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Kotel is the Place to be Tuesday
Two awesome Rosh Chodesh prayers tomorrow at the western retaining wall of the Temple Mount:
6:45 AM - Nusach Eretz Yisrael minyan with Rabbi Bar Hayim, the man who has revived the original unifying tradition of prayer in Israel.
8:00 AM - Joyous Reb Shlomo/Rebbe Nachman Rosh Chodesh Minyan led by Master of Prayer Rabbi Ezra Amichai (nee Friedland-Wechsler), known for hosting scores of Jews for Shabbat meals and elevating hundreds each time he leads prayers at the Wall.
My hope is that folks turn up for both minyanim - a double-header of holistic indigenous Jewish prayer to ring in Nissan, Redemption Month according to our sages.
As for the Nusach Eretz Yisrael minyan - this is truly a historic event. Though there are weekly Nusach Eretz Yisrael (NEY) prayers in Givat Sha'ul at the Machon Shilo Beit Midrash (and last year, mincha on Purim at Sde Boaz) - this is the first time it is being returned to such close proximity of the Temple Mount.
For Rav Bar Hayim's (the spiritual leader and inspiration of the not-militant-enough Kitniyot Liberation Front)main mission statement in essay form click here. I recommend his essays on Mordechai's reception by the 'gedoilim' of his time, lulav on shabbat, shofar on shabbat and especially his examination of the blue Techeilet as representative of the deep-seated problem that affects many in our people's God-fearing rabbinate.
6:45 AM - Nusach Eretz Yisrael minyan with Rabbi Bar Hayim, the man who has revived the original unifying tradition of prayer in Israel.
8:00 AM - Joyous Reb Shlomo/Rebbe Nachman Rosh Chodesh Minyan led by Master of Prayer Rabbi Ezra Amichai (nee Friedland-Wechsler), known for hosting scores of Jews for Shabbat meals and elevating hundreds each time he leads prayers at the Wall.My hope is that folks turn up for both minyanim - a double-header of holistic indigenous Jewish prayer to ring in Nissan, Redemption Month according to our sages.
As for the Nusach Eretz Yisrael minyan - this is truly a historic event. Though there are weekly Nusach Eretz Yisrael (NEY) prayers in Givat Sha'ul at the Machon Shilo Beit Midrash (and last year, mincha on Purim at Sde Boaz) - this is the first time it is being returned to such close proximity of the Temple Mount.
For Rav Bar Hayim's (the spiritual leader and inspiration of the not-militant-enough Kitniyot Liberation Front)main mission statement in essay form click here. I recommend his essays on Mordechai's reception by the 'gedoilim' of his time, lulav on shabbat, shofar on shabbat and especially his examination of the blue Techeilet as representative of the deep-seated problem that affects many in our people's God-fearing rabbinate.
Labels: Ezra, Jerusalem, Jewish Holidays, Temple Consciousness, Temple Mount, Torah
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7 Comments:
At 3:33 PM ,
Pinchas said...
My Nusach was handed down to me from my father and to him from his father and so forth. It's a tradition that should not be taken lightly nor discarded easily. Minor variations were introduced all along the way to adapt to the current needs of each generation. I don't know that 1000 year old nusach is better suited for today's generation than the common ones used today. A unifying Nusach is a nice thought but it should be one that incorporates all Torah following traditions and is developed by recognized leaders of those respective traditions. It should not be formed unilaterally by one individual especially when it essentially discards thousands of years of traditions and changes that were adapted for a reason.
At 3:50 PM ,
Ezra said...
I don't believe adopting Nusach Eretz Yisrael is a rejection of one's own nusach. It is a work in progress and I certainly retain individual customs and prayers of my fathers and of others' fathers that I say and sing.
But the issue is coming back together as a people after Exile. Are we going to have six different minyans at the Beit Hamikdash? Are we going to have kitniyot and non-kitniyot altars for the sacrifices of the different groups?
We picked up a lot of baggage along the way and this is a move to return to the Jewish Project that were were enagaged in before we were suddenly violently scattered across the globe by those who wished to interrupt it.
Another thing - the open-source siddur currently being used at these minyanim is a work-in-progress. The reason it may seem unilateral right now is because most of the rabbis of our generation are quite happy in their own court and their own batei midrash. They see no need to come together and are not alarmed by not being able to accept an invitation to their Moroccan neighbors' home during Pesach.
I'd be interested in a response to the Techeilet essay. I think it really captures the crux of the issue.
At 8:00 PM ,
Pinchas said...
Ezra - that still doesn't answer the question as why 1000 year old nusach is well suited for our generation. And if you really want to go back in time each Jewish tribe actually had thier very own nusach - which is how I imagine it will be in Temple number three.
At 11:25 AM ,
Anonymous said...
The Rambam and Mishnah specifically command against making multiple kehilot. This is cited in the actual psak on the Machon Shilo website (it's only in Hebrew). Of course we'll never have a mizbeach or sacrifices if everyone is opposed to any change. That's the essence of what Rav Bar-Hayim called "The Roadmap from Kitniyot to Korban Pesah." If people are making such a big deal about a saffek of saffek and adding chumrot, how will they every be able to leave their incorrect practice of not bringing a Korban Pesah or other korbanot???
It's easy to say that something is assor, but it takes a real talmid chacham to say it's mootar.
At 11:21 PM ,
Pinchas said...
Louis,
Answer me this simple question. Why did the Rama write his commentary on the Shulchan Aruch? Didn't he realize he was violating the Rambam and the Mishnah which specifically commanded against making multiple kehilot? Torah Jews do NOT oppose change. We embrace it. Indeed Halacha itself is an ongoing evolutionary process and each generation adapts to its needs. In our own day consider how many things we do differently today than were done 100 years ago because of the likes of Torah giants like the Chazon Ish, ZT"L, Rav Moshe ZT"L, or Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach ZT"L. What Torah Jews oppose is radical change that discards hundreds of years of Torah Greats' teachings and of our father’s customs. A fundamental torah concept is Aelu V'Aelu Divrah Elohkim Chaim - these and these are the words of the living G-d! Both the Ashkanazi customs and the Sephardi customs are correct. And if one accepts they are both words of the living G-d we can live in harmony and still maintain our holy customs. An Ashkanazi can easily invite his Moroccan neighbor over for a pesach meal and the neighbor can return the favor on Sukkot. Or even better! Imagine if your friend was a vegetarian. Wouldn’t you prepare food he could eat? The same could be done today with kitniyot. Your Moroccan neighbor can prepare a meal you can eat.
You write "it's easy to say that something is assor, but it takes a real talmid chacham to say it's mootar." But also remember that just by saying something is muter (or asser) itself does not make you a talmid chachum. And someone can indeed say something is assur and still be a talmid chachum. The two are mutually exclusive.
At 2:31 AM ,
Anonymous said...
Pinchas, I must respond to your astounding statements.
"My Nusach was handed down to me from my father and to him from his father and so forth. It's a tradition that should not be taken lightly nor discarded easily."
And yet, your forefather and mine once prayed nusach Eretz Yisrael and they discarded it when they moved to France and Germany. Customs are supposed to change when you move from one locality to another. There is no reason to be more loyal to a Galuth Nusach than our forefathers were to nusach eretz yisrael.
"I don't know that 1000 year old nusach is better suited for today's generation than the common ones used today."
Perhaps if the Bavli Nusach made more sense when the Torah center of the world was in Hutz LaAretz, then conversely the Nusach Eretz Yisrael makes more sense when the Torah center is in our homeland.
"A unifying Nusach is a nice thought but it should be one that incorporates all Torah following traditions and is developed by recognized leaders of those respective traditions."
Impossible, and if the recognized leaders are too afraid to establish a Sanhedrin, why should they be allowed to hold up the Geulah?
We should move on without them.
"It should not be formed unilaterally by one individual especially when it essentially discards thousands of years of traditions and changes that were adapted for a reason."
The Majority of Minhagim and changes were NOT purposely developed by Halakhic Poseqim. They were a result of the Tragic Galuth.
"And if you really want to go back in time each Jewish tribe actually had thier very own nusach - which is how I imagine it will be in Temple number three."
Not true, by the time the Shemona Esre was established, the Ten tribes were lost and nuschaoth were NEVER BASED UPON WHICH TRIBE YOU WERE FROM.
"Answer me this simple question. Why did the Rama write his commentary on the Shulchan Aruch? Didn't he realize he was violating the Rambam and the Mishnah which specifically commanded against making multiple kehilot?"
The Rama was giving pisqei din for Jews living in Europe. Seperate communities living in a certain geographical area seperated from their brothers in the middle east. He gave these pisqei din which gave some unity atleast for Jews living in a vast area of Europe.
Today's situation is very different. Jews live together in massive numbers in Israel and America and NO ONE gives Pisqei din for Israelis or Americans which would atleast unify American Jews and Israeli Jews. Instead we pretend that Jews living together in Jerusalem are each living in seperate countries. This one is Morrocan this one Yemenite this one is Lithuanian and this one is Polish.
This cause disunity in every single city and neighborhood in Israel and America. That is very different from the Rama whose pisqei din caused unity amoung millions of Jews.
"Torah Jews do NOT oppose change. We embrace it."
That is a ridiculous statement. The Rallying cry for Torah Jewry for the last 200 years had been "Hadash assur min hatorah" meaning that which is new is forbidden by the Torah.
Your statement is ludicrous seeing that hundreds of thousands of Jews are dressing like 16th century Prussian nobility while hundreds of thousands more dressing like they belong in 1930's Chicago minus the submachine gun.
"What Torah Jews oppose is radical change that discards hundreds of years of Torah Greats' teachings and of our father’s customs."
And yet, this has happened many times anyway. Where ancient customs like, ironically, the Nusach Eretz Yisrael and one day Rosh Hashana is Eretz yisrael was completely discarded in a very radical fashion.
"Both the Ashkanazi customs and the Sephardi customs are correct. And if one accepts they are both words of the living G-d we can live in harmony and still maintain our holy customs."
What planet are you living on? There is deep disunity in the Jewish based primarily on our continued identification with countries in the Galuth.
We can end this and you have no desire to do so.
"An Ashkanazi can easily invite his Moroccan neighbor over for a pesach meal and the neighbor can return the favor on Sukkot."
How about vice versa?
"Or even better! Imagine if your friend was a vegetarian. Wouldn’t you prepare food he could eat? The same could be done today with kitniyot. Your Moroccan neighbor can prepare a meal you can eat."
Or maybe he can stop identifying himself with Morrocoo as me with Poland and we can return to being a unified nation of Jews.
At 3:59 PM ,
Pinchas said...
"And yet, your forefather and mine once prayed nusach Eretz Yisrael and they discarded it when they moved to France and Germany."
They didn't discard it. They adapted it for their new needs *with the guidance of the leaders of their generation.* I'm astounded that you can't understand the difference.
"Customs are supposed to change when you move from one locality to another. There is no reason to be more loyal to a Galuth Nusach than our forefathers were to nusach eretz yisrael."
Very nice. And when the leaders of the generation adapt it (such as nusach hagra) we must go along but till then we are absolutely bound by mesorah. The fact that someone can have no appreciation whatsoever for mesorah is both scary and sad.
"Perhaps if the Bavli Nusach made more sense when the Torah center of the world was in Hutz LaAretz, then conversely the Nusach Eretz Yisrael makes more sense when the Torah center is in our homeland."
Again very nice. And when *the leaders of the generation* adapt it we must go along but till then we are absolutely bound by mesorah.
"Impossible, and if the recognized leaders are too afraid to establish a Sanhedrin, why should they be allowed to hold up the Geulah?
We should move on without them."
That's what we call Reform Judaism.
And who says that is what is holding up the Geulah. Maybe davening with a nusach you have no mesorah for is what is holding it up?!
And maybe not treating the Torah giants of our generation with the proper respect is what is holding it up?!
"The Majority of Minhagim and changes were NOT purposely developed by Halakhic Poseqim. They were a result of the Tragic Galuth."
In that case why don't we burn the mishna bruera right now and spit on the Chofetz Chaim's grave (C"V!)
"Not true, by the time the Shemona Esre was established, the Ten tribes were lost and nuschaoth were NEVER BASED UPON WHICH TRIBE YOU WERE FROM."
Exactly. But the Jews were davening well before SE was established and they all had their own tribal (and even family) nusachim.
"The Rama was giving pisqei din for Jews living in Europe. Seperate communities living in a certain geographical area seperated from their brothers in the middle east. He gave these pisqei din which gave some unity atleast for Jews living in a vast area of Europe.
Today's situation is very different. Jews live together in massive numbers in Israel and America and NO ONE gives Pisqei din for Israelis or Americans which would atleast unify American Jews and Israeli Jews. Instead we pretend that Jews living together in Jerusalem are each living in seperate countries. This one is Morrocan this one Yemenite this one is Lithuanian and this one is Polish.
This cause disunity in every single city and neighborhood in Israel and America. That is very different from the Rama whose pisqei din caused unity amoung millions of Jews."
It's sad that you see it this way. In my Torah it doesn't say the Jewish people have to act like the borg all thinking the same way. There has always been a beis shami and a beis hillel. They are both the voice of the living G-d. Of course there are rules that must be followed and lines that can't be crossed.
And the premise that you can't love your fellow jew unless they think and act exactly like you do is just foolish.
"That is a ridiculous statement. The Rallying cry for Torah Jewry for the last 200 years had been 'Hadash assur min hatorah' meaning that which is new is forbidden by the Torah."
Oh, really? You need to go back and study how halacha develops. Why don't you take a look at Shemras Shabbos Kehillchaso or read some of Rav Moshe Feinstein's letters. Many many of those psak halachos were not around 200 years ago. Of course halacha evolves! It MUST! But there are rules.
"Your statement is ludicrous seeing that hundreds of thousands of Jews are dressing like 16th century Prussian nobility while hundreds of thousands more dressing like they belong in 1930's Chicago minus the submachine gun."
Perhaps somewhere hidden in this pathetic display of Sinas Chinum there is a point.
Perhaps you feel it would be better if they dressed like 3000 year old Israelites who just came out of Eygpt.
"And yet, this has happened many times anyway. Where ancient customs like, ironically, the Nusach Eretz Yisrael and one day Rosh Hashana is Eretz yisrael was completely discarded in a very radical fashion."
Under *the guidance of the Torah leaders of the generation.* A minor, but important point you neglected to mention.
"What planet are you living on? There is deep disunity in the Jewish based primarily on our continued identification with countries in the Galuth.
We can end this and you have no desire to do so."
More of your borg...or shall we call it communist propaganda. That the only way to love someone is to act the same way. I don't know where you came up with that notion, but it's simply contemptible.
"How about vice versa?"
So what? And yes, even vis versa if the proper arrangements are made as one would make for a vegetarian.
"Or maybe he can stop identifying himself with Morrocoo as me with Poland and we can return to being a unified nation of Jews."
Your disdain for the Torah that the Jewish nation wrote (lo b'shamayim he) through the guidance of the leaders of each and every generation and this willingness, nay, eagerness, to throw it all away is simply harmful to our nation. You would be well advised to treat our fathers with a little more respect!
There is simply no validity to the claim that G-d doesn't desire variety. Nor the claim that variety leads to division. With mutual respect it certainly doesn't and indeed embracing our mesoros it what kept us from assimilating like reform Judaism and vanishing from the face of the earth!
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