Rambam Nusach HaTefillah — Shiur 5: The Middle Blessings of Shabbat

Introduction and Hakarat HaTov

Chavruta 1: Good day, we are learning Rambam, Sefer Ahavah, Nusach HaTefillah, the fifth shiur on Nusach HaTefillah. In the back of all these Hilchot Tefillah and all these Hilchot Berachot, the Rambam sets out the language of the Sages for the prayers and blessings.

Before we continue, we must acknowledge the provider of the flour for these shiurim — without flour there is no Torah — our esteemed friend, the well-known benefactor and builder of worlds of Torah, who builds up so much Torah among Jews through the various shiurim and acts of Torah and chesed that he spreads, the pious Rabbi Yoel HaLevi Wetzberger, director of Mosdot Chen Yaakov. A great yasher koach to him and to all the other supporters and to all others who help spread the shiur. It is, baruch Hashem, a delicious shiur, and it’s incredible how Jews receive from this their daily dose of Torah with pleasure.

So, do you agree?

Chavruta 2: I agree, I agree that R’ Yoel is a great supporter of Torah, I agree that everyone should try to compete with him and surpass him, to give and bring even more. And I also agree that everyone should learn.

Another point, just as the campaign has now ended — now when the shiur goes up it will already be finished — the campaign is a great thing that one should spread it so other people will be inspired for Torah, but it’s only a preparation so that all year long when someone hears a good shiur, he should give it a push to his friend — “You like it, share it.”

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Structure of Nusach HaTefillah: What the Rambam Has Already Covered

Chavruta 1: So, the Rambam says as follows. They’re in the middle of discussing the nusach of the berachot, and they’ve already finished… ah, Nusach HaTefillah. They’ve already finished a regular day — they’ve already finished the entire… the Rambam has already laid out the davening from early morning until after finishing Shacharit. And Minchah he said separately. I don’t know, I think he already said in Hilchot Tefillah what Minchah is and what Maariv is, they’ve already covered the prayers.

Now comes the main prayers of Shabbat and Yamim Tovim, special prayers.

Chavruta 2: Yes, let’s perhaps clarify about Minchah, about… the Rambam goes with his logical order, not according to the order. You said that there were old siddurim that went more like that.

Chavruta 1: Shacharit and Minchah are the same thing. The Rambam already said in the middle of Hilchot Tefillah that for Minchah one says Tehillah LeDavid, you remember.

Chavruta 2: Yes, and Kaddish and Seder HaYom. On Yom Tov or Shabbat.

Chavruta 1: Yes. But on Shabbat one reads, etc. All these laws have already been stated. But the nusach is only one Shemoneh Esrei, and Maariv is basically Birchot Kriat Shema and Shemoneh Esrei. And when the Rambam counted Birchot Kriat Shema, he already said both the Birchot Kriat Shema of Shacharit — Shabbat and during the week — of Shacharit and of Maariv.

Chavruta 2: Yes, also Shacharit and Maariv, yes.

Chiddush: The Rambam Didn’t Mention Shabbat Birchot Kriat Shema

Chavruta 1: The Rambam didn’t say any Shabbat Birchot Kriat Shema. Interesting. I think that the Rambam didn’t say about the “Keil Adon” that we say on Shabbat. It could be he didn’t have any yotzerot for Shabbat in his Birchot Kriat Shema. He said yotzerot in Pesukei D’Zimra.

Chavruta 2: I don’t remember anymore, he said the blessing of Yotzer for Shabbat.

Chavruta 1: It could be that there wasn’t such a nusach.

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The Rambam’s Introduction to the Middle Blessings

Chavruta 2: So now one goes to Shabbat. Now one will see what the prayer of Shabbat and Yom Tov is different.

Chavruta 1: So the biggest change, besides what the Rambam already laid out by Pesukei D’Zimra, and the Rambam laid out Nishmat — the big change and really in the main prayer is that the Shemoneh Esrei of Shabbat is completely different, that it’s really not Shemoneh Esrei at all. They removed all the middle blessings.

Actually the praise and thanksgiving, there’s no difference between Shabbat and during the week — both days one says praise and thanksgiving — they left the same nusach: Avot, Gevurot, and so on, and the last three.

But where they changed, is all the blessings that ask for individual prayers — for knowledge, livelihood, and so on, healing — there is a concept of not praying for needs on Shabbat. So that one shouldn’t be in distress, one shouldn’t focus on the troubles that one still has, but on the contrary, one should only pray about and about that it should go well, but without focusing on the distress.

Chavruta 2: But just so one should…

Chavruta 1: Yes, that is apparently the concept. The exact details is a sugya in the Gemara in Taanit. But the intention is, on Shabbat one doesn’t ask for needs.

So Chazal made a different nusach. Instead of all the middle blessings, they made one blessing — it’s called the middle blessing, the berachah emtza’it — where one asks there… one praises there about the Shabbat, one praises the Holy One Blessed be He about the Shabbat, and one speaks about the Shabbat, and one asks prayers that are appropriate for Shabbat. And this replaces all the other needs from during the week, says the Rambam.

Chavruta 2: Yes?

Chavruta 1: Yes, I think so.

The Rambam’s Structure: All Middle Blessings for an Entire Year

Chavruta 2: This chapter really, which is called the fifth shiur, according to how the dividers made it here — perhaps the Rambam also, because he makes a chapter here. The chapters the Rambam didn’t make, but the first section stands here, he speaks of all the Yamim Tovim.

That is, if one wants to logically say what someone wants to make a siddur for an entire year, he only needs to make a regular Shemoneh Esrei for the weekdays, and he needs to write as the Rambam did, that Shabbat or Yom Tov or Rosh Hashanah Yom Kippur — all these times — one should only change the middle blessings.

So the Rambam goes in this chapter to write all the middle blessings of an entire year.

Chavruta 1: Because he sets out the middle blessing of Shabbat and Yamim Tovim?

Chavruta 2: Right, and he has here such a small introduction, I need to understand this.

Chavruta 1: Yes.

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Learning the Rambam’s Introduction

Chavruta 2: So the Rambam goes like this. They already learned earlier in Hilchot Tefillah:

“On Shabbat and festivals and Yamim Tovim, a person prays in each prayer seven blessings — three first ones and three last ones, and one middle blessing appropriate to the day.”

It’s instead of 19 it’s seven blessings. Three first ones and three last ones — the first three of praise and thanksgiving, the last ones. And one middle blessing appropriate to the day — the middle blessing speaks about the matter of the day.

Chavruta 1: Me’ein hayom.

Chavruta 2: Me’ein hayom means about the day.

Chavruta 1: I think that perhaps “me’ein” is like the translation “matter.”

Chavruta 2: Because “ayin” means the appearance, the eye?

Chavruta 1: Me’ein hayom.

Chavruta 2: Yes. So like this. Something that is connected with the day. What relates to the day? So like this. This is Shabbat and Yamim Tovim.

Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur: Nine Blessings

Chavruta 2: “And on Rosh Hashanah and on Yom Kippur of the Jubilee” — Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur of the Jubilee there isn’t one middle blessing, but “one prays in the middle three blessings.” There are three blessings. These are called Malchuyot, Zichronot, Shofarot.

“And in the Musaf prayer only” — and this is only by the Musaf prayer. Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur of the Jubilee, by Musaf, it’s different that there isn’t one middle blessing, there are three middle blessings. It comes out “one prays in Musaf on these two days nine blessings” — the two days, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur of the Jubilee, there one prays nine blessings.

Musaf of Rosh Chodesh and Chol HaMoed

Chavruta 2: “And in Musaf of Rosh Chodesh and in Musaf of Chol HaMoed” — one also prays seven: three first ones and three last ones and one blessing in the middle.

Chavruta 1: Why did the Rambam make Musaf separate? Musaf is a category by itself, Musaf has different laws. And Musaf…

Chavruta 2: No, I think the chiddush is, he goes like this: Yamim Tovim, and also Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur — which is a Yom Tov — which is an exception, has nine blessings. But we’re speaking of the weekdays. So there are times during the weekdays when one also davens a prayer of seven blessings — that is Musaf of Rosh Chodesh or Chol HaMoed there is also — and there needs to be a special nusach. Yom Tov is the same as Yom Tov, but Rosh Chodesh is a special nusach.

Question: Why Does Musaf of Rosh Chodesh Have Only Seven Blessings?

Chavruta 1: An interesting thing, because on Rosh Chodesh — or I don’t know, perhaps not on Chol HaMoed — apparently there isn’t the same concept of not asking for needs. One does ask for needs, one already davened earlier the weekday Shemoneh Esrei. But the Yom Tov one was made in a Yom Tov nusach. The Yom Tov part one says the same nusach as Yom Tov. The same thing with Rosh Chodesh — it wasn’t the same Shemoneh Esrei, one had something in honor of the Yom Tov.

Chavruta 2: How is the nusach?

Chavruta 1: Says the Rambam, now I’m going to lay out “the nusach of all the middle blessings” — that’s it, the middle blessing.

The Rambam begins with Friday night.

Chavruta 2: It makes sense, but why should one say again the requests for needs?

Chavruta 1: Because it’s Musaf, and Musaf comes only in honor of the matter of the day. So one speaks of the matter of the day.

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Chiddush: “Kevar Maniti BeSefer Zeh” — Proof that Nusach HaTefillah is Part of Sefer Ahavah

Chavruta 1: I have two chiddushim on this piece, I need to see if it already stands here from last night what we learned.

First of all, here it says “kevar maniti besefer zeh” (I already counted in this book). We learned, and I saw that someone here in this Rambam Mishneh Torah — a commentator, one of the commentators — already noted that here, we spoke about this at the beginning of Hilchot Seder HaTefillot. There is like a dispute: is this a part of the Rambam’s book, it’s the Rambam’s halachic rulings, or is it just a seder nusach, the nusach of Egypt — I don’t know what you want to call it.

So, one could think that the Rambam wrote it at the end of the book, he didn’t write any chapter at all, it’s just such an appendix, like another piece that is a siddur.

But here you see, in the language “kevar maniti besefer zeh”, one sees that the Rambam counts this as a part of the book — which means Sefer Ahavah. It’s not another part.

This is one slight inference, perhaps it can be inferred.

Question: Why Doesn’t the Rambam Mention Fast Days?

Chavruta 2: I have another question. Why doesn’t the Rambam count that on fast days one also makes nine blessings apparently?

Chavruta 1: Ah, I don’t know. Perhaps not, he wants the same nusach? It already comes out with what he says that fast days is the same as Rosh Hashanah.

Chavruta 2: Fast days aren’t a fixed thing, he only counts out the fixed Yamim Tovim.

Chavruta 1: Ah, makes sense.

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The Middle Blessing of Friday Night

Chavruta 2: Okay, so now we’re going to learn about Shabbat. He’s going to go around here and lay out the Friday night middle blessing.

So the nusach is like this:

“Atah kidashta et yom hashevi’i lishemecha” — one begins with a praise on the Shabbat, the importance of Shabbat. One thanks the Almighty for the Shabbat. The Almighty sanctified the seventh day for Your name, for the sake of Heaven, and this is “tachlit ma’aseh shamayim va’aretz.”

Discussion: What Does “Tachlit” Mean?

Chavruta 1: “Tachlit” means the ending, not the goal, right?

Chavruta 2: It can also be another answer that the goal — Shabbat is the goal.

Chavruta 1: “Tachlit” means the ending of the work of heaven and earth happened on Shabbat.

Chavruta 2: Like “vayechulu.”

Chavruta 1: Yes, like “vayechulu.” Tachlit, the ending.

The Continuation of the Blessing

Chavruta 2: “Uverachto mikol hayamim vekidashto mikol hazemanim” — Shabbat is blessed and sanctified.

“Vechen amarta” — so it says in the verse — “Vayevarech Elokim et yom hashevi’i vayekadesh oto ki vo shavat mikol melachto asher bara Elokim la’asot.”

In this verse it says “vayevarech” and “vayekadesh” — that it’s a day of blessing and holiness.

Discussion: The Rambam’s Nusach vs. Our Nusach with “Vayechulu”

Chavruta 1: And that’s why one says “vayechulu” here, right?

Chavruta 2: Yes, ah. But the Rambam’s is better, because it’s a proof on the “uverachto.”

Chavruta 1: On the other hand, ours is also a proof on “tachlit” — “vayechulu.”

Chavruta 2: But one can hear.

Discussion: Does One Need to Say Verses by Kiddush?

Chavruta 1: But actually if it says that this is the kiddush of prayer, does one need to say the entire nusach of kiddush?

Chavruta 2: One doesn’t need to say. One only says when one says it by kiddush over wine.

Chavruta 1: But even by kiddush over wine I think that it’s not indispensable to say all the verses.

Chavruta 2: No, not indispensable. Someone who says the verses, it’s a nice thing, but the main kiddush is apparently the blessing.

Chavruta 1: It’s the blessing, birkat hakiddush, true.

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“Retzei Na Bimenucha­teinu” — The Continuation of the Middle Blessing

Chavruta 2: And here one goes to a prayer, a piece of prayer on Shabbat:

“Elokeinu vElokei avoteinu, retzei na bimenuchateinu.”

Discussion: What Does “Retzei” Mean?

Chavruta 1: “Retzei na” is interesting. Also by the blessing of the restoration of the service one begins again “retzei.” It should be favorable.

How does it become favorable? It’s an interesting thing. If there is something that makes a prayer favorable, one needs to present it. It’s a bit… if the Almighty hasn’t listened to you until now, for what reason, what are you going to do now by saying “please Creator, listen”? You’re holding yourself deep in the middle of davening.

Chavruta 2: It should be favorable. One needs to think what one is doing.

Chavruta 1: One says rest, and one asks that the rest should be favorable:

“Vekadesheinu bemitzvotecha…”

“Vekadsheinu Bemitzvotecha” — The Requests in the Blessing

“Vekadsheinu bemitzvotecha, vesameach chelkeinu beToratecha, sabe’einu mituvecha, vesamach nafsheinu bishu’atecha”.

“Vesabe’einu mituvecha” apparently means simply physical things — one should be satisfied from all the good from the Almighty, one should have everything.

“Vetaher libeinu le’ovdecha be’emet” — one can say that “vesabe’einu mituvecha” is that one should have everything, one should be satisfied, so that one can further focus on spirituality, on “vetaher libeinu le’ovdecha be’emet”.

“Vehanchileinu” — The Language of Inheritance

“Vehanchileinu Hashem Elokeinu” — this is a language of inheritance — “be’ahavah uveratzon Shabbat kodshecha”. That Your holy Shabbatot, one should live long and have enough and more of Your holy Shabbatot. I think that the Shabbatot the Almighty has already given.

“Veyanuchu vo kol Yisrael mekadshei shemecha” — all Jews who are sanctifiers of Your name should be able to rest on Your holy Shabbatot.

“Baruch atah Hashem mekadesh haShabbat”.

The Shabbat Prayer as Including All Requests

Yes, I think, one needs to understand a bit all these prayers. That is, the end is the same — all the conclusions even of Shabbat and Yom Tov are very similar. I look at it as like a prayer that the Shabbat should succeed. Not only that the Shabbat should succeed, the entire week should succeed.

Really, what kind of rest does one have on Shabbat in Auschwitz? That is to say, it’s a rule, such a general prayer of piyutim, as Shabbat is brought out — this truly includes all the requests in the world.

We spoke about why one doesn’t say requests on Shabbat? People ask a question, there is even a request. It’s not forbidden to ask the Almighty for things on Shabbat. One of the ways how people connect to the Almighty is that they ask Him for things. The prohibition is to get involved in healing and livelihood, and it makes many people not feel good, it makes a heartache like that.

So on Shabbat one asks very beautifully, it should succeed the mitzvot. What does “so that we merit” mean? The mitzvah of Shabbat perhaps has all mitzvot, but that it should succeed. The shiurim should succeed on Shabbat, the prayers should succeed, the peace should succeed, one should be able to experience a Shabbat, “bring upon all Israel”. I look at it as more or less a blessing that Shabbat should succeed, but a successful Shabbat includes everything — rest in physical and spiritual matters, yes.

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The Middle Blessing of Shabbat Morning

“Yismach Moshe” — The Piyut About Moshe Rabbeinu

Further, what happens with the blessing of the mitzvot of Shabbat morning? One says like this, interesting — here one begins with Moshe Rabbeinu: “Yismach Moshe bematnat chelko”.

An interesting piyut — one doesn’t begin with a request or even not a praise that is direct to the Almighty, but such a small introduction to mention the verse of “veshamru”.

Translation

The paytan says this: “Yismach Moshe b’matnat chelko ki eved ne’eman karata lo”. Moshe Rabbeinu rejoices, or rejoiced, but it’s in future tense — he rejoices with matnat chelko, meaning with the Torah that he received or with the Tablets that he received.

“Ki eved ne’eman karata lo” — there’s a question how this fits in, it doesn’t match the grammar, “chelko… karata lo”. But the joy is through the Tablets, not “ki eved ne’eman karata lo”. Ne’eman — the Almighty trusted him with the Tablets, He gave him the Tablets.

“Klil Tiferet b’rosho” — Keren Or Panav

“Klil tiferet b’rosho natata lo” — Moshe Rabbeinu, meaning Moshe Rabbeinu had the keren or panav, it was like a crown on his head, he had a crown, or I don’t know, some kind of keter he had.

“B’omdo lefanecha al Har Sinai, shnei luchot avanim horid b’yado v’chatuv bahem shemirat Shabbat” — Moshe Rabbeinu, whom we’re speaking about here, brought down shnei luchot avanim, at Har Sinai, and in the shnei luchot avanim was written shemirat Shabbat.

Discussion: “V’shamru” Doesn’t Appear on the Tablets

What is the language that appears in the shnei luchot avanim? “Mechalkel chaim b’chesed” says “zachor”. That’s what it says in the Torah. It doesn’t say it on the Tablets, by the way.

The interesting thing is — we don’t bring “zachor” and “shamor”, rather we bring “shamru”, and we move away from the shnei luchot avanim to “mechalkel chaim b’chesed”, which is more blessings in the Torah in Parshat Vayakhel, yes? Ki Tisa.

Where does “shamru” appear? It appears, if I remember, Shemot 31. It appears right before the Tablets were brought down. “Shamru” appears in Shemot 31, yes. That’s the last thing about melekhet hamishkan. The next verse is “vayiten el Moshe k’chaloto”.

Chavruta: Ah, after maamad Har Sinai, before Moshe Rabbeinu comes down with the Tablets. After the whole parsha of melekhet hamishkan, Rebbi. Right before the incident of the calf this comes.

It could be that this is the connection with the Tablets, because it’s one verse before Moshe comes down with the Tablets. He’s already standing with his klil tiferet and he’s speaking about Shabbat. It’s an idea perhaps.

Chavruta: He says it here? I don’t know. He says it here? He says it after coming down with the Tablets, before he brings down the second Tablets? Then he says it.

The first Tablets — in Parshat Mishpatim Moshe Rabbeinu went up on the mountain, end of Mishpatim. After that it says in the Torah Terumah, Tetzaveh, Ki Tisa, the beginning of Ki Tisa. That’s the last thing that it says, and after that it says that Moshe comes down, and comes the whole incident of the breaking of the Tablets, the calf, the continuation. So that’s the last thing.

“Shamru” doesn’t appear on the Tablets. It’s a wonder, because we go from the Tablets and we go to “mechalkel chaim b’chesed”, which is very interesting.

Right. But I thought that one could answer that it’s perhaps like the thing that Moshe said. I don’t know when he said this. One must ask the commentators on the plain meaning, where it’s hinted. Whether Moshe already said it then, or this is what Moshe learned in general in heaven, and then he comes down and he teaches it to the Jews. The Ramban has, I think I saw, he has an explanation about this.

Why “V’shamru” and Not “Zachor”?

But the simple thing could be that on the Tablets it says Shabbat, but here it says more the “ot hi l’olam”, beini u’vein bnei Yisrael ot hi l’olam — it says here that it’s a language of love, to write for Jews something that’s fitting for davening.

So he says that the things that appear in the Ten Commandments are primary in importance, yes, although there’s the Mishnah that the entire Torah is equally important, but different in importance. So we bring out that Moshe Rabbeinu brought the Tablets on stone tablets, and there it says shemirat Shabbat, uvo chakuk. But you choose another beautiful verse, because uvo chakuk — just as it says bahem shemirat Shabbat on the Tablets, it also says in other places in the Torah, and then comes the beautiful language that I want to bring now, because it’s a beautiful language that speaks more at length, or that speaks about beini u’vein bnei Yisrael ot hi.

Uvo chakuk — the verse “V’shamru bnei Yisrael et haShabbat la’asot et haShabbat l’dorotam brit olam, beini u’vein bnei Yisrael ot hi l’olam” — Shabbat is an ot beini u’vein bnei Yisrael, between the Almighty and the Jews — “Ki sheshet yamim asa Hashem et hashamayim v’et ha’aretz u’vayom hashvi’i shavat vayinafash”.

Rashi HaKadosh Changed the Text

Yes, so I’ll tell you two points about this piece.

First of all, no one really knows what this comes in for. Our holy Rebbi Rashi HaKadosh said that he doesn’t understand what he’s starting to talk about Moshe Rabbeinu here on Shabbat morning. So he changed the text — he wasn’t afraid of the siddur — he inserted, he said “Atah bechartanu” on Shabbat morning, he didn’t say “Yismach Moshe”. He says he doesn’t know what this comes in for. That’s what they bring, yes, in Siddur Rashi, or what students of Rashi write afterwards.

“Yismach Moshe” Is a Piece of an Old Piyut

Afterwards, I saw an explanation that they claim that this is apparently a little piece that remained from some old piyut, and piyut goes according to alef-bet. So here you see that it’s yud and kaf — yes, “Yismach Moshe”, “Klil tiferet” — and with this it answers why it says yud, what does this come in for. You see clearly that this is a piyut, it looks like it’s two little pieces from a piyut, and we’re missing the beginning and the end. Maybe one can add a lamed somewhere, so it should be yud, kaf, lamed. Anyway, that’s the explanation.

The Order of Shabbat Prayers Reflects the History of Shabbat

It seemed to me a bit, I once had a thought while davening, that “Atah kidashta et yom hashvi’i lishemcha” we speak of the Shabbat that Avraham Avinu kept, according to Chazal, because “tachlit ma’aseh shamayim va’aretz” — that this comes already from the creation of the world.

But here we want to remind, just as the Mishnah says there in Chullin, that everything is held through Moshe Rabbeinu — we don’t keep Shabbat because of Avraham Avinu or because the world needs to have Shabbat. We keep it because it’s a part of the Torah. What’s special is everything here — just as Chazal would say that gid hanasheh is forbidden because Moshe commanded it in the Torah, although it already appears by Yaakov. So too, “yom hashvi’i l’simcha” is already like after the beginning of creation, and here “Yismach Moshe”.

Afterwards, at Musaf we already speak of Shabbat being a special service in the Beit HaMikdash, it’s already like a later level. But at Musaf we already speak of the sacrifices of Shabbat.

Yes, the Torah says something like this, that there’s a Shabbat of ma’aseh bereishit, Shabbat of matan Torah, and I think it speaks at Mincha, da’at d’liba, something like that, yes.

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“Yismechu b’Malchutecha” — Similar to the Closing of the Blessing

Okay, further. “Yismechu b’malchutecha shomrei Shabbat v’korei oneg, am mekadshei shvi’i”. Stop.

Yes, we also say here, we have here, we also say “yismechu” at night.

“V’lo Netato” — The Rambam Leaves It Out

And Shabbat many Jews had something, like America will say we should make Shabbat, or Trump will say we should make Shabbat. Here we say this piece, so in our text, “v’lo netato Malkeinu” — we completely separate ourselves from the nations, my Shabbat has nothing to do with the nations. This was made for Jews who get too excited about a Shabbat 2050.

But in any case, but the Rambam doesn’t say it — he only says the positive: “Yismechu… shomrei Shabbat v’korei oneg, am mekadshei shvi’i”.

The “v’lo netato” is — I read that “shomrei Shabbat” would mean, excuse me. I read that the “v’lo netato” Jews actually added in Ashkenaz, it was all the Christians who say they make their Shabbat, “lachem”, not for you is Shabbat.

Translation of “Shomrei Shabbat v’Korei Oneg”

I think “shomrei Shabbat, korei oneg” — remember that like “shomrei Shabbat” means the labors of Shabbat, “korei oneg” means the meals, and “am mekadshei shvi’i” is perhaps the mitzvah of kiddush, kiddush and havdalah.

The Similar Closing

Afterwards we go back to the prayer that we said earlier, the similar closing of the blessing, which ends with “Baruch Atah Hashem mekadesh haShabbat”.

The Rambam in Hilchot Nesakim also begins with Moshe, not like I said that we go entirely to the Beit HaMikdash — we also begin with Moshe. We begin “takanata Shabbat retzuya sigvonoteha”, but he says who instituted it? “Takanata Shabbat retzuya sigvonoteha” — he means the Almighty through Moshe Rabbeinu. But here it says it.

The Middle Blessing of Musaf on Shabbat

Now, what is the middle blessing of Musaf? We begin, interestingly, the Rambam’s text also begins with Moshe, not like I said that we go entirely to the Beit HaMikdash. We also begin with Moshe. In their text it says “takanat Shabbat ratzita korbanoteha”, but he says who instituted it? “Takanat Shabbat ratzita korbanoteha” means the Almighty through Moshe Rabbeinu. But here it says, “L’Moshe tzivita al Har Sinai mitzvot Shabbat zachor v’shamor”. Interesting, again Har Sinai, and here we already say the text from Har Sinai, “zachor v’shamor”. “U’vo bayom tzivitanu Hashem Elokeinu l’hakriv lecha korban musaf k’ra’ui”.

Basically, our text simply has a whole piyut before this, the alef-bet, “takanat Shabbat”. We also arrive here at “tzivitanu l’hakriv lecha”. The Rambam simply didn’t have the piyut before this. It’s a bit different, yes. But actually, we have the piyut, so it’s arranged according to the alef-bet order. The Rambam didn’t have those pieces.

Request for Redemption and Sacrifices

We go further, “Vihi ratzon milfanecha Hashem Elokeinu sheta’aleinu l’artzeinu”. It’s a touch, until now we haven’t yet spoken about redemption, but here we already speak about sacrifices, it fits very well to speak about redemption. “Sheta’aleinu l’artzeinu”, the Almighty should bring us up to Eretz Yisrael, “v’tita’einu bigevuleinu”, plant us in our borders, “v’sham na’aseh lefanecha et korbanot chovoteinu”, the sacrifices are an obligation. What are they? The communal sacrifices, “temidim k’sidram u’musafim k’hilchatam, v’et musaf yom hamenuchah hazeh”, the day that lies before us.

“Na’aseh lefanecha”, yes, it’s an interesting language that they say “yom hamenuchah”. “Yom hamenuchah”? No, “yom hamenuchah” means a day of rest, or “yom hamenuchah” means the day? No, not a piece the day that is free from us having lifted beginning. No, no, we end again with the matter that the korban musaf is something that comes from Moshe Rabbeinu.

“Lo Netato l’Goyei Ha’aratzot”

Further… “Lo netato Malkeinu”, here is the first time that we’re reminded that it wasn’t given to the nations, but here do you see apparently about the Musaf or perhaps about Shabbat?

The Rambam doesn’t say the verse. Where we say the verse of Musaf, like Moshe said, doesn’t have any like Moshe said about the mitzvah of Musaf. The “lo netato”, we say at Shacharit. I see how the Rambam says about Musaf, actually about Musaf. I heard, after the al hamisheh bidcha kesef v’torat decha, we say the Musaf, bayom haShabbat al shnei kevasim. But Rambam doesn’t bring the language of the sacrifices.

It’s very interesting, we are… in halacha, it says that one doesn’t need to say, it’s not me’akev from memory. It’s not learned shalom parim sefsinu that one should specifically say it. No, we mention it, yes it’s said. We spoke about it. U’shalom parim, we don’t mean one must say the piece of Torah and further. We don’t have a requirement that Jews have the gifts on Shabbat.

“Lo netato Malkeinu l’goyei ha’aratzot”, it’s not a gift for the nations. “V’lo hinchalta… l’ovdei fsilim”. “Gam bimnuchato lo yishkenu arelim”. Arelim have no connection, they don’t rest in this Shabbat. Rather “l’veit Yisrael netato” in seto. See it’s Shiron, the children of… Yaakov. “Zera Yeshurun” will benefit from Yeshurun. Yes. A nickname for Jews. Yeshurun is a nickname for Jews. Yeshurun is a nickname for Jews.

“Chemdat HaYamim Oto Karata”

Yes here when we say at the beginning of davening, we say another such language, I when we already the rabbis have kadeh. “Chemdat hayamim oto karata”! The day of Shabbat is called the best of days, an extraordinary day.

The language, “chemdat hayamim” appears in the Torah, or… no. Means everything. That’s a basis of the question here. “V’karatem et hayom hazeh mikra kodesh” means in my opinion that it’s called so, “v’yikre’u lo l’Shabbat oneg”, not that we call the name, because it doesn’t say in the Torah the words “karatem et hayom hazeh” about Shabbat.

Yes. It says “vayevarech vayekadesh oto”, that means that, but not the language.

Closing of the Blessing

And here we go back to the same middle blessing ending of “Elokeinu v’Elokei avoteinu retzeh na bimnuchateinu”, and we end “Baruch Atah Hashem mekadesh haShabbat”.

Yes.

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The Middle Blessing of Mincha on Shabbat — “Atah Echad”

And afterwards, this is Shacharit and Musaf. This is Mincha.

Remark About the Rambam’s Seder HaTefillah

And now, actually the Rambam doesn’t worry now to say when we say, whether we say on Shabbat the… he mentions the order of the day at the end of davening, or the day, or all these things. The Rambam doesn’t have it. I mean, we don’t have such things. I mean that he told us the order of prayer more or less, and… there isn’t a whole chapter of laws of Torah reading, from laws of prayer. Can one… the Rambam didn’t remember a whole siddur.

What it says here is only the text of blessings that he hasn’t said before. How one does this, how goes the whole Orach Chaim, it says explicitly almost everything in laws of Torah reading, and also in laws of prayer there’s an order of communal prayer, and there it also says this with Shabbat, there it also says that there’s Musaf, these are all things we’ve already learned.

In the order of prayer the Rambam didn’t say very clearly, for example, by kedushah and tachanun, that all these things are specifically on weekdays. We know so, but it’s not stated explicitly. He says a rule, “the prayer leader always says before every prayer and after every prayer”.

No, he says “and after when Israel prays”, he doesn’t say the order of the day. But in laws of prayer he explains. Here, this chapter isn’t an order of prayer. There’s a whole chapter of order of prayer in laws of prayer, chapters 8 and 9, where the order of things is stated, and afterwards in laws of Torah reading it says how one does the haftarah, the text of the Torah, etc. It’s not a thing that he writes here. He only writes here the texts.

Ah, great. In chapter 9 halacha 13 he says exactly after Shabbat and Yom Tov, after Shacharit we say Tehillah l’David, and after Musaf we say Kaddish and they answer Amen, and after at Mincha we say the Tehillah l’David, instead of saying in the morning after the morning prayer, we say it before Mincha. He said this after the year 550 the order, and here he only says the text, the text itself.

Further, very good.

Text of the Blessing — “Atah Echad v’Shimcha Echad”

And we’re now going to say the middle blessing, the blessing of Mincha, the middle blessing of Mincha is “Atah echad v’shimcha echad”. Yes. The Almighty is echad, and His name is echad, and also the Jews are “goy echad ba’aretz”.

What does “goy echad ba’aretz” mean? Unique. A unique nation. It’s a verse, no? “Mi k’amcha Yisrael goy echad ba’aretz asher halach Elokim lifdot lo l’am”. Something is a verse. Aha. “Goy echad” — what does he have in doubt? “Goy echad” to Hashem or what? “Goy echad” apparently means regarding Jews unique, a special, the best, not the only nation, but which. He means to say a unique nation, yes.

“Ateret Tehillah u’Tiferet Yeshuah”

“Ateret tehillah u’tiferet yeshuah l’amcha natata”. The Almighty gave to Jews “ateret tehillah u’tiferet yeshuah”. What through giving the Torah? Or Shabbat? Good things. Perhaps Shabbat is an “ateret tehillah u’tiferet yeshuah”? Or the Torah? One of the two.

“Avraham Yagil, Yitzchak Yeranein”

“Avraham yagil”. Yes. And on this day of Shabbat “Avraham yagil, Yitzchak yeranein, Yaakov u’vanav yanuchu vo”.

What’s interesting is that everything is in future tense? It already says that the forefathers already kept the Torah. This goes something like the discussion with the language that the forefathers already kept Shabbat. Yes?

I don’t know. I never understand what he translates. Perhaps it means it’s bnei Avraham, because he leads out “Yaakov u’vanav”. “Yaakov u’vanav”. Perhaps this is a poetic language meaning to say, Avraham’s people, Yitzchak’s people, Yaakov’s people. The nation of Avraham.

Okay, could be. No, the future tense says so, but it could be that on this day is the day that all these things happened. Avraham rejoices, and all Jews rejoice. But he means to say that at the time of the event he rejoices. And now your children rejoice.

The language is “v’yismechu vecha Yisrael”. But they rejoice in Gan Eden Avraham yagil, Yitzchak yeranein, Yaakov u’vanav yanuchu vo.

“Menuchah Sheleimah She’atah Rotzeh Bah”

“Menuchah sheleimah she’atah rotzeh bah”. Yaakov and his sons rest the rest that the Almighty wants, that kind of rest. It’s an interesting thing, just as we don’t do the labors that the Almighty decreed, yes? Not just any rest.

Okay, maybe it can be like the tzaddikim with chassidim. What does “the rest that You desire” mean? It’s successful, there is fruit of desire, but it’s not rest. There is such a thing that Shabbos is successful, not like “your new moons and your appointed festivals My soul hates.” When He throws back the kiddush in the face, yes?

Yes, I don’t know. It could be that here the Zohar says that when Jews are b’simcha, the Avos are also b’simcha, they’re called to the chuppah, to Shabbos. They can experience Shabbos where they are, there isn’t a specific place like a chasan kallah, yes?

“Yachiru vanecha v’yeid’u”

Okay. “Yachiru vanecha v’yeid’u” — is this a request or also part of the thanksgiving? “Yachiru vanecha v’yeid’u ki mei’itcha hi menuchasam”.

Or perhaps, perhaps this is the rest that You desire, that they should have a kind of rest which is a rest where one knows that it’s the Creator’s rest, yes? A rest that comes with yedias Hashem, yes? “Yachiru vanecha v’yeid’u ki mei’itcha hi menuchasam”.

“Hanach lanu Avinu”

And further a request, “Hanach lanu Avinu”, give us rest, “al tetzorer v’yagon b’yom menuchaseinu”, there should not be any trouble, that the rest should be complete.

And here one returns to the conclusion of the prayer of all brachos emeitza’os, “Retzei Hashem Elokeinu b’amcha Yisrael u’visfilasam”, “v’al menuchasam takdesh es shimecha”.

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Discussion: Why does Shabbos have different middle brachos?

Yes, it’s a tefilas Shabbos. It’s very interesting, there isn’t any other yom tov in the world, perhaps precisely because there are so many Shabbosos, that has a special prayer for shacharis, for maariv, for mincha. A regular yom tov is the same for all three.

Perhaps simply because Shabbos is every week, it would become very boring. A whole week one can say the same prayer shacharis mincha maariv. It’s also much more poetic than the others, there are more piyutim.

Ah, so you’re saying that it could be that once upon a time they made a piyut for each thing, and for some reason for Shabbos the piyutim that existed remained.

Yes. Because yamim tovim have completely different piyutim, and Shabbos has fewer piyutim, and they became the main nusach hatefilah. Perhaps that’s what you want to say.

Ah, maybe. Yes.

Discussion about “Yismach Moshe” — Shabbos Shacharis (continued)

Speaker 1: But one must understand, one is about Moshe, one is about korbanos, and one is about the Avos. And at night is something completely different, we don’t mention any people, we only mention “Atah kidashta es yom hashvi’i lishemecha”. It’s interesting what the matter is. As if the first night we speak of the Ribono Shel Olam’s Shabbos, and we mention, we speak about what the Ribono Shel Olam does, we don’t mention Adam Harishon, no one. And here we mention “Yismach Moshe”.

And interestingly, “Yismach Moshe” is the same thing as “Yagel Yaakov v’yismach Yisrael”, everyone rejoices, yes? A day of simcha. It’s like “Avraham samach b’simchas haTorah”, like we say by “Esisi v’esmecha”. Here, who rejoices with the Jews?

It says that Moshe Rabbeinu is also in future tense, “Yismach Moshe”. It says that Moshe Rabbeinu rejoices every Shabbos when Moshe Rabbeinu sees that Jews still keep the Torah, he rejoices, “Wow, it was a good successful thing, the luchos”. It works, baruch Hashem, many years.

Speaker 2: And that’s what we say about the Avos, no? I hear. It could also be that it’s not clear in the letters, because in piyutim, like Rashi says “az yashir”, “yashir” can be like a davar tamidi, he rejoices. It doesn’t mean he will rejoice.

Speaker 1: Yes, and also one can’t say it that way from the perspective of the day, let’s say the Ribono Shel Olam creates Shabbos, and this is the day that Avraham will rejoice. There isn’t, we’re not telling a story clearly here. It says, it’s a piyut that begins somehow in the middle.

Speaker 2: Yes, it’s a delicate piyut, yes. Perhaps it could be that we lack understanding in the matter of all these piyutim, and it’s simply a thing that you know, a tune goes. They found the good pieces, and yes, that’s what we say. All the…

Speaker 1: Ah, ah, nice. It remained somewhere in a genizah.

Speaker 2: You mean the Rambam himself also only brings the…

Speaker 1: No, I mean the Rambam says that this is a prayer, this is a package, nice.

Speaker 2: Yes, but… like the Rambam’s words themselves, you have enough. But if you’re speaking historically… the nuschaos of the Rambam can already be a thousand years old, since then various tikkunim have arisen, and they… I haven’t checked if the Rambam made all these prayers, much older than the Rambam.

Speaker 1: Okay, now we can learn further, let’s go further, yes?

Speaker 2: Yes.

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Middle Bracha of Mussaf Rosh Chodesh

Speaker 1: Rosh Chodesh… also Rosh Chodesh you discussed, the regular Shemoneh Esrei is the regular Shemoneh Esrei with Ya’aleh V’yavo, but the mussaf received a new middle bracha, so the Rambam just explained to us the order.

The Rambam says thus: “Roshei chadashim l’amcha nasata, zman kaparah l’chol toladosam” — the Ribono Shel Olam gave Roshei Chadashim to Your people, to the Jews, zman kaparah l’chol toladosam, it’s a time of atonement, see, yes? Liheyos makrivin lefanecha zivchei ratzon, that it’s a time when one brings more korbanos, u’se’irei chatas l’chaper ba’adam — the se’ir of Rosh Chodesh which is for atonement, it’s a zman kaparah l’chol toladosam, zicharon l’chulam — it’s a day when all Jews are remembered, but it says that on Rosh Chodesh one brings up the remembrance of Jews, teshuas nafsham miyad sonei, something there is a saying of Chazal that I don’t know.

Speaker 2: Like truly they are cut down and destroyed and your enemies are crushed, like nish…

Speaker 1: Yes, nish… yes, nishta and destroyed.

But the zman kaparah has something to do with the thing of se’ir l’chaparah, something a matter that Rosh Chodesh is somehow a day of kaparah.

Speaker 2: Every yom tov truly, but Rosh Chodesh we ask through the se’ir, se’ir l’chaper… so how does the yom tov get a se’ir here? Why precisely here did they grab? Perhaps Rosh Chodesh here fits differently… first we celebrate yetzias Mitzrayim, which one can say by yom tov. What is it in the proposal that we make another korban mussaf that comes with a se’ir?

Speaker 1: You remind… because we are in exile until when we were seen a minute. We lack atonement with salvation from my enemy.

Request for a New Altar and Redemption

Speaker 1: We now ask that the mussaf that the korbanos brought atonement and remembrance and salvation, we ask “Mizbe’ach chadash b’Tzion tachin” — we should prepare a new altar, “v’olas Rosh Chodesh na’aleh alav” — we should be able to bring back the olas Rosh Chodesh, “shirei David nishma b’irecha” — we should begin the song of David, “ha’amurim lifnei mizbachecha l’ratzon”.

It means, they sang the fifteen Shir HaMa’alos on the steps of the ezrah, they sang the song of David, the Levi’im sang the song of David.

“Ahavas olam tavi lahem” — to whom? To the Jews, “u’vris avos labanim tizkor”.

“Ahavas olam tavi lahem” is another… It means, the new altar You should… when the Ribono Shel Olam will build the new altar, You should bring with it ahavas olam, a new Beis HaMikdash, a new “bris avos labanim tizkor”.

Speaker 2: Yes, that’s like “v’zocher chasdei avos u’meivi go’el livnei veneihem l’ma’an shemo b’ahavah”. It’s connected with that.

“Galinu mei’artzeinu” — Request for Korbanos

Speaker 1: Further the prayer is thus: “Elokeinu vEilokei avoseinu, mipnei chata’einu galinu mei’artzeinu v’nisrachaknu mei’al admaseinu”.

What is this “v’nisrachaknu”? I don’t know, the Rambam says “v’nisrachaknu”. I don’t know. “Mei’al admaseinu” — we became distant from the land of Eretz Yisrael.

We ask “Yehi ratzon milfanecha Hashem Elokeinu” — it’s literally a continuation of what we just said now, it’s not even a new prayer — “sheta’aleinu l’simcha l’artzeinu v’sita’einu bigevuleinu, v’sham na’aseh lefanecha es korbenos chovoseinu” — we should again return and again do the obligatory korbanos, communal korbanos, “temidim k’sidram u’musafim k’hilchasam, v’es musfei yom Rosh HaChodesh hazeh na’aseh v’nakriv lefanecha b’ahavah k’mitzvas retzonecha, k’mo shekasvta aleinu baTorah al yedei Moshe avdecha”.

And here we say actually, as we said earlier, by mussaf Shabbos we say the text of the pesukim, but in the Rambam he doesn’t bring it, how it says in the Torah that the mussaf Rosh Chodesh.

Conclusion of the Bracha — “Chadesh aleinu”

Speaker 1: And here it goes with a prayer. Yes, I think, it could be, you said that it’s asked that we repeat. It could be that the piece “Roshei chadashim”, “Mizbe’ach chadash”, is more a piece of piyut in honor of Rosh Chodesh. The part of “mipnei chata’einu” is very similar to what we say every yom tov. It could be that it’s simply another nusach, it’s the normal nusach like every yom tov we say “v’es korban mussaf”. It’s hard to see the Rambam bring other mussafim yom tov.

And further one ends with the conclusion similar to the eternal conclusion, one begins with “Baruch Atah Hashem Elokeinu vEilokei avoseinu”, and one ends with “mekadesh HaShabbos”, and in between is this bracha.

“Yehi ratzon milfanecha Hashem Elokeinu vEilokei avoseinu shetechadesh aleinu es Rosh HaChodesh hazeh” — we say “es hachodesh hazeh”, “es Rosh HaChodesh hazeh l’tovah” — it’s similar to the bracha of Ya’aleh V’yavo — “l’tovah v’livracha l’chein u’l’chesed u’l’rachamim l’chayim u’l’shalom”.

“Vihi Rosh HaChodesh hazeh” — the beginning of Rosh Chodesh should be the end of “sof v’keitz l’chol chata’einu v’tzaroseinu”, and it should be “techilah v’rosh lifdyon nafsheinu”.

We asked several times for the redemption, it should again be the Beis HaMikdash.

“Ki b’amcha Yisrael mikol ha’umos bacharta” — it’s a remembrance of yetzias Mitzrayim, from all nations — “v’Roshei Chadashim lahem nasata”. Automatically, when there will be the Beis HaMikdash, we’ll be able to actually do our service with the will of Hashem, “mekadesh Yisrael v’Roshei Chadashim”.

Discussion: “Mekadesh Yisrael v’Roshei Chadashim”

Speaker 1: Always when it has to do with the calendar, one begins “mekadesh Yisrael”, not like “mekadesh HaShabbos” which has to do with the days of the week. Because the months are through the Jews. The Gemara says “mekadesh Yisrael” — He sanctifies the Jews, He gives them a Beis Din, and the Jews are afterwards mekadesh the Roshei Chadashim.

Speaker 2: Does the Rambam say it that way somewhere?

Speaker 1: No, but it’s a Gemara. Yes, the Rambam brought the halacha earlier somewhere, how the order that one says.

Literary Device — “Rosh” and “Sof”

Speaker 1: It also appears that it’s a very interesting language such a piyut, “Rosh HaChodesh”, it has to do, one plays on the point of Rosh Chodesh, that the rosh should be the sof. That is, a sof should be for troubles, and a rosh for good things. It’s a beautiful literary device.

The conclusion is simply an introduction for “mekadesh Yisrael”. “Mekadesh Yisrael” is the same thing as “b’amcha mikol ha’umos bacharta” and so forth.

Speaker 2: It could be that the “sof v’keitz” and “techilah v’rosh” has to do with what we said earlier that it’s a day of kaparah. The Ribono Shel Olam forgives us. Automatically, can’t we already stop with the “chata’einu v’tzaroseinu”? But we say even “chata’einu v’tzaroseinu”, it should be a “sof v’keitz” because it’s a yom kaparah. Automatically, it should be “techilah v’rosh lifdyon nafsheinu”.

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Middle Bracha of Mussaf Shabbos Rosh Chodesh

Speaker 1: Rosh Chodesh that falls on Shabbos, interesting. And here there is a special nusach that combines the two things, Shabbos and Rosh Chodesh. And it goes thus.

Interesting that they made a new one. Even Shabbos that is yom tov they didn’t make any new combination, they only added “mekadesh HaShabbos v’Yisrael” and whatever.

Speaker 2: I mean that there’s a huge halachic reason for this, we learned in hilchos tefilah that it’s a bit different. Shabbos that falls on yom tov, one says the bracha simply of Shabbos next to yom tov. But there’s a special halacha here, that we learned that one must begin from Shabbos and end with Shabbos and Rosh Chodesh together. So the beginning of Shabbos we don’t do by yom tov, we only say “vatiten lanu etc. Shabbos”. Here one begins specially with Shabbos, and afterwards one goes to Rosh Chodesh and one goes back.

So you see the simple reason that Rosh Chodesh isn’t enough of a yom tov that it should take away the attention from Shabbos entirely, so one can only do it with a combination. Unlike yom tov, the nusach one gives away for Shabbos, and one only mentions Shabbos.

Text of the Bracha

Speaker 1: Okay, it goes thus: “Atah yatzarta olamcha mikedem” — the Ribono Shel Olam created the world mikedem, a long time ago.

Speaker 2: Yes, mikedem, or from the eastern side. It has to do with how one translates by sheva brachos, there’s the Torah on mikedem.

Speaker 1: But mikedem here certainly means from before, the beginning of creation of the world, yes.

“Kilisa melachtecha bayom hashvi’i” — the seventh day was already finished.

“U’vacharta banu mikol ha’amim, v’ratzisa banu mikol haleshonos” — it’s true that the “u’vacharta banu” happened a nice few years later, when Avraham Avinu or when Moshe Rabbeinu blessed the Jews. But “u’vacharta banu mikol ha’amim, v’ratzisa banu mikol haleshonos”, from all other speakers of evil, other languages.

“V’keiravtanu l’malchusecha, v’kidashta banu b’mitzvosecha” — You gave us the Torah and mitzvos and the service.

“V’shimcha hagadol v’hakadosh aleinu karata” — we bear the name of Your great and holy name.

“Vatiten lanu Hashem Elokeinu Shabbosos limnucha” — the Ribono Shel Olam gave us Shabbosos for rest, “v’yom Rosh HaChodesh hazeh l’chaper ba’adeinu”.

And here one says the bracha that was mentioned earlier, after the “galinu”.

Speaker 2: And the chacham says “I am comforted who dreams to do weekday korbanos”. Someone said, one can’t understand. Perhaps simply abbreviated.

Speaker 1: Yes. But immediately afterwards it will say “the holy receives from the matter”, one begins here.

Mussaf Shabbos Rosh Chodesh — Continuation

And here one says the blessing of wine, which we mentioned earlier. The blessing of wine: Galinu mei’artzeinu v’nisrachaknu mei’al admaseinu v’ein anachnu yecholim la’asos chovoseinu b’veis bechirasecha. And one continues with the same matter, mainly asking again for the redemption: Yehi ratzon milfanecha Hashem Elokeinu vEilokei avoseinu — here it doesn’t say “u’l’kabel tziviseinu”. Interesting.

Study partner: Even here it doesn’t say. Perhaps it’s simply abbreviated.

Yes, but immediately afterwards it will say “u’l’kabel tziviseinu”. When one begins here, the next piece where it already says yes Ya’aleh V’yavo, it already says yes: U’l’kabel tziviseinu temidim k’sidram u’musafim k’hilchasam. V’es musfei yom hamnucha hazeh v’yom Rosh HaChodesh hazeh na’aseh v’nakriv lefanecha b’ahavah k’mitzvas retzonecha k’mo shekasvta aleinu baTorah.

Discussion: “Kasvta” — Kamatz Hei or Mapik Hei?

Study partner: “Kasvta” is with a hei at the end.

Yes, but it’s not with a mapik hei.

Study partner: It’s a mitzvah that was?

No, no, no. It doesn’t go up to the mussaf.

Study partner: No, I don’t mean that.

“Kasvta” isn’t a mapik hei, it’s a kamatz hei. The Rambam understands — there’s a precision. Rather a dwelling place of memory.

Conclusion of Mussaf Shabbos Rosh Chodesh

And one continues: Yehi ratzon milfanecha Hashem Elokeinu — one says the regular shetechadesh aleinu es hachodesh hazeh, which was already mentioned from mussaf Rosh Chodesh. And one continues: Retzei na bimnuchaseinu. And here one ends with the nusach of Shabbos: Retzei na bimnuchaseinu, kadshenu b’mitzvosecha — all these things — v’yanuchu vam. “Vam” means in the two days, in Shabbos and Rosh Chodesh. Kol Yisrael b’ahavah u’v’simcha — that’s actually exclusive for Shabbos. Baruch Atah Hashem mekadesh HaShabbos v’Yisrael v’Roshei Chadashim.

Comparison with Our Nusach

It’s a bit different from our nusach. We come back more — we have a bit different nusach here with “kayeim banu chukei retzonecha”. We say yes back the conclusion like Rosh Chodesh and Shabbos together. The Rambam weaves the conclusion of Rosh Chodesh and the conclusion of Shabbos, and one ends “mekadesh HaShabbos v’Yisrael v’Roshei Chadashim”. Very good.

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Middle Bracha of Yom Tov — Pesach (Maariv, Shacharis, Mincha)

And now the Rambam goes to enumerate the brachos of the yamim tovim. Very good.

The Rambam says: the middle bracha of yom tov of Pesach, in maariv shacharis and mincha is the same.

Study partner: Right.

Yes, I just want to say, here the Rambam — actually you’ll see — Pesach, Shavuos, Sukkos is the same, it’s only one letter. Because the Rambam does like our siddur and writes here “here one says es yom chag ha…”. To the Rambam, like we saw by Shemoneh Esrei regarding “mashiv haru’ach” — the same trick. First he says the nusach of Pesach, and afterwards he says the words how to switch by Sukkos and Shavuos.

“Atah bechartanu” — The Beginning of the Bracha

Okay, one begins: Atah bechartanu mikol ha’amim v’ratzisa banu mikol haleshonos.

It’s interesting, the same thing — yes, nations and languages. But it’s interesting, because “languages” isn’t exactly the same as “nations”. For example, there are many countries… all people who speak French are one language, but they’re spread across many countries. One must understand what “language” has to do here with the choosing of the nation of Israel.

Study partner: Okay, but simply it’s another way to say similar things. We also say, for example, “b’tzeis Yisrael miMitzrayim beis Yaakov mei’am lo’eiz”. Also good — Egypt, those who speak foreign language, Egyptian language.

But there it says in the midrashim that it’s connected with that the Ribono Shel Olam — that regarding guarding the language, yes, name, language, clothing — that helped the Jews’ choosing. Perhaps here too?

Study partner: Okay.

Yes, v’ratzisa banu mikol haleshonos.

“Bechira” and “Ratzon” — Synonyms

I say, “bechira” with “ratzon” — seemingly it means the same thing.

Study partner: It’s like a piyut, it’s not the same thing.

Yes, it’s not the same thing. We say “atah bechartanu mikol ha’amim, ahavta osanu v’ratzisa banu”, and afterwards “v’romamtanu mikol haleshonos”.

Study partner: Okay, the same thought.

Continuation of the Bracha

“And You desired us from all the tongues and sanctified us with Your commandments”

“And You desired us from all the tongues and sanctified us with Your commandments” — He gave us the Torah, with this He sanctified us with the mitzvos — “and You brought us close, our King, to Your service, and Your great and holy Name You called upon us.”

I understand the vav of the Rambam is also a bit… I would have said differently — “vekeiravtanu” doesn’t come with a vav, and “veshimcha” yes, because that is like the end.

“Festivals for joy, holidays and times for gladness”

Okay, “and You gave us, Hashem our God, festivals for joy, holidays and times for gladness” — the same thing, yes, it’s further synonyms — “this day of Yom Tov, a holy convocation.” A Yom Tov that the Torah calls a “mikra kodesh” — a time when we come together for holiness. “This day of the Festival of Matzos, the time of our freedom, with love” — “with love” goes back to “and You gave us,” yes? — “a remembrance of the Exodus from Egypt.” The Yamim Tovim are a remembrance of the Exodus from Egypt.

Ya’aleh Veyavo

And we go there to the text of Ya’aleh Veyavo, which is already learned here. And at least: “May there ascend and come and arrive and be seen and be accepted and be heard and be remembered and be recalled our remembrance and the remembrance of our forefathers” etc. etc. etc. “and the Festival of Matzos to have mercy on us and to save us.” We end with “our remembrance.”

“And save us on it from all trouble and sorrow” — Conclusion of Ya’aleh Veyavo of Yom Tov

And after that, the blessing of “our remembrance,” Merciful One, we say like this: “and save us on it from all trouble and sorrow.” This is the end of the Ya’aleh Veyavo of Yom Tov.

Chavrusa: Yes, that’s only here, right? Because as the Rambam previously laid out the Ya’aleh Veyavo, the end wasn’t written.

Yes, it was written? So this is always the end of Ya’aleh Veyavo?

Chavrusa: I think so.

Why does the Rambam write it twice at all is a question on him — he’s the one who’s so sparing with his ink.

Chavrusa: Yes, I remember so, he says the same thing.

No, because it’s relevant — we also say it during the weekdays, Chol HaMoed, Rosh Chodesh, in the appropriate Shemoneh Esrei.

Conclusion of the blessing

“And save us on it from all trouble and sorrow and gladden us on it with complete joy, for You are a merciful and gracious King. And grant us, Hashem our God, the blessing of Your festivals” — may He actually give us, from the language of “deliver,” may He as it were pack us in — “the blessing of Your festivals for life and for joy and for peace, as You desired and said to assure us.”

Discussion: What does “to assure us” mean?

What does “and so assure us forever” mean? It wasn’t “and You said to assure us” — is “the blessing of Your festivals” a language of the verse, “and grant us, Hashem our God, the blessing of Your festivals”?

Chavrusa: No, but the Almighty gave the Jews a Yom Tov, and the Yom Tov is a blessing and a promise. You said that it’s a blessing, “and so assure us forever” — You should actually, one should actually see the blessing.

That means “that neither sadness nor sorrow should come to us” — one should see that it actually worked, it actually succeeded.

“As You commanded us” — What do we say?

“As You commanded us” — and so forth the text of the conclusion, until “Blessed are You, Hashem, Who sanctifies Israel and the seasons.”

That is, what if we say “and rest on it”? Can’t be.

Chavrusa: What does he mean “as You commanded us” etc.?

“As You commanded us in Your Torah through Moshe Your servant saying” etc., no? “And You gave us, Hashem our God” and “and You caused us to inherit.”

Chavrusa: He doesn’t say what we say.

“And You caused us to inherit” — we say “with joy and gladness Your holy festivals and they inherited in You.”

Chavrusa: Ah, perhaps that’s what the Rambam means, but he doesn’t say it.

Yes. And didn’t we already have the text of Rosh Chodesh? Shabbos Rosh Chodesh?

Chavrusa: No, he didn’t.

Yes, I don’t know. Something is missing.

Chavrusa: “And they shall rest on them” was held for four days, and they themselves should figure it out, “desecrators by distinguishing Your holy Shabbos and they shall rest on them.” So he said by “Who has mercy on Israel” the first time when he said this, but one can say “and they shall rest” and “Shabbosos” on Yom Tov.

Right. So something is missing. Interesting.

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Musaf of Yom Tov — Pesach (as an example for the Three Festivals)

Okay. So, further.

Now he goes in to lay out for us the text of Musaf of the Three Festivals, but he brings the example of the Three Festivals — he brings Pesach.

Beginning — “You chose us”

We begin: “You chose us from all the nations” — which we already know from the previous Shemini Atzeres, yes — until we go until… umm… “a remembrance of the Exodus from Egypt.”

What is where? Here, yes. Until where does the “remembrance of the Exodus from Egypt” end? Until the “remembrance of the Exodus from Egypt.”

“And we are unable to ascend and appear” — The difference from Rosh Chodesh

And after that we say: “Our God and God of our forefathers, be pleased with our rest and remove from us trouble and sorrow.”

Because after that it’s similar to Rosh Chodesh, but here we go “and we are unable to ascend and appear.” Because on Rosh Chodesh Jews don’t need to go up — the Kohanim need to do it. Here is already a prayer where every Jew feels that something is missing from him, that he doesn’t have the mitzvah of chagigah, re’iyah, olas re’iyah laregel.

“And we are unable to ascend and appear and bow before You in Your chosen House, in the dwelling of glory” — “dwelling of glory,” the dwelling of the Almighty, of the Holy Shechinah, “dwelling of glory” — “in the great and holy House upon which Your Name is called, because of the hand that was sent against Your Sanctuary.”

Discussion: What does “the hand that was sent against Your Sanctuary” mean?

What is that? A hand was sent? What is this language? Does it say somewhere that the Almighty sent a hand? Was a hand sent? A hand was sent?

Chavrusa: I’m thinking about it.

Yes, yes, I understand — the nations destroyed it. But what is the “hand that was sent”? What is the metaphor? I don’t know.

Chavrusa: It says here like a verse, “the Sanctuary, Hashem, Your hands established” — You have the right hand that built it, and here is the wrong hand that broke it.

Is there such a language in a verse somewhere?

Chavrusa: “If he does not send his hand against his neighbor’s property” — I don’t know.

Right. “Sending of the hand” means like destroyed, the opposite of “do not send your hand against the lad” — destroyed. And may it be His will that the Beis HaMikdash be rebuilt.

Chavrusa: It doesn’t say, there’s no proper verse for it. “The strength of his hand so they won’t serve idols”?

Yes, the language — it makes sense, but I haven’t seen that he brings an actual verse.

It’s interesting, because I was thinking — we say “our eyes yearn to see,” which we say every day in “and we have no Kohen in the house of our lives.”

Chavrusa: No, “and may it be His will that the Beis HaMikdash be rebuilt” — it became impure, it was destroyed. It could be “and may it be His will that the Beis HaMikdash be rebuilt” means even before it was destroyed — first it became impure, yes? Like the Chashmonaim had a problem there, that the problem began right when they sent their hand.

Request for the building of the Beis HaMikdash

“May it be Your will, Hashem our God, that You return and have mercy on us and on Your Sanctuary and rebuild it speedily in our days and gather our dispersed from among the nations and our scattered ones gather from the ends of the earth and bring us to Zion Your city with song and to Your holy Temple with everlasting joy” — with an eternal joy, it should never be destroyed again after that. “And there we will serve You with reverence as in former years” — “as in former years” — “the daily offerings according to their order and the additional offerings according to their law. And the additional offering of this day of holy convocation, this day of the Festival of Matzos, we shall prepare and offer before You with love according to the commandment of Your will as You wrote upon us in Your Torah through Moshe Your servant.”

“Merciful King” — Special text of Musaf of Yom Tov

And here comes a new text of Yom Tov, it goes like this:

“Merciful King, have mercy on us, good and beneficent One, seek us out” — it already says “seek us out,” You should take an interest in us. The language “Zion has no one to seek her” — yes, there should be seeking for the Jews.

“Return to us with Your abundant mercy” — with Your great kindnesses, with Your many kindnesses — “in the merit of our forefathers who did Your will. Build Your House as at first” — rebuild the Beis HaMikdash — “and establish Your Sanctuary on its foundation” — the Beis HaMikdash should stand yes “a foundation for Your dwelling,” the proper place.

And we should also merit this, it already says “in our days”: “and show us its building” — show us the building — “and gladden us in its restoration” — and we should rejoice in the restoration of the Beis HaMikdash.

“And return Israel to their dwelling” — What does “dwelling” mean?

“And return Israel to their dwelling” — the Jews should return to the “dwelling,” to the Creator’s dwelling, like Jews go up to be oleh regel. Like it says “dwelling of glory.”

I once thought, how do we say it? “And return Israel and their dwelling with the nation.” I understood “and may there be a dwelling” — I think it means in Yiddish “dwelling place.” A Jew should dwell back in Eretz Yisrael, or we should be back at the Beis HaMikdash, at being oleh regel. There should be Kohanim and Levi’im and those who stand there.

It says in the Levush of the Rambam — “dwelling” means like returning, “dwelling of glory” at the Beis HaMikdash. Kohanim and Levi’im and those who stand.

Musaf of Yom Tov — Continuation: “Their dwelling,” Kohanim, Levi’im, Israel

Speaker 1: “Their dwelling” — like it says “Your glorious dwelling.”

Speaker 2: I wanted to interject. How should we say it? “And return Israel and their dwelling” — ah, it does say “and their dwelling.” I think it means in Yiddish “dwelling place.” That everyone should dwell back in Eretz Yisrael, or we should be back at the Beis HaMikdash at being oleh regel.

And there should be Kohanim in their service. It says in the Rambam “their dwelling” means like it says in the verse “Your glorious dwelling” — the Beis HaMikdash. “Kohanim in their service, Levi’im on their platform, and Israel in their station” — so should be the order: that the Kohanim do the service, the Levi’im stand on the platform, they sing at the special — yes, like it says in the highest prayer, that they have a place called the platform. And “Israel in their station” — there are the ma’amados, where the Jews stand there in place of their sacrifices and they participate.

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“And the palace shall sit according to its law” — What does “its law” mean?

Speaker 2: “And the palace shall sit according to its law” — wonderful. The palace. The palace should be built according to its law, in the proper place, according to the proper laws, according to the rules of the House — it should be as the Rambam says in the Laws of the Chosen House.

“There we shall ascend and appear before You on the three times of our festivals” — there we should go up. Not just like praying, and it should be a long prayer, but it’s still not the proper things. We should merit the building of the Beis HaMikdash, and then we should go up the three times — the three times of “our festivals,” the three times that we must go up with our feet.

It’s an interesting name given — it’s interesting that it became the name “Three Festivals,” three times that we must go up on foot.

“As it is written in Your Torah” — as it says in the Torah: “Three times a year shall all your males appear before Hashem your God in the place that He will choose, on the Festival of Matzos and on the Festival of Shavuos and on the Festival of Sukkos.” And then we should come with sacrifices — “and they shall not appear before Hashem empty-handed,” we shouldn’t come with empty hands. “And we give” — it says in the verse “each man according to the gift of his hand,” each one should bring up the sacrifices according to what he has, “according to the blessing of Hashem your God that He gave you,” according to the blessing of Hashem that he has.

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Discussion: What does “and we give” mean — olas re’iyah or vows and voluntary offerings?

Speaker 2: There’s a hint in the word “and we give” — we should bring not only the Musaf which is an obligation, each one should also bring all their vows and voluntary offerings.

Speaker 1: That means olas re’iyah usually, right? There’s an obligation? Didn’t they have “they shall not appear before Me empty-handed”? I think that’s the dispute.

Speaker 2: No. He already said — did they then bring all the vows and voluntary offerings from throughout the year. So it says in the verses “and your vows and your voluntary offerings.” It’s not a simple verse. And the “they shall not appear before Me empty-handed” is almost not relevant. The Ramban makes a distinction between them, but it’s one verse in between in Parshas Re’eh.

Speaker 1: Yes.

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Discussion: “Its law” — laws or ordinances?

Speaker 2: The verse “and the palace shall sit according to its law” is simply a verse in Yirmiyahu or somewhere. It’s not a verse, it’s not a metaphor.

Speaker 1: You’re one thousand percent right. I think “its law” doesn’t mean laws — like “the law of the kingdom,” like “called of Israel,” like it fits.

Speaker 2: Yes. Like we say — ordinances.

Speaker 1: Yes. It’s a proper — I don’t want to say something broken, something like the… not like the people who wanted to make the gate of bread. We say it anyway.

Speaker 2: Ah, ordinances. Yes. That’s all to exclude those sages who made the gate of bread. But that’s very nice, because it’s a metaphor where everything will fit one into the other.

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“According to the blessing of Hashem your God” — A prayer for abundance

Speaker 1: Ah, here it makes much more sense. You’ve now come to the “blessing of Hashem your God” — we pray that we should actually have a blessing. It comes originally from here. I don’t know, I’m thinking up theories, it’s nothing.

Speaker 2: Like “that Hashem your God gave blessing in your measures” also means this — that we should have the blessing of the meal that’s mentioned in the verse, that when a Jew has abundance he can come to the Beis HaMikdash with abundance with sacrifices. It says “as Hashem your God will bless you” — they brought such a verse earlier.

Like everything — I say — making a good Yom Tov means that the whole year should be good. Just a tricky way to pray for the whole year, what do we have Yom Tov through like it’s the time of gathering — we thank the Almighty for what He gave abundance a whole year.

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[Side note: Yom Tov, abundance, and charity]

Speaker 2: It’s very interesting — it has nothing to do with our conversation — but we also have a law that every Yom Tov we must give charity, and on Yom Tov we must take in guests. You can’t compare, but we see the essence of the matter that on Yom Tov we must conduct ourselves like a wealthy person, and “honor Hashem from your wealth” — if you have abundance, in the middle of the year you don’t have to show it, but on Yom Tov you must live according to your standards also on the high level. “Honor Hashem from your wealth” — and when there’s no Beis HaMikdash, one should at least give for guests and for campaigns and for servants of Hashem.

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Text of Shavuos, Sukkos, Shemini Atzeres — The changes

Speaker 2: Further. The Rambam says — now the other Yamim Tovim. What happens with the other Yamim Tovim? We’ve laid out everything for Pesach. What happens with Shavuos and Sukkos? He’s not going to tell us the whole thing, but he tells us the parts where we change.

He says there: “And so this text he prays on the Festival of Shavuos and on the Festival of Sukkos without lack and without addition” — the same thing, we don’t change. “Except that on the Festival of Shavuos he says” — there where it says “this day of the Festival of Pesach,” he says “this day of Yom Tov, a holy convocation, this day of the Festival of Shavuos,” and the special time of the Festival of Shavuos is “the time of the giving of our Torah” — as he says Pesach “the time of our freedom” when we left the house of bondage, the Festival of Shavuos is the time that we received the Torah.

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Discussion: “The time of the giving of our Torah” — Where does this appear?

Speaker 1: “And you shall love your neighbor as yourself” — that’s a wonder, because here is the first time. Yes, in the Torah does it say about Shavuos “the time of the giving of our Torah”? Or is it just a language that we actually see here for the first time in the text of prayer? Who made the first text of prayer? It could be it was already very old, but yes.

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Sukkos and Shemini Atzeres

Speaker 2: “And so he says on this day of Yom Tov, a holy convocation, on this day of the Festival of Shavuos” — that’s there in the language of Ya’aleh Veyavo, “remember us, Hashem our God, on it for good.” The same thing by Musaf, as we spoke about the sacrifices: “And from before You, our King, do not return us empty-handed, and the additional offering of this day of Yom Tov, a holy convocation, this day of the Festival of Shavuos.”

“And so on the Festival of Sukkos he says” — on the Festival of Sukkos instead of the name of Yom Tov we say “this day of the Festival of Sukkos,” and what is the time, the special time? “The time of our joy.”

“And so on Shemini Atzeres he says this day of Yom Tov, a holy convocation, this day of the Festival of Shemini Atzeres,” — we say “Shemini Atzeres of this festival”? Okay, “this day of the Festival of Shemini Atzeres,” “the time of our joy” — the same “time of our joy” of Yom Tov, but it has its own name.

“And so in Musaf he says and the additional offering of this day of Yom Tov, a holy convocation, this day of the Festival of Shemini Atzeres we shall prepare and offer before You.”

Speaker 1: He forgot to say the Musaf of Sukkos. But it’s simple.

Speaker 2: Ah. Anyway.

Speaker 1: Yes.

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Yom Tov that falls on Shabbos — Order of mentioning Shabbos

Speaker 2: When Yom Tov falls on Shabbos, what do we do? He says: “You chose us,” and before we say the “Ya’aleh Veyavo,” we say “Our God and God of our forefathers, be pleased with our rest,” and after that we say further “Ya’aleh Veyavo,” and further we say “this day of rest.”

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Discussion: “Day of rest” — Not “day of resting”

Speaker 1: It’s in all the places it says “rest,” not “resting.”

Speaker 2: The Rambam says somewhere “this day of Shabbos,” “this day of resting.” It’s simply a mistake.

Speaker 1: I think it’s more poetic. It’s not the proper word — it’s “day of resting,” “this day of rest.” It’s an interesting word. I think it’s a matter of that day, today.

Speaker 2: By us we distinguish — we’re precise with the Rambam, that the order is presumably the order is correct. I don’t know any proof. “Day of rest” — it’s a novelty to me. I don’t know.

Speaker 1: I think in our siddur there are also versions where it says “rest.” I think it’s an accepted thing.

Speaker 2: Yes, yes, yes. Festival of Matzos, yes. “Day of gladness and day of joy,” “day of rest.” There is in the siddur it adds “rest.” By Musaf, Chaim is here.

Speaker 1: Yes. “This day of holy convocation” — ah, here is “this day of such-and-such festival.” We shouldn’t say “such-and-such,” yes? That much he still trusts us, the Rambam.

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Musaf of Yom Tov that falls on Shabbos

Speaker 2: “And Chaim in Musaf” — yes, by Musaf: “This day of rest,” “this day of holy convocation,” “this day of such-and-such festival.”

Speaker 1: Right.

Speaker 2: “And in this manner, Shabbos is mentioned on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur when they fall on Shabbos, both in the other prayers and in Musaf. And one concludes in all the prayers of the three festivals if it falls on Shabbos, ‘mekadesh haShabbos’, and afterwards ‘v’Yisrael v’hazemanim’. And on Rosh Hashanah one concludes ‘melech al kol ha’aretz mekadesh haShabbos v’Yisrael v’yom hazikaron’, and on Yom Kippur one also says ‘melech al kol ha’aretz mekadesh haShabbos v’Yisrael v’yom hakippurim’.”

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Discussion: “Melech al kol ha’aretz” — The Glory of Shabbos or the Glory of Rosh Hashanah?

Speaker 1: Tremendous. I think we should make a stop here. A complete chapter stop, no? And the Rambam’s, he has longer sections, doesn’t he? I’m curious. Maybe not? Maybe a little? I want to draw conclusions here.

Speaker 2: What does it say here? All these prayers?

Speaker 1: No, the “Brich Shmei” is a rabbinic prayer. No, here what the Protestants learned. The Gemara says that with Shabbos and festivals one says Shabbos first, because Israel is not before Shabbos — Shabbos the Almighty was mekadesh. But here, by Rosh Hashanah, I have to say differently, because “melech al kol ha’aretz” one doesn’t say in the blessing of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, but one does say it for Shabbos. It seems there’s no contradiction in “mekadesh Yisrael v’hazemanim”.

Speaker 2: Yes, because everything is spoken as if connected to “Elokeinu melech ha’olam”, which is still before the… instead of “Elokeinu melech ha’olam” one says “melech al kol ha’aretz”. The conclusion is further “mekadesh Yisrael”, no?

Speaker 1: Okay. But the opening is indeed Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur because we’re speaking of kingship.

Speaker 2: No, but it’s similar to the matters of “hamelech hakadosh” and not from… “hamelech hakadosh” or “hamelech hamishpat”.

Speaker 1: Okay, okay.

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Conclusion — Final Points

Speaker 1: So this is… what have we learned now? Through the mitzvos of Shabbos and Yom Tov.

Speaker 2: Shabbos and yamim tovim, yes.