הגדות
Haggados & Sources
Haggados through the centuries, and studies of piyut.
The newsletter represents the Institute's attempt to create a publication that traces the development of the pages of the Siddur. Each page presents a new challenge. The search for the source begins with the Babylonian Talmud and the Jerusalem Talmud. It then moves on to ancient Siddurim beginning with the Seder Rav Amrom Gaon, written in the Ninth Century and the Siddur of Rav Sa'Adiya Gaon of the Tenth Cetury. It winds its way through the Medieval Siddurim such as the Machzor Vitri, the Rokeach and the Avudrohom. It proceeds to the Siddur of the Ari, the Vilna Gaon, Rav Yaakov M'Emden and Shabtai Sopher. It culminates with the Siddurim of the late 19th Century and early 20th Century, Avodat Yisroel (Rabbi Zeligman Baer), Otzar Hatephilot and Tzelosah D'Avrohom. Many of these Siddurim are available as part of electronic Judaic libraries such as the Bar-Ilan Judaic Library and Otzar Haminhagim. They are all available at any large sized Jewish bookstore. To appreciate the development of the Siddur, two facts must be kept in mind; that a substantial portion of the text of the prayers differed for those who lived in Israel and those who lived in Babylonia for the period commencing with the destruction of the Second Temple to about the time of Rav Saadiya Gaon (10th Century) and that any written Siddurim that existed before the printing press was invented (the mid-1400's) were handwritten manuscripts. Thus the Schaliach Tzibbur (prayer leader) played a critical role in the synagogue since many of those who were present did not possess a written Siddur and could not recite the prayers from memory. The congregants relied on the Schaliach Tzibbur to recite the proper words. Often the Schaliach Tzibbur who add a piyut (liturgical poem) that he had composed. The piyuttim that have become part of the yearly order of prayers are those piyuttim that were easy to remember or that found favor among the congregants. Now is an opportune time to undertake this project because new sources are being uncovered all the time. Scholars in Israel and in other parts of the world are regularly publishing prayer-texts they have found in Geniza material and in handwritten manuscripts. As a result, the study of the development of the Siddur continues to be an emerging area of Jewish study that offers its students an opportunity to be part of ground breaking work. The Institute is proud to be a part of the effort to bring information about this area of Jewish study to students and adults alike. The newsletter tracing the development of Tefila is the first project undertaken by the Institute. The newsletter is written each week after a search through a variety of sources because there is no single source for the Tephilot that comprise the Siddur. Deconstruction of the Siddur reveals that many generations left a mark on the Siddur and others added pages.