[Avodah] "Befi Yesharim" on Yamim Nora'im

[Micha Berger]

(A question launched by our discussion of the Koren Machzor on Areivim.)

Nusachei Sepharad and Sfard order the verbs in the four lines at the
end of Nishmas that begin "Befi Yesharim" so that their third letters
(the first of each shoresh) spell out the acronym "Rivqah", matching the
"Yitzchaq" spelled out by the initials of the nouns.

Nusach Ashkenaz only uses this ordering on Yamim Noraim.

First, does anyone know why?

Second, I find it very odd. We quote a pasuq that ends "layesharim navah
sehillah". Wouldn't it make sense for the next line to continue, "Befi
yesharim tis-hallal", rather than say that the mouths of the yesharim
exault Him, some other mode of praise?

Similarly the last line scans more smoothly to my eye. "Uveqerev qedoshim
tisqadash" is the sentiment we have in "uqedoshim bekhol yom yehalelukha
selah." When do we find qedoshim being the mis-halelim?

GCT!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             It's nice to be smart,
micha at aishdas.org        but it's smarter to be nice.
http://www.aishdas.org                   - R' Lazer Brody
Fax: (270) 514-1507