[Avodah] Nusach Ashkenaz

[Prof. Levine]

The following is from pages 20 - 21 of  Guide to Minhag Ashkenaz 
(English) by Rav Binyomin Shlomo Hamburger available at

http://www.moreshesashkenaz.org/mm/publications/MadrichEnglish.pdf

The topic of nusach is very crucial. It stands out in the field of 
minhag as the prime example of
the evolution of customs in different Jewish communities. Indeed, the
prayer text one uses identifies one's social circle, community, family
origins, and even the type of hashkafah (philosophy of life) one associates
with.

Among the Ashkenazic Jews, two prayer texts are in common use: Nusach
Ashkenaz and Nusach Sepharad. Historically, Nusach Ashkenaz is the
authentic text of European (non-Sephardic) Jewry. Relatively recently, a
new prayer text named Nusach Sepharad, due to its heavy reliance on
Sephardic nusach, became prevalent. This divergence has raised the
question whether one may change an essential custom instituted by
Chazal.

Rabbinic leaders all over Europe wrote against this deviation. For
example, R' Yechezkel Landau of Prague (1714-1793), the Noda Bihudah,
claims adamantly:31

Our Ashkenazic text is as authentic as the Torah, but the Sephardic
Jews should still keep their minhag, as they have what to rely on,
and one should not deviate from his ancestors' minhag. Recently,
however, Ashkenazim have gone and changed the holy customs of
their fathers. In my opinion they are at fault and are degrading the
respect of the Tosafists and the Rosh, and will be judged
accordingly. There is no love or unity here; rather, there is just a
source of scorn, as it says, "He who keeps himself apart seeks to
satisfy his own vanity."32 About them I say, "Those who despise
me adore death,"33 and "He who goes back on a commitment has
the lower hand."34

31 R' Yechezkel Landau, Tziyun Lenefesh Chaya (Tzlach), Berachos 11b, s.v.
Tanya nami hachi.
32 Mishlei (Proverbs) 18:1.
33 Cf. Mishlei 8:36.
34 Bava Metzi'a 76a.
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