[Avodah] Oseh Hashalom

[Akiva Miller via Avodah]

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Over the years, there have been several threads about Oseh Hashalom
during the Aseres Yemei Teshuva, and now we are in another one. It
seems to me that previous (and current) discussions have been academic
and scholarly, focusing on the texts in the sources and the
preferences of the poskim. I hope no one will mind if I focus
attention on a more practical point: the actual practice among Nusach
Ashkenaz in Chutz Laaretz.

I went looking at the siddurim that were common in the shuls that I
grew up in, and I noticed an interesting pattern: Every single one
gave Oseh Hashalom as the closing bracha at the end of the Amidah; not
even one suggested saying Hamevarech like the rest of the year.
Further, every single one used the words Oseh Shalom at the ends of
Kaddish and Elokai N'tzor; not even one suggested saying Oseh Hashalom
during the Aseres Yemei Teshuva.

Specifically:
Siddur Tifereth Jehudah, Hyman Charlap, Hebrew Publishing, 1912
Siddur Safah Berurah, M. Stern, Hebrew Publishing, 1928
Siddur Tikun Shlomo, Ktav, 1940
(Does anyone have a Tikun Meir? I couldn't find one.)
Daily Prayer Book, Philip Birnbaum, Hebrew Publishing, 1949
Siddur Brachos V'hodaos, Hebrew Publishing, 1950
Shilo Prayer Book, Shilo Publishing, 1960
The Traditional Prayer Book, Rabbinical Council of America, Behrman House, 1960
Siddur Yeshuos Yisroel, Rabbi Moses Greenfield, Atereth, 1982

There are two more siddurim that I'll make a special note of: First is
a siddur that uses the text I described above, despite it being
published in Israel. I speak of the Siddur Rinat Yisrael - Ashkenaz
Livnei Chu"l, edited by Shlomo Tal, and published by the WZO. (Mine is
the 1973 edition.) I have found this siddur to be meticulous in
following Nusach Chu"l when it differs from Nusach Eretz Yisrael, and
this is just one example, for in all their other editions it is a
given that the Amidah never closes with Oseh Hashalom, and that Oseh
Hashalom *does* appear at the ends of Kaddish and Elokai N'tzor.

Second, I cite the First Edition (Aug 1984) of The Complete ArtScroll
Siddur. In this siddur, the Heh of Oseh Hashalom never appears in
Kaddish or Elokai N'tzor, not even in brackets. And one who follows
the directions in any Amidah would end B'sefer Chayim with the special
Oseh Hashalom. I note, however, that the instructions do include the
note, "See Laws #65 regarding Oseh Hashalom," and if one would turn to
the Laws section in the back of the siddur, he would learn about this
machlokes.

However, the subsequent versions of the ArtScroll siddurim and
machzorim - and especially the all-Hebrew editions - are different,
and are much more open about saying Hamevarech at the end of the
Amidah, and Oseh Hashalom at the end of Kaddish and Elokai N'tzor.

My conclusion, based mostly on my limited memory and experience, by
supported by the texts of the actual siddurim that people used, leads
me to conclude that until the early 1980's or so, NO ONE in America
(who davened Ashkenaz) would fail to change the end of the Amidah to
Oseh Hashalom, nor would they add the Heh at the end of Kaddish and
Elokai N'tzor.

My questions are these: If you're old enough to remember davening
Ashkenaz in the 1970s or before, do you remember what was said during
Aseres Yemei Teshuva? And do you know of any siddur from that era
which included the newfangled text?

Akiva Miller