Mussaf (also spelled Musaf or Musof) is an additional service that is recited on

Shabbat Shabbat (, , or ; , , ) or the Sabbath (), also called Shabbos (, ) by Ashkenazi Hebrew, Ashkenazim, is Judaism's day of rest on the seventh day of the seven-day week, week—i.e., Friday prayer, Friday–Saturday. On this day, religious Jews ...

, Yom Tov, Chol Hamoed, and Rosh Chodesh. The service, which is traditionally combined with the

Shacharit ''Shacharit'' ( ''šaḥăriṯ''), or ''Shacharis'' in Ashkenazi Hebrew, is the morning '' tefillah'' (prayer) of Judaism, one of the three daily prayers. Different traditions identify different primary components of ''Shacharit''. E ...

synagogue A synagogue, also called a shul or a temple, is a place of worship for Jews and Samaritans. It is a place for prayer (the main sanctuary and sometimes smaller chapels) where Jews attend religious services or special ceremonies such as wed ...

s, is considered to be additional to the regular services of

, Mincha, and Maariv. In contemporary Hebrew, the word may also signify a newspaper supplement. During the days of the Holy Temple, additional offerings were offered on these festive days. Mussaf is now recited in lieu of these offerings. ''Mussaf'' refers to both the full service (which includes the

Amidah The ''Amidah'' (, ''Tefilat HaAmidah'', 'The Standing Prayer'), also called the ''Shemoneh Esreh'' ( 'eighteen'), is the central prayer of Jewish liturgy. Observant Jews recite the ''Amidah'' during each of the three services prayed on week ...

and all Jewish prayers that follow that are normally recited during

) and the Amidah itself that is recited for Mussaf. The main addition is a fourth blessing of the Amidah specially for these days. The correct time to recite musaf is until the seventh Halachic hour of the day (when the day is divided up into twelve-hour parts); however, it is proper to begin musaf before 6.5 relative hours, because after this time there is a doubt as to whether Musaf of Mincha should be recited first. If one did not recite it by this time, it is permissible to recite it for the remainder of the day; one who deliberately does this is called a "sinner". Traditionally, it is recited immediately following Shacharit as a combined service. The Priestly Blessing is said during the Reader's repetition of the Amidah. In the Eastern Ashkenazic rite outside the land of

Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...

, the Mussaf Amidah of major Jewish holidays is the only time the Priestly Blessing is said.

Etymology

The name "Musaf" refers to ''addition'', since it is an additional prayer service recited on festive days that is taking the place of additional offerings that were once made on these days. It is related to the name Joseph (''Yosef'').

Beliefs of movements

Orthodox

Orthodox Judaism Orthodox Judaism is a collective term for the traditionalist branches of contemporary Judaism. Theologically, it is chiefly defined by regarding the Torah, both Torah, Written and Oral Torah, Oral, as literally revelation, revealed by God in Ju ...

considers recitation of the traditional Mussaf as normative, and includes it as part of the regular prayer service on the days it is recited.

Conservative

Conservative Judaism Conservative Judaism, also known as Masorti Judaism, is a Jewish religious movements, Jewish religious movement that regards the authority of Jewish law and tradition as emanating primarily from the assent of the people through the generations ...

, an adapted Mussaf is recited: The liturgy identifies the State of

as the Jewish homeland, but recognizes the Temple as a purely historical institution without calling for its future reconstruction. The Rabbinical Assembly of

has devised two forms for the ''Mussaf Amidah'' with varying degrees of difference from the Orthodox form. One version refers to the prescribed sacrifices, but in the past tense ("there our ancestors offered" rather than "there we shall offer"). A newer version omits references to sacrifices entirely.

Reform

Reform and Reconstructionist Judaism generally omit the ''Mussaf Amidah'' on Shabbat, though it is retained on some festivals. There are two reasons why: One is that it Mussaf involves the recitation of some prayers for what is the fourth time of the day; the other is Reform Judaism's rejection of sacrifice (as it appears in the Torah) as a necessary way to draw close to God.

Mussaf by day

Rosh Chodesh

During Shabbat and Yom Tov, Tefillin are not worn at all. But on Rosh Chodesh, they are worn during Shacharit, and in most communities they are removed prior to Mussaf. This is because both tefillin and the Mussaf prayer are called ''ot'' (sign), and there is no need to have two signs at the same time. Alternatively, tefillin are likened to a crown, and when reciting the text of Mussaf Kedushah ''Keter yitnu lecha'' ("they will give You oda crown") it is improper to wear a crown on one's own head. In some German communities, it is optional to remove the Tefillin before mussaf, and some keep them on.Guide to Minhag Ashkenaz
page 29. Near the end of the central Mussaf blessing, one requests 12 things from God ("goodness, blessing, rejoicing, happiness, redemption..."), corresponding to the 12 months of the year. During

Hebrew calendar The Hebrew calendar (), also called the Jewish calendar, is a lunisolar calendar used today for Jewish religious observance and as an official calendar of Israel. It determines the dates of Jewish holidays and other rituals, such as '' yahrze ...

leap years, a 13th request is made (" atonement of willful sin"). In the Western Ashkenazic rite, the 13th request is recited only on Rosh Chodesh of Second Adar, the 13th month of the year.

Rosh Hashanah

On most days Mussaf is recited, the Amidah contains seven blessings - the three at the beginning and three at the end of every Amidah, and one in the middle in regards to the particular day. But on

Rosh Hashanah Rosh Hashanah (, , ) is the New Year in Judaism. The Hebrew Bible, biblical name for this holiday is Yom Teruah (, , ). It is the first of the High Holy Days (, , 'Days of Awe"), as specified by Leviticus 23:23–25, that occur in the late summe ...

, the Amidah contains nine blessings. The three middle blessings are in reference to ''Kingship'', ''Remembrance'', and the '' Shofar blowings''. The shofar is blown during Musaf as well as before musaf.

Simchat Torah

In the Eastern Ashkenazic rite in the

Diaspora A diaspora ( ) is a population that is scattered across regions which are separate from its geographic place of birth, place of origin. The word is used in reference to people who identify with a specific geographic location, but currently resi ...

, Birkat Kohanim is recited on most Jewish holidays during the chazzan's repetition only during Mussaf. But on Simchat Torah, it is recited during Shacharit.Rabbi Isaac Tirna, Sefer Haminhagi
Simchat Torah
/ref> This is because there is a tradition to drink prior to Mussaf, and Birkat Kohanim cannot be performed by drunk Kohanim. In the Western Ashkenazic rite, Birkat Kohanim is recited at Shacharit and Musaf, just like every other Festival. In most communities in Israel, it is recited at this Musaf just as it is every day; however, some communities in Israel omit it specifically on this occasion because of the concern of drunkenness.

Prayers included on the Sabbath

The ''Mussaf'' service starts with the silent recitation of the ''

''. After the first three blessings included in every Amidah, the service continues ''Tikanta Shabbat'' reading on the holiness of

(in some communities, ''le-Moshe tsivita'' is recited instead of ''Tikanta Shabbat''), and then by a reading from the biblical Book of Numbers about the sacrifices that used to be performed in the

Temple in Jerusalem The Temple in Jerusalem, or alternatively the Holy Temple (; , ), refers to the two religious structures that served as the central places of worship for Israelites and Jews on the modern-day Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem. Accord ...

. Next comes ''Yismechu'', "They shall rejoice in Your sovereignty"; ''Eloheynu'', "Our God and God of our Ancestors, may you be pleased with our rest". The service then continues ''Retzei'', "Be favorable, our God, toward your people Israel and their prayer, and restore services to your Temple" and concludes like any other Amidah. This is followed by the Chazzan's repetition of the Amidah that includes an additional reading known as the ''Kedushah'', as well as ''Birkat Kohanim'' (either the full one or the Chazzan's recitation of Birkat Kohanim). After the ''Amidah'' comes the full Kaddish, followed by ''Ein ke'eloheinu''. In

this is followed by a reading from the

Talmud The Talmud (; ) is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law (''halakha'') and Jewish theology. Until the advent of Haskalah#Effects, modernity, in nearly all Jewish communities, the Talmud was the cen ...

on the incense offering called Pittum Haketoreth and daily psalms that used to be recited in the Temple in Jerusalem. These readings are usually omitted by

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...

Jews, and are always omitted by Reform Jews. Pittum ha-ketoret is followed by the Rabbi's Kaddish (in the Western Ashkenazic rite, a Mourner's Kaddish is recited instead), the '' Aleinu'', followed in most communities by a Mourner's Kaddish. Some communities conclude with the reading of Anim Zemirot, Shir Hayichud, the psalm of the Day, and/or either

Adon Olam Adon Olam (; "Eternal Lord" or "Sovereign of the Universe") is a hymn in the Jewish liturgy. It has been a regular part of the daily and Shabbat ( Sabbath) liturgy since the 15th century.Nulman, Macy, ''Encyclopedia of Jewish Prayer'' (1993, NJ ...

Yigdal Yigdal () is a Religious Jewish music, Jewish hymn which in various rituals shares with ''Adon Olam'' the place of honor at the opening of the morning and the close of the evening service. It is based on the Maimonides#Thirteen principles of faith, ...

Women

There is a debate, in Orthodox Judaism, whether women are required to recite Mussaf, being that it is a time-bound commandment (from which women are generally exempt), and based on the opinion that they are only obligated to pray once a day. The Mussaf service contains only a commemorative mention of the sacrifices, and does not contain any personal requests, thereby making there be no special reason for women to recite it. In any case, Ashkenazi women are permitted to recite Mussaf. On

, it is recommended that a woman who does not wish to remain in the synagogue for the Mussaf to still listen to the shofar blowing (even though strictly speaking, women are not obligated in shofar), but if she will not stay in shul, it is preferable for her to hear the shofar blowing before mussaf rather than the blowing in the middle of Mussaf. Rabbi Ovadiah Yosef ruled that women should come to the synagogue and listen to Mussaf, but not recite it, as the prayer might be considered a "blessing in vain" as they are not required to recite it. However, other Sephardi authorities permitted women to recite Mussaf. On High Holidays, women are required to recite Mussaf and Ne'ila.Halichos Bas Yisrael, Volume I By Rabbi Yitzchak Yaacov Fuchs, page 46

Offerings

The verses recited during the Mussaf Amidah (which are also read for the Maftir on the corresponding days) are all derived from the Book of Numbers chapters 28 and 29 ( Parshat Pinchas). In the Nusach Ashkenaz and Nusach Sefard as well as in the Italian Nusach, the following additional offerings are recited as part of musaf on each day Mussaf is recited; in the Sephardic rite, they are recited only on the Sabbath and Rosh Chodesh, but omitted on Festivals. Due to the fact that Jewish holidays are observed two days in the

rather than the one day commanded in the

Torah The Torah ( , "Instruction", "Teaching" or "Law") is the compilation of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, namely the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. The Torah is also known as the Pentateuch () ...

, the schedule for recitation is modified.

References

{{Jewish prayers Hebrew words and phrases in Jewish prayers and blessings