[Avodah] Retzei

[Jonathan Baker]

From: saul mashbaum <smash52 at netvision.net.il>
> RMB wrote:

>> The problem [...] is that there would have been no reason to keep the
>> line "vehasheiv es ha'avodah" all the time of Bayis Sheini. The two versions
>> make sense in their respective epochs, but what about the time in between?

> It have found a source which addresses the question of the meaning
> and time of composition of Retzei. The following  is from the commentary
> found in Siddur Ashira LaShem, for Friday afternoon and evening prayers:

> : 2. ?And the fire-offerings of Israel and their prayers, in Love may
> : you receive them willingly...? The Amidah was composed by the men
> : of the Great Assembly to accompany the sacrifices in the Second
> : Temple. This phrase remains from that period, although now it has
> : connotations of asking Hashem to restore the Beis Hamikdash, so
> : that the offerings could be brought and accepted.

> The entire siddur can be viewed at http://www.aishdas.org/siddur_pg.pdf
> I have often noted on this forum  the excellence of this siddur .

Which is nice, but wrong, since the author of the comment didn't have
the manuscript evidence from the Geniza at his disposal.  It's an ongoing
debate, whether the AKG gave us the form (18/19 blessings) alone, or also
the content (text) of the tefillot.

For a summary of that manuscript evidence, and some speculation about
its later use, see 

http://thanbook.blogspot.com/2007/03/retzei-et-les-prieres-du-comtat.html

(no, it's not in french)

In short, what we use is the Bavli version.  The Eretz Yisrael version,
part of which survives in our Duchenen nusach, didn't have "v'ishei
yisrael."  And the Eretz Yisrael version is much closer to what would
have been used in the Beis HaMikdash.  Hodu, which came from EY nusach
by way of Ashkenaz nusach, and was only much later taken into Eastern
nusach, is also probably from Beis Hamikdash nusach (actually, Mishkan
Shilo nusach).  See Y.M. Ta-Shma, Hatefillah Ha-Ashkenazit Hakedumah.

--
        name: jon baker              web: http://www.panix.com/~jjbaker
     address: jjbaker at panix.com     blog: http://thanbook.blogspot.com