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Sometimes, the paragraph beginning יִשְׂמְחוּ בְמַלְכוּתָךְ ends with זֵכֶר לְמַעֲשֵׂה בְרֵאשִׁית, and sometimes it doesn't. The only exception I could find composing and researching this question was Shacharit for Sefaradim, where it isn't mentioned. There may be other variations.

  • Nusach Sefard here has it in Aravit, Shacharit and Mussaf
  • Nusach Ashkenaz here has it in Shacharit and Mussaf (not, יִשְׂמְחוּ בְמַלְכוּתָךְ is not present in Aravit at all)
  • Nusach Edot Mizrach here has it in Aravit and Mussaf.

Why isn't it in every Amidah (apart from Mincha), and why is it in the ones it is in and not the others? Don't forget to also explain why it is sometimes said at all - what is its purpose in being in our Amidah in יִשְׂמְחוּ בְמַלְכוּתָךְ in the first place?

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  • Lubavitch siddurim are like Nusach 'Edot haMizrah in this respect, despite being a subset of Nusach Sfard
    – Noach MiFrankfurt
    Nov 13 at 22:29
  • @NoachMiFrankfurt check out Shmosel's answer and source for why :)
    – Rabbi Kaii
    Nov 13 at 22:29

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Shaar HaKollel, written by the great-grandfather of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, brings a source received from Kabbalah (quoted in Mishnat Chassidim) that says we shouldn't say the phrase in Shacharit.

The Mateh Moshe 437 and Levush 271 explain that mitzva of shabbos was first given at Marah (see Shabbat 87b and Sanhedrin 56b) before Har Sinai, in commemoration of Creation, but the mitzva as it was given along with the other holy days at Sinai is in commemoration of Exodus.

Therefore in the amidah of shacharis, which talks about Sinai, we don't mention Creation, i.e. זכר למעשה בראשית, as we say

יִשְׂמַח מֹשֶׁה בְּמַתְּנַת חֶלְקוֹ, כִּי עֶבֶד נֶאֱמָן קָרָאתָ לּוֹ. כְּלִיל תִּפְאֶרֶת בּרֹאשׁוֹ נָתַתָּ, בְּעָמְדוֹ לְפָנֶיךָ עַל־הַר סִינַי.

Moshe will be happy with his lot, because You called him a faithful servant. You placed a crown of glory on his head when he stood before You on Mount Sinai

(Note: in Mussaf we say אז מסיני, but the Levush clarifies in 286) that means "before Sinai," i.e., since Marah.)

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  • What about Sefardim who say למשה צוית at Musaf?
    – Double AA ♦
    Nov 14 at 2:16
  • Sefardim say it in shacharis too.
    – shmosel
    Nov 14 at 2:20
  • @DoubleAA I am having trouble finding that phrase anywhere in any sefardi siddur. Could you provide an example?
    – Rabbi Kaii
    Nov 14 at 11:18
  • @RabbiKaii The opening is לְמֹשֶׁה צִוִּיתָ עַל הַר סִינַי מִצְוַת שַׁבָּת זָכוֹר וְשָׁמוֹר. וּבוֹ צִוִּיתָנוּ ה' אֱלֹהֵינוּ לְהַקְרִיב בָּהּ קָרְבַּן מוּסַף שַׁבָּת כָּרָאוּי in all sefardi siddurim till a couple hundred years ago. Then many, but not all, took on the ashkenazi תכנת שבת text because the Ari preferred it. But it's definitely still out there nowadays.
    – Double AA ♦
    Nov 14 at 12:09
  • @RabbiKaii Arguably, this nusach seemingly disproves the Levush's explanation, since the long-form acrostic is likely just a poetic reworking of this basic text. In which case everyone (who accepts kabalistic changes to traditional texts) should skip זל״ב at musaf too.
    – Double AA ♦
    Nov 14 at 13:22

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