It's my privilege to share another siddur that we used here in Katzrin for Shaharit on the last day of חנוכה תשפ''ד. As with the previous siddur, the goal is to illustrate the theory of using open source liturgy to revive better forms of Jewish prayer. As before, my chief source is the siddur of Rav Shaki שליט''א, however, I'm particularly happy to have been able to include a poetic version of the shemoneh esreh by Rabi Pinchas haCohen, which I found in the collection produced by Shulamit …
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Reactionary arguments for normie tefillin
Probably the single most characteristically mekori'ist position is that modern tefilin, mezuzot and sifrei Torah are no good, or at the very least extremely inferior, because the klaf they are made from isn't properly tanned with afaztim (gall nuts), indeed hasn't been tanned at all. Modern klaf is actually parchment and thus doesn't meet the gemara's strict requirements, which are הלכה למשה מסיני. One reason this position is considered such a no-brainer for the Jewish Originalist is that …
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A prototype modular NEY Siddur
In previous posts, I have argued that (i) not only is it impossible to arbitrate disagreements about what constitutes the perfect version of Nusah Eretz Yisrael, there is no need to attempt to do so, since each congregation can make use of modern digital tools and printing facilities to create 'good enough' texts for specific days that can be shared and modified by others, and (ii) that the priority for improving communal prayer is neither finding the ideal combination of words nor per se making …
Making schul good: A roadmap to תפילה בציבור
Why go to schul? According to Rambam, the answer is obvious: תְּפִלַּת הַצִּבּוּר נִשְׁמַעַת תָּמִיד וַאֲפִלּוּ הָיוּ בָּהֶן חוֹטְאִים אֵין הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מוֹאֵס בִּתְפִלָּתָן שֶׁל רַבִּים. לְפִיכָךְ צָרִיךְ אָדָם לְשַׁתֵּף עַצְמוֹ עִם הַצִּבּוּר. וְלֹא יִתְפַּלֵּל בְּיָחִיד כָּל זְמַן שֶׁיָּכוֹל לְהִתְפַּלֵּל עִם הַצִּבּוּר. וּלְעוֹלָם יַשְׁכִּים אָדָם וְיַעֲרִיב לְבֵית הַכְּנֶסֶת שֶׁאֵין תְּפִלָּתוֹ נִשְׁמַעַת בְּכָל עֵת אֶלָּא בְּבֵית הַכְּנֶסֶת. וְכָל מִי שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ בֵּית …
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The solution to the shiurim problem – but you won’t like it
It will probably not be a big chiddush to anyone reading this that eggs didn't halve in size. What many people, including myself until recently, however, do not sufficiently appreciate is that the textual arguments for doubling of volume shiurim in the modern era are actually very strong, indeed, from a certain perspective, irrefutable. What is also underappreciated is that apologetic arguments made by defenders of the premodern shiurim are weak and belied by archaeological evidence. So I set …
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Bracha on Hallel at the Seder
I'm very happy to present for your edification and enlightenment a thorough study of reasons for and against saying a bracha on Hallel at the Seder, with a compilation of citations from Geonim and Rishonim by my good friend Joshua Freedman. Click here for the link. …