves, and it remains in effect for you, as it is stated: “My son, hear your father’s rebuke and do not abandon your mother’s teaching” (Proverbs 1:8). In addition to adhering to one’s father’s rebuke, i.e., halakha, one is also required to preserve his mother’s teaching, i.e., ancestral customs.

Apropos the mishna’s comments concerning the details of the relationship between Beit Shammai and Beit Hillel, the Gemara discusses the issue of disputes in general. We learned in a mishna there, in tractate Megilla (2a): The Megilla, the Scroll of Esther, is read on the eleventh of Adar, on the twelfth, on the thirteenth, on the fourteenth, or on the fifteenth, in cities surrounded by a wall, no earlier and no later than this. The obligation to read the Megilla on the fourteenth or fifteenth of Adar is stated in the Megilla itself, while the additional days were instituted by the Sages to allow residents of villages, who would come to the cities on Mondays and Thursdays and supply water and rations to the residents of the cities, to hear the reading of the Megilla at that opportunity. Reish Lakish said to Rabbi Yoḥanan: I should read here the verse: “You shall not cut yourselves [titgodedu]” (Deuteronomy 14:1), which is interpreted as meaning: Do not become numerous factions [agudot]. In other words, the Jewish people should be united, rather than divided into disparate groups that act in different ways. Before analyzing this issue, the Gemara asks: This verse: “You shall not cut yourselves,” is required for the matter itself, as the Merciful One is saying: Do not cut yourselves over the dead. How is the halakha concerning factions derived from this apparently straightforward verse? The Gemara answers: If so, that the verse comes to teach only about the practices of mourning, let the verse state only: You shall not cut. What is the meaning of: “You shall not cut yourselves”? Learn from this that it comes for this purpose as well, to teach the prohibition against splitting into factions. The Gemara asks: But in that case, one can say that the entire verse comes for this purpose and does not refer to cutting for the dead at all. The Gemara answers: If so, let the verse state: Lo tagodu, rather than lo titgodedu, both of which mean: You shall not cut. What is the meaning of: “Lo titgodedu”? Conclude two conclusions from it: Both the simple prohibition against making cuts for the dead and the matter of dividing into factions. After this incidental discussion, the Gemara returns to the basic question raised by Reish Lakish: Why doesn’t the reading of the Scroll of Esther in different places at different times violate the prohibition against breaking into factions? Rabbi Yoḥanan said to him: Have you not taught until now: In a place where the people were accustomed to perform labor on Passover eve until midday, one may do so on that day; in a place where the people were accustomed not to perform labor, one may not do so? This shows that different places can have different customs without violating the prohibition against dividing into factions. Reish Lakish said to Rabbi Yoḥanan: I speak to you of a prohibition, as residents of villages are prohibited from reading the Megilla with a blessing on the fifteenth of Adar, as Rav Shemen bar Abba said that Rabbi Yoḥanan said: The verse “to confirm these days of Purim in their appointed times” (Esther 9:31) teaches that the Sages instituted many times for their reading, and it is prohibited to deviate from these dates. And you speak to me about a custom that does not involve a prohibition. How can a prohibition be established in a manner that involves the formation of factions among the people? Rabbi Yoḥanan replied: And in that case there, on Passover eve, is there no prohibition involved? But didn’t we learn in a mishna: On the night before the fourteenth of Nisan, Beit Shammai prohibit the performance of work and Beit Hillel permit it. Evidently, there is indeed a prohibition involved, and yet some perform work while others do not, which splits the people into factions. Reish Lakish said to him: In that case there, the different factions are not noticeable, as one who sees another idle says: It is because he has no labor to perform. Therefore, refraining from work does not have the appearance of breaking off into factions. Rabbi Yoḥanan raises a difficulty: But Beit Shammai permit rival wives to the brothers, and Beit Hillel prohibit this practice. This is an example of a clear prohibition, and yet two different traditions were followed.

I was certain that I receive reward for both [days of the holiday], but I only receive for one [as was obligated by the Torah]. Rabi Yochanan used the following in this regard: "And I have also given them statutes which are not good. Rabi Avahu went to Alexandria, and they took the lulav on Shabbat. Rav Meimar heard, and said: Who [is Rabi Avahu to have] permitted this to be done on all the days? Rabi Yosei sent them the following: Even though the holidays are recorded [as being fewer days in the Torah], do not change from the ways of your late ancestors.

There are places where they interrupt the blessings of the Shema in order to say piyyutim (liturgical poems), but it is proper to refrain from saying them, since they constitute an interruption [in the order of the blessings]. Rem"a: And there are those who say that there is no prohibition regarding this [Ri end of chapter "Ein Om'dim", and the Rashba, and the Tur], and such is the custom in all places to say them. But if one is lenient and does not say them, there is no loss. Nevertheless, one should not engage in any other activity. Even with words of Torah it is forbidden to interrupt and to engage in them the entire time the community is saying piyyutim - and all the more so is it forbidden to engage in any idle talk. However, one who studies merely by thinking, and simply looks at a book and thinks it over, there is nothing forbidden in that, since thought is not equivalent to speech. Even so, [this is not allowed] since through doing this, they may come to speak and would make an interruption. Therefore, one should not separate from the congregation in a place where they have the custom say them (piyyutim), and one should say them along with them. And see below Siman 90, Se'if 10 [Maharil and DA(?)].

(4) One who goes from a place where work is done to a place where it is not done should not do work in public to avoid arguments, but rather can do it on one's own. One who is in the desert or going from a place where it is not done to a place where it is done should not do it. One keeps the stringencies of the place which one enters, even if this isn't done in public, because one cannot avoid a prohibition. A person cannot publically keep other customs to prevent argument. And so too, one who intends to return must follow all the customs of that place in private to prevent argument.

(1) On the night of Yom Kippur it is customary that the Chazzan says, 'In the heavenly court and in the earthly court, with the permission of the Omnipresent and with the permission of the congregation, we permit to pray with sinners.'. And it is customary to say 'Kol Nidre' etc. And after that one says 'Shehecheyanu' without a cup. Rema: And after that they pray the evening service. And it is customary to say Kol Nidrei while it is still daytime, and to continue with singing until nightfall. One says it three times, and each time one raises one's voice more than previously. (Maharil). Similarly the Chazzan says ,'And the whole community will be forgiven.' And the community say three times, 'And the Lord said, 'I have forgiven like you said.''. One should not deviate from the local custom even concerning the tunes and piyutim that are said there.

(2) That which the majority accepts rests upon them and upon their children. Even if there are individuals rather than a full city who took it upon themselves to make a protection for the Torah, or individuals who came from another city to live, they become members of the city and are obligated to uphold the decrees. Even if the customs are prohibited in their earlier cities because of those customs, and the city in which they have arrived permits it, it is permitted for the new inhabitants as long as they intend to stay.

A. Changing the edition of tefillah from Ashkenazi to Sefardi

B. And changing from Ashkenaz to Sefard or the opposite, which is actually easier. And in any event, it is not permitted for the individual to do so unless one has become a permanent member of a given shul where they worship as such, as my grandfather said. And in the Sha'ar Ha-Kavanot, it is brought in the name of the Ar"i that every tribe has its own way to daven and gate in the heavens, so it is not permitted to change from one to the other. It is also brought in the Magen Avraham 68 in short, and in the Peri Megadim. But the Kesher Gadol 12:9 writes in the name of the Ar"i that Nusach Sefard enters all twelve. It is not known if after the Ramcha"v, student of the Ar"i, this was held true; the Chid"a (who lives 200 years later) writes that he doesn't know the source. In essence, this is the difficulty that my grandfather, a"h, wrote about in his teshuvot (4): How is it possible to say that, at once, Anshei Knesset Ha-Gedolah wrote one siddur and it was split into twelve tribes; were they not already split? In Edut Yisra'el 65, he explains that this refers to the pronunciation.

C. And behold, the Ar"i established an edition like Sefardim had and arranged it according to the sod which the other chassidim took upon themselves. Now, there is no one in a thousand who knows how to meditate upon that level of sod, and everyone else left is unfit; therefore, an individual cannot ever change from Ashkenaz to Sefard because that would be an arrogant decision, as my grandfather wrote. The Ar"i himself would daven in an Ashkenazi shul on the High Holy Days because of the sod in their liturgical poems, as was cited in Yosef Ometz 20. It is slightly difficult as to why it was harder for him to write liturgical poems rather than the entire tefillah, but the ruling is that specifically on the High Holy Days, one must respect one's customs, as was written in the Orech Hayyim 603, and one must continue according to one's custom.

D. However, for one who does not relate to the hidden levels of Nusach Ashkenaz, many of the differences in editions which are practically used(, like in Ahavat, there are a few changes, such as the addition of "with great power and strength"). And the printers printed the two together, and some things like the blessings of healing and sustenance among others were combined, as can be seen in the introduction to the Siddur Masada, Sefard edition. Additionally, it is known that the generation add and do not take away, so Nusach Sefard has many added words and phrases which are not obligatory(, as can be seen in Yishtabach, Ahava Rabbah, Shema Koleinu and more), whereas Nusach Ashkenaz is more permanently and cleanly written to preserve what was there during the era of the Ashkenazic greats. See the Machzor Vitry 89 and on, "Where it cannot be changed" and on.

E. Yehudah Herzl Henkin

(1) Wording of Prayer / Preserving Minhagim versus Strengthening the Community

(2) The preservation of minhagim, in addition to maintaining the nusach of the prayer, entails upholding the pronunciation of the prayers. Each community – the Yemenites, the Sephardim, and the Ashkenazim – pronounces the prayers according to its own particular dialect. In addition, l’chatchilah, it is proper that each ethnic group continue to pray in its own traditional tunes (see Rama, Orach Chaim 619:1). Clearly, it is permissible to introduce new melodies. However, in the main part of the prayer, the traditional tune that was sanctified throughout the generations should be preserved. For that reason, a person must initially pray in a synagogue which conducts the service in his family’s nusach.

(3) Judaism is comprised of numerous different minhagim. The nusach of the Sephardim is divided into many customs. Concerning matters of halachah, the key distinctions are evident between those who practice according to the Shulchan Aruch and those who follow the Ben Ish Chai. Furthermore, there is a specific nusach for Jews from North Africa. While the differences in nusach and halachic matters among those from North Africa and Iraq and Syria are relatively minor, their melodies contrast more strikingly. Even among the immigrants from North Africa there are such distinct disparities in melody, so that Algerians sound dissonant to Moroccans; and to Jews from Libya, both Algerians and Moroccans sound off-key. To perfectly preserve the numerous minhagim, there would have to be individual synagogues for immigrants from Tripoli, Tunis, Algiers, and Morocco, as well as differing synagogues for immigrants from Iraq, Syria, Persia, and Turkey.

(4) Among Ashkenazic immigrants there are different minhagim as well, the primary distinction being between the Chassidim and all remaining Ashkenazim. Still, there are other significant differences in types of diction and melody. The tunes of those who pray in the Nusach Ashkenaz from Western Europe are completely different from the tunes in the Nusach Ashkenaz from Lithuania. Furthermore, regarding diction, there are at least four variations of pronunciation – those of immigrants from Lithuania, Poland, Galitzia, and Hungary. Different sects of Chassidim also have varying minhagim and distinct melodies. Additionally, among the Yemenites there are two main nusachim – Baladi and Shami.

(5) However, if strictly safeguarding the minhagim will bring about the dismantling of the community, it is preferable to forgo the preservation of the customs. In general, when a community is unified, and it arranges Torah study for men, women, and children, and people perform acts of kindness for one another, it succeeds in keeping its members committed to Torah and mitzvot. On the other hand, when a community lacks unity and a communal dedication to Torah, its members become are weak and above all, its children are adversely affected.

(6) Although l’chatchilah every person should pray according to his family’s minhag, if this necessitates the establishment of dozens of small synagogues, making it difficult to assemble a minyan and organize regular Torah classes, it is preferable that ethnic groups with similar minhagim merge to form a stronger community. For example, all Jews from North Africa should pray together and if that is not sufficient, then all people who pray in the Sephardic nusach should pray together.

(7) Therefore, in each and every place, it is necessary to weigh the pros and cons, i.e., the importance of preserving the minhagim against the significance of establishing a strong, solid community. When there are enough families from the same ethnic group living in one place, enabling them to establish a large synagogue while preserving the traditions of their minhagim, all the better. But when the number of families is insufficient, it is best that they join a group with customs similar to their own, provided that they form a strong congregation. If the consolidation of similar ethnic groups will not be adequate to ensure a strong community, it is better that all the members of the differing groups – Sephardim, Ashkenazim, and Yemenites – merge to become one community. This issue requires serious consideration, and for that reason, it is up to the mara d’atra, the primary rabbi of the place, to resolve such matters.