[Avodah] The Difference Between Davening and Learning

Zev Sero zev at sero.name
Thu Oct 7 17:19:23 PDT 2021


On 7/10/21 2:55 pm, Micha Berger via Avodah wrote:
> AIUI, RYBS was saying there was no siddur, no liturgical prayer, until
> Anshei Keneses haGdolah. In the Gra's parlance, there were tachanunim,
> but no tefillos. (Or: ba'ushon dekhol Beis Yisrael, but not tzelosehon.)

The Rambam says so explicitly.  Tefillah 1:1-5.
https://www.mechon-mamre.org/i/2201.htm

Historically it's not as neat as that; AKhG at most set out very broad 
guidelines for what a tefilah should look like, what major points must 
be covered in what order, but it was still up to each mispalel to 
improvise most of it on the spot, so there became a system of baalei 
tefilah who would daven aloud and let those without their skill listen 
and answer amen.   An actual siddur, from which anyone who could read 
could daven, didn't come along until the Ge'onim; before them such a 
thing was considered "al ta'as tefilas'cha keva".

-- 
Zev Sero            Wishing everyone health, wealth, and
zev at sero.name       happiness in 5782



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