Someone asked on my previous post on ‘Aleinu:
1 - What is the meaning of U’moshav Ye’Karo, the seat of His homage is in the heavens?
2 - Why do some not say it?
This is the nusach in the Siddurim of R. Amram Gaon and R. Sa’adia Gaon. The Tur (Orach Chaim , Siman 133) mentions that some say, v’kisei khe’vo’do (Mahzor Roma), but that U’mosahv Ye’Karo should be said because the Sefer Hekhalos has the nusach, U’moshav Ye’Karo.
The combination of kisei and kavod is common in Tanach. Two examples:
Tehillm 9 has, ya’shav’ta le’khi’sei and has, yei’sheiv parallel to kis’o:
5: …Yashavta le’khisei shofet tzedek
For you have maintained my right and my cause; you sat in the throne judging right.
8: Va’Hashem le’olam yeshev konen la’mishpat kis’o
But the Lord shall endure for ever; he has prepared his throne for judgment.
Tehillm 103:
19: Hashem ba’sha’ma’yim hei’khin kis’o u’malkhuso ba’kol ma’sha’lah
The Lord has established his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom rules over all.
According to the Gra, the nusach should be: ve’kisei khe’vo’do, the throne of His glory.
In Mail-Jewish (http://www.ottmall.com/mj_ht_arch/v33/mj_v33i61.html#CSX) , Gilad J. Gevaryahu translated Professor Ismar Elobogen as saying:
The acceptance of this tefila was very controversial in Germany, where
there were repeated charges against the Jewish religion. These did not
subside for hundred of years and eventually led to the elimination of
the sentence 'shehem mishtachavim lahevel varik umitpalelim le'el lo
yoshia,' which still exists in manuscripts and Sephardic and other
siddurim. In about 1400 a Jewish mumar (an apostate) went to the
authorities and told them that in this sentence the Jews refers to
Jesus. His proof was that the gematria of varik equals 316 as does the
name Jesus. Liefmann-Milhausen, in his book _Nitzachon_ proved the
charges wrong [claiming inter alia that this tefila preceded
Christianity], nonetheless, the charges were repeated again and again.
The commentary, Barukh She-a’mar (p.199), by the author of the Torah Temimah, points out that ye’karo, has the same gematria as yeshu. Therefore, he concludes that the correct nusach should be, v’kisei khe’vo’do, which avoids this Christian leaning gematria.
Eliezer Segal says:
It did not take long for our nimble numerologists to run into an unexpected problem. The consonantal text of varik forms an anagram of the word yekaro, which means that the two words share the same gimatria. Yekaro means "his glory," as in the clause "and the throne of his glory is in the heavens above."
(University of Calgary: http://www.acs.ucalgary.ca/~elsegal/Shokel/000928_Aleinu.html)
In answer to the questions:
What is the meaning of U’moshav Ye’Karo, the seat of His homage is in the heavens? Why do some not say it?
The meaning is easily subjected to Christian interpretation and reference to yeshu by use of gematria. The other nusach, v’kisei khe’vo’do, is supported in earlier texts, as well, and has none of these issues.
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Bris Milah: Why Say ‘Aleinu After the Milah?
The recently published Sefer Kush’yos, by a student of the Maharam mi’Rutenberg, asks the question:
Why do we say ‘aleinu after the milah (i.e. not immediately after ashrei and u’va l’tziyon)?
Because in ‘aleinu we say: she'lo 'a'sa'nu k'go'yei ha'a'ra'tzos, “He has not made us like the nations of the earth.” In deference to the baby who is not yet circumcised, like a goy, we do not say ‘aleinu until the baby is circumcised, as well.
(Sefer Kush’yos edited by R. Ya’akov Yisrael Stal, Jerusalem, 2007, 5:9, p. 6f.)
This minhag is based on the custom that the milah takes place at the end of shacharis when ‘aleinu would normally be said. Once the milah is complete, the baby is then included in the tefillah of ‘aleinu, too.
The Aderes in his commentary on the Siddur, Tefilas David, feels that the minhag to have the bris before 'aleinu stems from the the custom to have the bris in shul for pirsum ha'mitzvah, publicizing the mitzvah. The reason for having it before 'aleinu was to be sure all the people were still in shul. (Jerusalem: Franco edition, 2004, p.51)
Why do we say ‘aleinu after the milah (i.e. not immediately after ashrei and u’va l’tziyon)?
Because in ‘aleinu we say: she'lo 'a'sa'nu k'go'yei ha'a'ra'tzos, “He has not made us like the nations of the earth.” In deference to the baby who is not yet circumcised, like a goy, we do not say ‘aleinu until the baby is circumcised, as well.
(Sefer Kush’yos edited by R. Ya’akov Yisrael Stal, Jerusalem, 2007, 5:9, p. 6f.)
This minhag is based on the custom that the milah takes place at the end of shacharis when ‘aleinu would normally be said. Once the milah is complete, the baby is then included in the tefillah of ‘aleinu, too.
The Aderes in his commentary on the Siddur, Tefilas David, feels that the minhag to have the bris before 'aleinu stems from the the custom to have the bris in shul for pirsum ha'mitzvah, publicizing the mitzvah. The reason for having it before 'aleinu was to be sure all the people were still in shul. (Jerusalem: Franco edition, 2004, p.51)
Monday, April 16, 2007
Shabbos Mincha: Sim Shalom or Shalom Rov?
Nusach Ashkenaz siddurim customarily have shalom rov as the selection for birkas shalom at Mincha on Shabbos, following the same custom as on a weekday.
The recently published Sefer Kush’yos, by a student of the Maharam mi’Rutenberg, asks the question: Why do we say sim shalom at Mincha on Shabbos and on fast days? Because the Torah is read on those occasions and one needs to mention, toras chaim, the Torah of life, which is part of the text of sim shalom.
This indicates that the early minhag Ashkenaz was sim shalom.
The Gemara says the reason why on ordinary days the priests do not ‘lift up their hands’ at Minhah is because of the likelihood of intoxication, but on the days [cited above] the question of intoxication does not arise.
(Ta’a’nis 26b. See also Orach Chaim 127, Hagahos Maimoniyos, Rambam, Ahavah, Seder Tefillos, Frankel edition p. 327))
It appears that there are two reasons behind saying sim shalom: 1) Torah reading which is referred to in sim shalom as Toras Chaim and 2) acceptance of the validity of having birkas kohanim at Mincha when there is no chance of intoxication by the kohanim i.e. fast days.
The recently published Sefer Kush’yos, by a student of the Maharam mi’Rutenberg, asks the question: Why do we say sim shalom at Mincha on Shabbos and on fast days? Because the Torah is read on those occasions and one needs to mention, toras chaim, the Torah of life, which is part of the text of sim shalom.
This indicates that the early minhag Ashkenaz was sim shalom.
The Gemara says the reason why on ordinary days the priests do not ‘lift up their hands’ at Minhah is because of the likelihood of intoxication, but on the days [cited above] the question of intoxication does not arise.
(Ta’a’nis 26b. See also Orach Chaim 127, Hagahos Maimoniyos, Rambam, Ahavah, Seder Tefillos, Frankel edition p. 327))
It appears that there are two reasons behind saying sim shalom: 1) Torah reading which is referred to in sim shalom as Toras Chaim and 2) acceptance of the validity of having birkas kohanim at Mincha when there is no chance of intoxication by the kohanim i.e. fast days.
Sunday, April 01, 2007
Children at the Seder: Telling the Story, Plain and Simple
R. Avrohom Schorr offers the following reminder in a Pesach letter:
Remember the mitzvah of v’hi’gad’ta l’vin’kha. Do not forget the little children when discussing commentaries on the Haggadah. Do not ignore the mitzvah of l’ma’an te’sa’per, narrating the plain story to attract the hearts of the children to belief in Hashem. According to the Sefer Ohev Yisrael, there is no time more auspicious than the Seder to inculcate emunah in Hashem to children.
Remember the mitzvah of v’hi’gad’ta l’vin’kha. Do not forget the little children when discussing commentaries on the Haggadah. Do not ignore the mitzvah of l’ma’an te’sa’per, narrating the plain story to attract the hearts of the children to belief in Hashem. According to the Sefer Ohev Yisrael, there is no time more auspicious than the Seder to inculcate emunah in Hashem to children.
Chad Gadya, One Little Goat: What is the Connection to the Seder Haggadah?
Everyone is familiar with the last song in the Ashkenazic Haggadah, Chad Gadya, One Little Goat:
One Little Goat, One Little Goat, that father bought for two zuzim,
One Little Goat, One Little Goat.
And then came a cat, and ate the goat that father bought for two zuzim,
One Little Goat, One Little Goat….
And then came the Holy One, blessed is He, and killed the angel of death, who slew the slaughterer, who slaughtered the ox…that beat the dog that bit the cat, that ate the goat that father bought for two zuzim,
One Little Goat, One Little Goat.
However, the question is: What is the Connection to the Seder Haggadah? This song could easily be better related to Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur when we all stand before God in judgment.
According to Rav Dovid Cohen, the answer may lie in the Rambam’s description of the mitzvah to recount the exodus from Egypt (Note: Even though the Rambam did not have Chad Gadya in his Haggadah).
We are commanded to recite the story of the Exodus from Egypt, with all the eloquence at our command, on the eve of the fifteenth of Nisan. One who expands on this theme is to be commended, enlarging on the iniquity of the Egyptians and the sufferings which they inflicted upon us, and on the way in which God wrought His vengeance upon them…. (Sefer HaMitzvos, Aseh 157)
Chad Gadya’s inclusion in the Haggadah reminds us of the message that in the end God’s takes His vengeance, justice is done and everyone gets their just deserts.
The lesson of Chad Gadya is, therefore, very much connected to the Seder, even though, it has a broader mussar message for everyone all year. In the end, as they say, whatever goes around comes around, whether at home or at work, at school or at play -- justice is done and everyone gets their just deserts.
One Little Goat, One Little Goat, that father bought for two zuzim,
One Little Goat, One Little Goat.
And then came a cat, and ate the goat that father bought for two zuzim,
One Little Goat, One Little Goat….
And then came the Holy One, blessed is He, and killed the angel of death, who slew the slaughterer, who slaughtered the ox…that beat the dog that bit the cat, that ate the goat that father bought for two zuzim,
One Little Goat, One Little Goat.
However, the question is: What is the Connection to the Seder Haggadah? This song could easily be better related to Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur when we all stand before God in judgment.
According to Rav Dovid Cohen, the answer may lie in the Rambam’s description of the mitzvah to recount the exodus from Egypt (Note: Even though the Rambam did not have Chad Gadya in his Haggadah).
We are commanded to recite the story of the Exodus from Egypt, with all the eloquence at our command, on the eve of the fifteenth of Nisan. One who expands on this theme is to be commended, enlarging on the iniquity of the Egyptians and the sufferings which they inflicted upon us, and on the way in which God wrought His vengeance upon them…. (Sefer HaMitzvos, Aseh 157)
Chad Gadya’s inclusion in the Haggadah reminds us of the message that in the end God’s takes His vengeance, justice is done and everyone gets their just deserts.
The lesson of Chad Gadya is, therefore, very much connected to the Seder, even though, it has a broader mussar message for everyone all year. In the end, as they say, whatever goes around comes around, whether at home or at work, at school or at play -- justice is done and everyone gets their just deserts.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)