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Siddur Mesorat Moshe is a siddur whose text follows the rulings of the Rambam. I received a copy a couple of weeks ago and am now using it daily. A completely never-seen-before thing is that there's no Aleinu leshabeach in any of the t'fillot in this siddur.

I thought it was an essential prayer as it's attributed to Yehoshua. Is it only a late additional element to the t'fillot? Wasn't it in common use in Rambam's era or did he opt it out? Was the prayer adopted officially & universally only after Rambam's time?

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  • related: judaism.stackexchange.com/questions/31800/…
    – avi
    Commented Dec 18, 2013 at 13:12
  • The text is available here: markov.podval.org/Rambam_Siddur.pdf It can be purchased here: lulu.com/spotlight/derushah
    – Aviel
    Commented Dec 18, 2013 at 17:05
  • סידור מסורת משה - כולל כל התפילות של כל השנה לימות החול ולשבתות ולמועדים על פי נוסח התפילה שקבלנו על ידי רבינו משה בן מימון ז''ל
    – Aviel
    Commented Dec 18, 2013 at 17:12
  • @msh210 Someone printed the Rambam's siddur as a siddur (ie. in order, with relevant sections repeated at appropriate places, etc.)
    – Double AA ♦
    Commented Dec 18, 2013 at 18:24
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    It should be pointed out that Aleinu le-Shabeach does appear in the Seder ha-Tefilah in the Mishneh Torah, as part of the first middle Berakhah of Musaf prayer for Rosh ha-Shanah (section 47), as Shalom mentions in his answer.
    – Tamir Evan
    Commented Feb 21, 2014 at 9:40

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The sefer צלותא דאברהם here writes that the siddur of רב עמרם and the סדר תפילה of the Rambam and the ספר המנהיג and the אבודרהם do not mention the reciting of the Aleinu prayer every day.

But it is mentioned in the Tur in Siman 133, and the Rema brings it in the name of the כל בו.

The Bach there writes that it was introduced at the end of davening in order to fix in our hearts before we return home to our everyday affairs the Oneness of G-d's kingship, and to strengthen our faith that He will one day remove detestable idolatry from the earth and false gods will be utterly cut off, so that we will not be tempted to turn to the false gods or the erroneous beliefs of the nations amongst whom we dwell.

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  • What could then be the reason that in Mesoras Moshe there is no Shirat ha'Yam either? Just to avoid too long prayers?
    – Aviel
    Commented Dec 20, 2013 at 9:01
  • @Aviel - In the time of the Rambam the reciting of Shiras Hayam was not a universal custom - some places said it and some didn't. The first person to mention that had become a fixed custom everywhere is the ספר המנהיג in the 12th century, who writes "everywhere that Jews live they recite the Shiras Hayam, and no one should skip it".
    – user4523
    Commented Dec 21, 2013 at 19:01
  • And if someone prays according to an older use like the one in Rambam's seder t'fillah? I hope it's not considered an aveirah... Usually all later added elements are regarded as necessary although the previous Jewish generations could do it without the burden of the latter additions.
    – Aviel
    Commented Dec 21, 2013 at 22:37
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Its first appearance in the siddur is as part of the malchiot blessing for Rosh Hashana mussaf. It later made its way into daily usage, and I think they tie that in to Jews facing daily religious persecution from Christians. I don't know exactly when off-hand. But it's most incredibly likely that in Rambam's time, it only appeared in the siddur for Rosh hashana.

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    The Crusades changed most of the Siddur and Shul practices in general.
    – avi
    Commented Dec 18, 2013 at 15:17
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    @avi Most?? [15]
    – Double AA ♦
    Commented Dec 18, 2013 at 16:00
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    @avi You are more than probably wrong about that.
    – Double AA ♦
    Commented Dec 18, 2013 at 18:24
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    Let's see, Torah reading changed. Kadish changed, Psukei Dzimra changed, The prayers after Shemonah Esrei changed. The only thing that stayed the same was Shemah and Tefilah. What is your criteria for most?
    – avi
    Commented Dec 18, 2013 at 19:23
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    @avi, the tefillah changed. The older usages for birkat minim address either heretics (minim) or apostates (meshumadim). This was changed by many Ashkenazim to informers (malshinim) in response to Christian interpretation of the earlier variants.
    – Noach MiFrankfurt
    Commented Oct 7, 2015 at 4:57

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