Nusach Sefard, Nusach Sepharad, or Nusach Sfard, is the name for various forms of the Jewish '' siddurim'' designed to reconcile

Ashkenazi Ashkenazi Jews ( ; also known as Ashkenazic Jews or Ashkenazim) form a distinct subgroup of the Jewish diaspora, that Ethnogenesis, emerged in the Holy Roman Empire around the end of the first millennium Common era, CE. They traditionally spe ...

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with the kabbalistic customs of Isaac Luria (more commonly known as the Arizal). To this end, it has incorporated the wording of Nusach Edot ha-Mizrach or Nusach Hasfaradim, the prayer book of

Sephardi Jews Sephardic Jews, also known as Sephardi Jews or Sephardim, and rarely as Iberian Peninsular Jews, are a Jewish diaspora population associated with the historic Jewish communities of the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal) and their descendant ...

, into certain prayers. Nusach Sefard is used nearly universally by Hasidim, as well as by some other

Ashkenazi Jews Ashkenazi Jews ( ; also known as Ashkenazic Jews or Ashkenazim) form a distinct subgroup of the Jewish diaspora, that emerged in the Holy Roman Empire around the end of the first millennium CE. They traditionally speak Yiddish, a language ...

(especially Dati leumi Jews), but has not gained significant acceptance by Sephardi Jews. Some Hasidic dynasties use their own version of the Nusach Sefard ''siddur'', sometimes with a notable divergence between different versions.

Prayers and customs

Some versions are nearly identical to Nusach Ashkenaz, while others come far closer to Nusach Hasfaradim or Nusach Edot ha-Mizrach: most versions fall somewhere in between. All versions attempt to incorporate the customs of the Arizal, with greater or lesser success.

History

It is generally held that every Jew is bound to observe the mitzvot (commandments of Judaism) by following the customs appropriate to their family of origin. For this reason, a number of rabbis disapprove of the adoption of Nusach Sefard by Ashkenazi Jews. However, it was a common Kabbalistic belief that the Sephardic rite, especially in the form used by the Arizal, had more spiritual potency than the Ashkenazi one. Many Eastern Jewish communities, such as the

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and the

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, accordingly adopted the Sephardic rite with Lurianic additions in preference to their previous traditional rites. In the same way, in the 17th and 18th centuries, many Kabbalistic groups in Europe adopted the Lurianic rite in preference to the Ashkenazi. This was, however, the custom of very restricted circles and did not come into widespread public use until the mid-to-late 18th-century rise of

Hasidic Judaism Hasidism () or Hasidic Judaism is a religious movement within Judaism that arose in the 18th century as a Spirituality, spiritual revival movement in contemporary Western Ukraine before spreading rapidly throughout Eastern Europe. Today, most ...

. Luria taught that twelve gates of prayer exist corresponding to the twelve tribes of ancient Israel and to the twelve Jewish communities that existed in

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in his lifetime. Twelve ''nusachs'' for

Jewish prayer Jewish prayer (, ; plural ; , plural ; Yinglish: davening from Yiddish 'pray') is the prayer recitation that forms part of the observance of Rabbinic Judaism. These prayers, often with instructions and commentary, are found in the ' ...

—''nasachot ha-tefillah''—emanated accordingly. In alteration of this Lurianic concept, especially in 18th/19th-century Hasidism, the claim emerged that, while in general one should keep to one's ''minhag'' of origin, the Nusach SefardNusach Sefard is the name for various forms of the Jewish siddurim, designed to reconcile Ashkenazi customs with the (believed original) kabbalistic customs of the Ari. See . reached a believed "thirteenth gate" (''Shaar ha-Kollel'') in Heaven for those who do not know their own tribe. Nusach Sefard, with its variant Nusach Ari, became almost universal among Hasidim as well as some other Ashkenazi Jews, but has not gained significant acceptance by Sephardi Jews. One consequence was that, before the establishment of the State of Israel and in Israel's early years, it was the predominant rite used by Ashkenazim in the Holy Land, except for certain pockets of traditional Lithuanian Jews. One reason for this was that the

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was regarded as part of the Sephardic world, so it was felt that new immigrants should adopt the local rite. In recent decades, following the immigration of many Ashkenazi Jews from America, the millennia-old Ashkenazi rite has regained a strong following. Many of the various sects and dynasties of Hasidism use their own version of ''Nusach Sfard''.

Variants

Many Hasidic groups have slightly varying versions. A significant difference compared to ''Nusach Ashkenaz'' resides in the text of '' kaddish''. For example, Nusach Sfard adds the words "" (may His redemption sprout and His

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approach), which is taken from the Sephardic kaddish. More differences arise in specific prayers, such as the opening words to Ahava Rabba(אהבה רבה) changing to Ahavas Olam(אהבת עולם). This changes the meaning from G-d's abundant love, to G-d's love of the world. Additionally, in the ''Shemoneh Esrei'', many changes occur.

Variations within the Nusach

Within Nusach Sefard, people follow different opinions on extra words to say or not say. The changes above in Shemoneh Esrei are listed from the Millerbooks Nusach Sefard Beis Tefillah Siddur HaShalem. Other variations include the addition of the word "yisborach" after a line in Kaddish. There are differences of opinion on how to respond after "Shmay d'Kudisha Biruch Hu". Some say "Biruch hu", others say "Omein", and others say nothing at all. Siddur to siddur varies on these, so it is important to check which Minhagim one's siddur has.

Nusach Maharitz

Nusach Maharitz, referring to and originating with Rabbi Yosef Tzvi Dushinsky, is the nusach used by most Dushinsky Hasidim. The nusach is a mixture of Nusach Ashkenaz and Nusach Sefard, differing from Nusach Ashkenaz only when it can be proven from the writings of the students of the Ari that he did otherwise, yielding a blend of elements from both rites almost equally.Nusach Maharitz is published in Siddur Maharitz, Jerusalem 1991.

References

External links

''Seder Or le-Yisrael''
Zhitomir 1865 (prayer book)

Ashkenazi Jews topics Hasidic Judaism Isaac Luria Nusachs