[Avodah] Thinking Of Editing Shmoneh Esreh? Not So Fast

[Micha Berger]

On Wed, May 18, 2011 at 08:40:15AM -0400, Prof. Levine wrote:
> From http://tinyurl.com/3wrtegd

> A CONTEMPORARY PROPOSAL TO AMEND THE ASHKENAZIC SHMONEH ESREH AND WHY IT 
> IS OUT OF ORDER

Transliterations added and are mine (in case the "q"s weren't a tip-off).

> Recently, it was reported that a Rabbi from Israel, on a visit to  
> America, spoke at a (nusach Ashkenaz) Shul and urged the people there to 
> add the word at the end of the [berakhah] of [Teqa beShofar] in the
> [Shemoneh Esrei]. This Rabbi is a lover of [Eretz Yisrael] and
> presumably he wanted to strengthen the audience's connection to our holy 
> land in some way with such a gesture.

>   ... And where does it end? ...

Oh no! One might end up with Nusach "Sfard" or Nusach haGra! <grin>

WADR to the staunch supporters of Yekkishkeit at what is apparently R'
Prof YL's favorite blog (given how frequently he posts pointers to it),
the objection doesn't work given the nusachos most East Europeans and
ArtScroll-users daven. Including, I would bet, the existing nusach of
the shul hosting the talk.

Do you still daven Nusach Bavel as pasqened by R' Amram Gaon? The siddur
has been a constant evolution -- why stop it arbitrarily at the Maharil
or R' Seligman Baer? See R' Dr. Lawrence H. Schiffman's article in Kol
haMevaser July 2010
<http://www.kolhamevaser.com/2010/07/history-and-liturgy-the-evolution-of-multiple-prayer-rites/>
(or <http://bit.ly/jlu6IR>).

It's not like he was talking about inventing a new nusach, one that adds
new kavanos to the prayers. He is talking about adopting an existing
variant. How rigidly do we have to adhere to our inherited pesaqim when
alternatives might aid kavanah -- which itself is an obligatory element
of tefillah?

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             Today is the 29th day, which is
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