Questions about the various prayer books used by Jews, and the prayers contained therein.
12
votes
2answers
394 views
+200
Nun in Ashrei- Psalm 145
The prayer Ashrei, which we recite three times a day, is an acrostic consisting of all the letters of the Hebrew alphabet except for nun (נ). Why is the nun omitted?
11
votes
1answer
120 views
Is there a Beta Israel Siddur?
Ashkenazi siddurs are different from Sephardic siddurs, do Beta Israel Siddurs even exist?
11
votes
7answers
317 views
Which parts of the prayer service must be said clearly out loud?
I've heard a few different opinions on this. During longer prayer services, such as Shacharit on Shabbat, at least in Nusach Sefard, Pesukei D'Zimrah is quite long and there is a tendency for the ...
10
votes
3answers
171 views
Why do siddurim and Shulchan Oruch OC start with Shacharis?
Why do siddurim and Shulchan Oruch OC start with the morning? Since the day starts with night, they should start with Maariv as does the mishnah.
10
votes
2answers
154 views
saying “יתברך” when the שליח צבור says “ברכו”
The Artscroll סדורים (prayer books) — "Ashkenaz" and "Sefard" editions, Hebrew-English and Hebrew-only editions, at the morning and evening prayers for holidays, Saturdays, and weekdays — indicate ...
10
votes
3answers
174 views
Who distributed the zemiros across the three meals?
Any book of zemiros whether it's a siddur, birchon, or what have you divides the zemiros between the three meals. Sometimes the rationale is obvious as with the tikkunim which are written for each ...
9
votes
6answers
325 views
Which Chasidic group departed the least from Ashkenazi minhag and nusach?
Chasidic groups vary in terms of their siddur's differences from nusach Ashkenaz, as well as their general minhagim and hashkafic approaches.
Is there a Chasidic group which most closely matches the ...
9
votes
2answers
139 views
Why is the Machzor called a Machzor?
The Siddur we use for Yom Tov is known as a Machzor. What does it mean and where did this originate?
8
votes
5answers
247 views
Why are there colored splotches on the pages on many Jewish texts?
On many editions of the Chumash, Talmud, and even many more-modern books, you look at the side of the book (opposite the spine) and there are random colored splotches printed on the pages. (For ...
8
votes
1answer
73 views
The midos by which the Torah is expounded. Rabbi Eliezer the son of Rabbi Yosi haGelili's are not in the siddur. Rabbi Yishmoel's are. Why?
Rashi on Braishis 2(8) refers to the 32 midos of Rabbi Eliezer the son of Rabbi Yosi haGelili by which the Torah is expounded. These are less familiar than the 13 of Rabbi Yishmoel that we say every ...
8
votes
1answer
181 views
Veshameru in Chabad siddur
Why do Chabad siddurim always print Veshameru before the Shabbat Ma'ariv Amida, even while also noting that the Chabad custom is not to say it? Are there any groups that use the Chabad Nusach Ari ...
8
votes
1answer
163 views
Division of Mishnayos in Pirkei Avos / Meseches Avos
In the Siddur, Pirkei Avos has a different division (in each Perek the amount of Mishnayos) than in the Mishnayos Avos. Who determined the division of the Mishnayos in the Siddur?
7
votes
2answers
187 views
How to learn Amidah, Shma and others?
I live 3000km from shul and take conversion classes remotely. I am learning from Koren Siddur. Because I do not ever hear how the words should be spoken, I sometimes wonder if it is a waste of time. I ...
7
votes
1answer
125 views
What is the minhag followed in the Bnei Tzion Siddur?
Bnei Tzion is an Israeli siddur published in 1996 by Sinai Publishing in Tel Aviv. It's a Sephardi siddur but has some interesting variants (e.g., very similar Havdalah to Ashkenazi practice). I'm ...
6
votes
3answers
2k views
Text of S'lichos Online
Is there any fully digital (i.e. searchable) edition of the סליחות? Is it publicly available online?
6
votes
2answers
188 views
Siddur & chumash — which gets stacked on top?
I've seen this one asked over and over again, and always heard different things.
Do you stack a chumash on top of a siddur, or the other way around?
6
votes
4answers
173 views
Where in Davening do we kiss תפילין?
It is well-known (I assume) that one should kiss his תפילין when saying וקשרתם לאות... (twice) in שמע, when saying פותח את ידך... in אשרי, and עוטר ישראל בתפארה in ברכת השחר.
Most Artscroll Siddurim ...
6
votes
1answer
443 views
Why so many vocalized shvas in Siddur Tehillat Hashem?
I prayed using a Siddur Tehillat Hashem the other day, and I noticed that many more shvas were marked with an asterisk above, indicating that they should be vocalized, than I'd expect. In particular, ...
6
votes
1answer
438 views
How did the Ten Martyrs actually die?
On Yom Kippur and Tisha B'av we read about the Ten Martyrs who were gathered and killed by Emperor Hadrian to atone for the Sale of Yosef HaTzadik.
In addition to the idea that the Ten Martyrs didn't ...
6
votes
1answer
83 views
Why does Nusach Ashkenaz skip מה רבו on Shabbos?
In the birchot keriat shema of Shabbat morning, we add a number of pesukim in the beginning, and we switch the piyut of קל ברוך גדול דעה for the piyut of קל אדון. But all the pesukim said on a weekday ...
6
votes
1answer
127 views
“Hayom yom X b'shabas” or “bashabas”?
A sidur I used this morning had the introductory line of the shir shel yom as "hayom yom sheni b'shabas". When I checked the two sidurim I trust the most for excatitude in these matters, one had ...
6
votes
2answers
198 views
Sefer of Ari Z''L's Changes in Tefillah
Does anyone know of a sefer that lists the Ari Z''L's changes in Tefillah? I do not mean a siddur itself (e.g. Tehillas Hashem), rather, I am referring to a book that outlines the changes preferably ...
6
votes
1answer
118 views
Dropping a phone siddur or chumash
If you have a siddur or chumash on your phone and you drop it, do you kiss it if...
the siddur is not open
the siddur is open, but shem hashem is not showing
the siddur is open and shem Hashem is ...
6
votes
2answers
130 views
Why switch the reference from “גוי” to “עם” in Tachanun?
Why does the prayer "Shomer Yisra'el" in Tachanun say in two of the verses the word גוי in the first and last phrase, but עם in the middle phrase?
שומר גוי אחד שמור שארית עם אחד ואל יאבד גוי אחד
...
5
votes
2answers
85 views
TOras chayim or ToRAS chayim in 19th b'racha?
In the final b'racha of sh'monah esrei the phrase "תורת חיים - (Toras chayim)" appears. In some sidurim [that denote that kind of thing] the accent is placed on the first syllable and in others on the ...
5
votes
1answer
114 views
Davening from an electronic device?
I have been davening from my ipad using a pdf copy of a siddur I downloaded. However, I wanted to know if this is a suitable alternative for those times when the use of electronic devices is ...
5
votes
1answer
81 views
If the “ten martyrs” didn't happen together, did the punishment-for-Joseph story happen? When?
It's commonly believed that the "ten martyrs" didn't all live in the same time period, and the description of them as a group is conceptual, not historical.
Now the story opens with a Roman ruler ...
4
votes
4answers
154 views
How do we know what the Chazzan should say aloud?
In many siddurim, the text indicates a position, toward the end of each normal paragraph of prayer, where the Chazzan is supposed to start reading aloud, so that everyone knows when it's time to go on ...
4
votes
2answers
134 views
Is it “mechayei meisim UHTTuh” or “mechayeh meisim atTUH” (rav lehoshia) in shmoneh esrei?
I've seen both pronunciations (at the beginning of the second bracha in shmoneh esrei):
Aleph-patach, tav-kuhmuhtz, heh (implied stress on second syllable)
Aleph-kuhmuhtz-meseg, tav-kuhmuhtz, heh ...
4
votes
1answer
156 views
Aleinu L'Shabeach - Nusach HaTefila
The words "Sheheim Mishtachavim Li-Hevel Voryk Umispallelim El Eil Lo-Yoshiya" - Was this originally part of Aleinu and then removed, or was it added later to Aleinu? Why was this done?
4
votes
1answer
217 views
Which Raban Shimon ben Gamliel was it who was martyred?
The Ten Martyrs liturgy describes Rabbi Yishmael the High Priest and Raban [=nasi or "chief rabbi"] Shimon ben Gamliel as killed by the Romans at the same time. Rabbi Yishmael served as cohen gadol ...
4
votes
1answer
77 views
Siddur with lots of white space for notes
I'm interested in making extensive notes on a siddur - for my own use, inspired partially by this recommendation. Are there any editions of the Siddur out there that include a great deal of white ...
4
votes
3answers
173 views
Books on Tefillah
Can you tell me of some books/seforim about Jewish prayer (in terms of nusach, development of tefillah, etc.). A good example would be http://hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=34206&pgnum=1 ...
4
votes
1answer
83 views
Insertions in shma koleinu
The Artscroll siddur offers two insertions that one can add to the bracha of shma koleinu every day, one asking forgiveness for sin and the other asking for livelihood. What are the sources for these ...
4
votes
1answer
108 views
(Av Harachaman,) sh'ma kolenu
Is there a nusach hat'fila in which the 16th b'racha of the amida begins with "אב הרחמן" at shacharis only and skips those words at other t'filos?
I heard recently that this is in fact printed in ...
4
votes
0answers
79 views
Why would a siddur choose תתברֵך instead of תתברַך?
My siddur of choice is the סדור תפילת השלם but I am wondering about one bit of vocalization used therein.
In the davening of shacharit for both weekdays and shabbat, there is a sentence before shma ...
3
votes
2answers
67 views
Six fast days? What's the sixth?
On Mekor Judaica's website, I see a Sephardic siddur for sale, for the שש תעניות, the six fast days.
I was only aware of 5 fast days:
Ta'anit Esther
Tzom Gedaliah
10th of Tevet
17th of Tammuz
Tisha ...
3
votes
2answers
71 views
ורב להושיע instead of רב להושיע in אתה גבור
Siddur Tefila Yeshara (the Berdichever Siddur) has, in the second blessing of the Shemoneh Esreh, ורב להושיע - "v'rav l'hoshea", "and abundant in deliverance". Literally every other siddur I've ever ...
3
votes
2answers
171 views
What siddur do Satmerer Chasidim use?
Many Chasidic groups have a particular siddur that is used by most in that group. Does Satmer have such a siddur?
3
votes
1answer
172 views
Why aren't all Ten Commandments referenced in Shema in Sephardic siddurs?
I was looking at a Sephardic Siddur called "Yosef Chaim", based on the teachings of Yosef Chaim Mizrachi (is that the Ben Ish Chai)?
On various phrases in the Shema (I think the first 2 paragraphs), ...
3
votes
1answer
299 views
Kel (Melech) Chanun V'Rachum — do you say Melech?
Some siddurs have the phrase "Ki Kel Melech Chanun V'Rachum Ata" at the conclusion of Ya'aleh v'Yavo. Some have Melech in parentheses; some don't have it at all. Can anyone tell me something about ...
3
votes
1answer
43 views
Why skip Yikum Purkan and Mi Sheberach on a weekday Yom Tov?
This is a question specific to Ashkenazim (Nusach Ashkenaz, Nusach Ari, and Nusach Sefard).
On Shabbat, after the Torah Reading and before Mussaf, 3 prayers, (2 Yikkum Purkans and a Mi Sheberach) are ...
3
votes
1answer
113 views
What Should One Do If He Forgot to Say “VeYiten Lekha” on Saturday Night
According to those who observe the custom of reciting the passage of VeYiten Lekha on Motzaei Shabbat before or after Havdalah, what should one do if s/he forgot to recite it? I have never seen ...
3
votes
2answers
120 views
Where can I find a professionally typeset pdf siddur suitable for mobile viewing?
I have used a number of siddurim apps for my smartphone/tablet and have found the text layout so abhorrent (nikkud floating all over the place, unprofessional kerning, ugly fonts etc.) that I've given ...
3
votes
1answer
79 views
musafos in Adar
Why are there musafos (things added to the chazaras hashatz of musaf) for Shabas parashas sh'kalim and hachodesh but not zachor or para? (Or, at least, sidurim, including Rav Yaakov Emden's, have the ...
3
votes
2answers
102 views
Why do we use yud, yud? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Double Yud as G-ds Name
In the siddur we often do not write out the four letter name of God (yud,kay, vav, kay) but instead write yud, yud. Why do we do this? Is this a ...
3
votes
1answer
202 views
Who wrote the 1950s-era super-patriotic Prayer for the United States of America?
In the "Tikun Meir" siddur from about 50 years ago, there's a very unique prayer for the United States of America. Something to the effect of:
Humble were its beginnings, but by
Your kindness, ...
2
votes
4answers
283 views
Differences between siddurim of the same nusach
In nusach Sefard siddurim, there are pronounced differences between nearly every one, each reflecting the particular view of its author as to how to properly reconcile the Arizal with nusach Ashkenaz.
...
2
votes
1answer
137 views
What's the best rewording of “midas harachamim aleinu hisgalgli” for those uncomfortable with it?
In the Selichot (fifth day of Aseret Yimei Teshuvah, HaPizmon shel Yud Gimel Middot HaRahamim) and in Ne'ila of Yom Kippur, there's the stanza that reads:
The concern is the few middle lines:
...
2
votes
2answers
78 views
What does “responsive recitation” mean for Selichos?
There are a bunch of Selichos that are supposed to be "recited responsively." I think for many of them, I've seen the format:
Chazan: line 1
Kehila: line 1
Kehila: line 2
Chazan: line 2
Kehila: ...
