5

Does anyone know the history of how "Useshuvah Usefillah Utzedakah maavirin es roah hagezeirah" was put into our Tefillah and/or who wrote it? (It's in the chazaras hashatz for musaf on Rosh Hashana and Yom Kipur).

3
  • Related: judaism.stackexchange.com/q/7423.
    – msh210
    Sep 4, 2012 at 6:59
  • wasn't it in the unetaneh tokef before it was in chazarat hashatz? Sep 4, 2012 at 14:23
  • I don't have the inside source, but according to an English language book on teshuva I'm reading, it says somewhere in the Bavli: "Four things will cause G-d to ma'akirin (tear up) the decree of judgment which has been issued against a person: acts of righteousness, fervent prayer, changing one's name and changing one's behavior." Sep 4, 2012 at 14:32

1 Answer 1

7

Yerushalmi Taanis Perek 2 Halacha 1

אמר רבי לעזר: שלשה דברים מבטלין את הגזירה קשה ואילו הן: תפילה וצדקה ותשובה.

7
  • 3
    There still remains a question. Why did the composer, compose the words not in the order of the Yerushalmi? Sep 4, 2012 at 13:56
  • 3
    and how did it turn from m'vatelin to maavirin? Sep 4, 2012 at 14:24
  • the same quote is in Bereshit Rabbah 44:12 which clearly came later based on the citation. Sep 4, 2012 at 16:25
  • @GershonGold - Perhaps because Tefilah and Tzedakah are both included within Teshuvah? Sep 4, 2012 at 18:38
  • 2
    I would like to propose that the order has to do with the time of the year. During Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippur when it is a time of Teshuva, it first says Teshuva, and when Rabbi Lezer said this it was during a regular time where Tefila came first. Sep 4, 2012 at 19:00

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .