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In THIS SIDDUR There is are some differences in some of the words of Aleinu Leshabeach from what I am used to saying.

One of the differences is: Instead of the words "הוא אלקינו אין עוד It says: הוא אלקינו ואין אחר .

Is this just a different way of saying the same thing, or is this nusach saying something different than my nusach?

Do the words "הוא אלקינו אין עוד" mean He is our Elokim, and there is NO OTHER, meaning (just that) there is no other Elohim. As if it would say אין עוד אלהים - or does it mean "there is NOTHING ELSE, meaning nothing at all exists outside of Elokim?
If the first way is true than that siddur's nusach is just a different wording. But if the second way is the true meaning, than the nusach of that siddur is saying something else than I customarily say.

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  • In normal Hebrew, there is a slight nuance in meaning. עוד means "more". אחר means "other". My thinking of the difference - עוד could imply shituf meaning that there are 2 gods sharing duty to accomplish a task or goal. Similar to the concept of Christianity's "trinity". אחר means that there is another god that might sometimes accomplish the same full job by himself, when Hashem is "too busy" or "too tired". (Don't take the quote literally, of course. I'm just attempting to explain the nuance in meaning, here.)
    – DanF
    May 8, 2018 at 21:23
  • Some Nuschaot have both words: Ein Od Acher
    – Double AA ♦
    May 8, 2018 at 23:12
  • @DoubleAA That would prove that the two DO NOT mean the same thing.
    – RibbisRabbiAndMore
    May 9, 2018 at 8:03
  • @DanF In the second of the 13 priciples of Emunah (יג עיקרי אמונה) it states: אני מאמין...שהוא יחיד ואין יחידות כמוהו - also in the piyut of "YIGDAL" it says "אין יחיד כיחודו" . I once heard from Rav shimshon pinkus Ztzl that this means\: The Oneness of Hashem is such that by its very definition there CANNOT be another. This is because Hashems is Totally Complete and all Inclusive. Thus any other existance would negate His being All Inclusive. This explanation would combine the "No other" with the "NOTHING ELSE" into ONE.
    – RibbisRabbiAndMore
    May 9, 2018 at 8:18
  • I think that Ramcha"l in Derech Hashem explains the distinction a bit better than Ramba"m. There are two aspects to the "one" of G-d. 1) He is the ONLY G-d meaning that there is no other one (acher) and 2) He is "everything" - all powerful, encompasses the world, etc. There is no "more" ("od*). I.e. there is nothing missing and nothing to be "added" to His powers. Regardless, it doesn't seem that the two words mean the same, but they are both correct descriptions. I think what you describe is the difference between echad and yachid.
    – DanF
    May 9, 2018 at 13:24

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