View source for Nusach (Jewish custom)

{{Short description|Text of a Jewish prayer service}}
{{Jews and Judaism sidebar|religion}}

In [[Judaism]], '''Nusach''' ({{langx|he|נוסח|translit=nusáḥ}}, {{langx|yi|נוסח|núsekh}}, plural {{lang|he|נוסחים}} ''nusaḥim'', {{langx|yi|נוסחאות|nuskhóes|links=np}}) is the exact text of a prayer service; sometimes the English word "rite" is used to refer to the same thing. Nusakh means "formulate" or "wording."

Texts used by different communities include [[Baladi-rite prayer]], [[nusach Ashkenaz]], [[nusach Sefard]], [[Sephardic law and customs#Liturgy|nusach edot haMizraḥ]], [[Italian Nusach]] and the [[nusach Ari]].

A textual nusach is distinct from [[Nusach (Jewish music)|a musical one]]; the latter refers to a community's musical style or tradition, particularly the chant used for recitative prayers such as the [[Amidah]].

==Meanings==
''Nusach'' primarily means "text" or "version", the correct wording of a religious text or liturgy. Thus, the ''nusach tefillah'' is the text of the prayers, either generally or in a particular community.

In common use, ''nusach'' has come to signify the entire liturgical tradition of the community, including the musical rendition. It is one example of ''[[minhag]]'', which includes traditions on Jewish customs of all types.

==Varieties==

===Nusach Ashkenaz===
{{main article|Nusach Ashkenaz}}
[[Nusach Ashkenaz]] is the style of service conducted by [[Ashkenazi Jews]], originating from central and eastern Europe. It is the shortest lengthwise except for the Yemenite [[Baladi-rite prayer]].{{fact|date=February 2017}}

It may be subdivided into the German, or western, branch ("Minhag Ashkenaz"), used in western and central Europe, and the Polish/Lithuanian branch ("Minhag Polin"), used in eastern Europe, the United States and among Ashkenazim, particularly those who identify as "[[Lithuanian Jews|Lithuanian]]", in Israel.

The form used in the [[United Kingdom]] and the [[Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth]] (except Canada, which follows the American style), known as "''Minhag Anglia''" <ref>[[Raymond Apple (rabbi)|Apple, Raymond]] [https://www.oztorah.com/2018/05/minhag-anglia-a-broader-connotation/ ''Minhag Anglia - a broader connotation'']</ref> is technically a subform of "Minhag Polin" but has many similarities to the German rite. See [[Simeon Singer#Works|''Singer's Siddur'']].

===Nusach Sefard===
{{main article|Nusach Sefard}}
Nusach Sefard is the style of service used by some Jews of central and eastern European origins, especially [[Hasidic Judaism|Hasidim]], who adopted some [[Sephardic]] customs emulating the practice of the [[Isaac Luria|Ari]]'s circle of [[Kabbalah|kabbalists]], most of whom lived in the [[Land of Israel]]. Textually speaking it is based in a large part on the Sephardic rite, but in melody, feel and pronunciation it is overwhelmingly Ashkenazi.  There is a wide variation within the rite itself among different types of Chasidim, with some more similar to Ashkenaz and other more similar to Sephardic.

===Nusach Ari===
{{main article|Nusach Ari}}
Nusach Ari means, in a general sense, any prayer rite following the usages of Rabbi Isaac Luria, the AriZal, in the 16th century.

Many [[Chabad]] Hasidim refer to their variant of Nusach Sefard as Nusach Ari, although Chabad siddurim always say "based on the Ari rite" (על פי נוסח האר"י), a description which appears in many other Sephardic and Hasidic siddurim.

===Sephardi and Mizrachi nuschaot===
{{main article|Sephardic law and customs}}

There is not one generally recognized uniform nusach for [[Sephardi Jews|Sephardi]] and [[Mizrahi Jews|Mizrahi]] Jews.  Instead, Sephardim and Mizrahim follow several slightly different but closely related nuschaot.

The nearest approach to a standard text is found in the siddurim printed in [[Livorno]] from the 1840s until the early 20th century.  These (and later versions printed in [[Vienna]]) were widely used throughout the Sephardic and Mizrahi world.  Another popular variant was the text known as ''Nusach ha-Hida'', named after [[Chaim Yosef David Azulai]].  Both these versions were particularly influential in Greece, Iran, Turkey and North Africa.  However, most communities also had unwritten customs which they would observe, rather than following the printed siddurim exactly: it is easy, from the printed materials, to get the impression that usage in the [[Ottoman Empire]] around 1900 was more uniform than it really was.

Other variants include:
*the customs of the [[Spanish and Portuguese Jews]], based on an older form of the Castilian rite, with some influence from the customs both of [[Italian Jews]] and of Northern Morocco.  This version is distinguished by the near-absence of Kabbalistic elements.
*Nusah Edot Hamizrah, originating among [[History of the Jews in Iraq|Iraqi Jews]] but now popular in many other communities.  These are based on the opinions of [[Yosef Hayyim]] and have a strong [[Kabbalah|Kabbalistic]] flavour.
*Minhag Aram Soba, as used by [[Syrian Jews|Syrian]] [[Musta'arabi Jews]] in earlier centuries (the current Syrian rite is closely based on the Livorno prints).
*the Moroccan rite, also related to the text of the Livorno prints but with a strong local flavour.  This subdivides into the customs of the Spanish-speaking northern strip and the Arabic-speaking interior of the country and contains fewer Kabbalistic elements than most of the other rites, although more Kabbalistic elements that the Spanish and Portuguese rite.
*formerly, there were variants from different parts of Spain and Portugal, perpetuated in particular synagogues in [[Thessaloniki]] and elsewhere, e.g. the Lisbon<ref>https://www.nli.org.il/he/books/NNL_ALEPH001224996/NLI</ref> and Catalan<ref>https://www.nli.org.il/he/books/NNL_ALEPH990011641730205171/NLI</ref> rites, and some North African rites appear to reflect Catalan as well as Castilian influence.<ref>In 2019, Idan Peretz publish "Siddur Catalonia" based on manuscripts.</ref>

Under the influence of the former Sephardi Chief Rabbi, Rabbi [[Ovadia Yosef]], many Israeli Sephardim have adopted a nusach based largely on the Nusach Edot Hamizrach but omitting some of the Kabbalistic additions.

===Nosach Teman===
{{main article|Baladi-rite Prayer}}

A "Temani" nosach was the standard among the [[Yemenite Jews|Jews of Yemen]]. This is divided into the ''Baladi'' (closer to purely Yemenite) and ''Shami'' (adopted from Sephardic siddurim)<ref>Rabbi Shalom ben Aharon Ha-Kohen Iraqi would go to a different synagogue each Shabbath with printed Sefardic siddurim, requesting that they pray in the Sephardic rite and forcing it upon them if necessary (Rabbi [[Yosef Kapach]], [https://www.otzar.org/wotzar/Book.aspx?104765&lang=eng Passover Aggadta] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161005130510/https://www.otzar.org/wotzar/Book.aspx?104765&lang=eng |date=2016-10-05 }} [Hebrew], p. 11).</ref> versions. Both rites are recited using the unique [[Yemenite Hebrew|Yemenite pronunciation of Hebrew]], which Yemenite Jews, and some scholars, regard as the most authentic, and most closely related to the Hebrew of Ancient Israel.

The ''Baladi'' rite is very close to that codified by [[Maimonides]] in his [[Mishneh Torah]]. One form of it is used by the [[Dor Daim]], who attempt to safeguard the older Baladi tradition of Yemenite Jewish observance. This version used by ''dardaim'' was originally used by all Yemenite Jews near the time of Maimonides.

===Nusach Eretz Yisrael===
In the period of the [[Geonim]], Jews in Israel followed the ''[[Nusach Eretz Yisrael]]'' which is based upon the [[Talmud Yerushalmi]] (Jerusalem Talmud), while the Jewish diaspora followed the customs of [[History of the Jews in Iraq|Babylonian Jewry]].<ref>''Ha-Chilukim Bein Anshei Ha-Mizrach Uvne Eretz Yisrael, edition Margaliot, Jerusalem, 1928'', "The differences between the people in the east and the people of Eretz Yisrael", from the early Geonic period; [http://www.yeshiva.co/ask/?id=4612 Nusach Eretz Yisrael] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222110630/http://www.yeshiva.co/ask/?id=4612 |date=2015-12-22 }}.</ref> 

The modern ''Nusach Eretz Yisrael'' is a recent attempt by Rabbi [[David Bar-Hayim]] at reconstructing the ancient ''Nussach Eretz Yisrael'', based on the [[Jerusalem Talmud]] and documents discovered in the [[Cairo Geniza]] and other sources. The reconstruction and adaption is published in the form of a [[siddur]] ("prayer book"), and used by Rabbi Bar-Hayim's Jerusalem followers in public prayers held in Machon Shilo's synagogue.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://opensiddur.org/compilations/liturgical/siddurim/weekday-siddur/siddur-nusah-eretz-yisrael-minha-birkat-hamazon-tefillat-haderekh/ |title=Nusaḥ Ereṣ Yisrael :: Tefillat Minḥah, Birkat HaMazon, and Tefillat HaDerekh |access-date=2020-08-02 |archive-date=2020-08-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200806222447/https://opensiddur.org/compilations/liturgical/siddurim/weekday-siddur/siddur-nusah-eretz-yisrael-minha-birkat-hamazon-tefillat-haderekh/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Other nuschaot===
In addition, there are other nuschaot.
*Nussach HaGR"A was a very brief version of Nussach Ashkenaz written by the [[Vilna Gaon]], removing some passages which he believed had were not in the original prayer text, correcting some grammatical errors (according to him), and some additional small changes.
*The ''[[Italian Nusach|Minhag Italiani]]'' and ''Minhag Benè Romì'' are used by some [[Italian Jews]], as well as by a small number of minyanim in [[Jerusalem]] and [[Netanya]].
*Closely related to these was the "[[Romaniotes|Romaniote]]" rite<ref>[https://www.nli.org.il/he/books/NNL_ALEPH001163513/NLI ''Siddur Tefillot ha-Shanah le-minhag kehillot Romania''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210214040932/https://www.nli.org.il/he/books/NNL_ALEPH001163513/NLI |date=2021-02-14 }}, Venice 1523.</ref> from  Greece where have lived an ancient, pre-Diaspora Jewish community.  The surviving Romaniote synagogues are in [[Ioannina]], [[Chalkis]], [[Athens]], [[Tel Aviv]], [[Jerusalem]] and [[Kehila Kedosha Janina|New York]]. These now use a Sephardic rite but with Romaniote variations, selections of a few Romaniote [[piyyut|piyyutim]], combined with own melodies and customs and their special form of Byzantine-Jewish [[Hebrew cantillation|Cantillation]].<ref>Ross, M. S., Europäisches Zentrum für Jüdische Musik, CD-Projekt: „Synagogale Musik der romaniotischen Juden Griechenlands“ -ongoing/2016-</ref>  There were formerly Romaniote synagogues in Istanbul. (The customs of [[Corfu]] are a blend between Romaniote, Apulian and Sephardic rites.)<ref>Connerty, Mary C. Judeo-Greek: The Language, The Culture. Jay Street Publishing, 2003. {{ISBN|1-889534-88-9}} </ref>
*There was once a French nusach, closely related to the Ashkenazi. The rite mostly died out after the expulsion of Jews from France in 1394, but certain usages survived on the High holidays only in the [[Italian Jews#Ashkenazi Jews in Italy|''Afam'']] community of Northwest Italy until shortly after WWII, and has since become extinct.<ref>Daniel Goldschimdt, Rosh Hashanah Machzor, [https://www.hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=21790&st=&pgnum=12&hilite= page 13 of introduction].</ref>
* In the Middle Ages, there was a unique Nusach Morocco, unrelated to Sephardic liturgy, this original minhag has not be practiced since shortly after the Expulsion of Jews from Spain, and it is unfortunately not well documented.<ref>Moshe Amar, Ets Haim, Ramat Gan 1987.</ref>
*Distinct [[Persian Jews|Persian]]<ref>Shelomo Tal, ''[https://www.hebrewbooks.org/20923 Nosaḥ ha-Tefillah shel Yehude Paras].''</ref> and [[Hachmei Provence|Provençal]]<ref>[https://www.nli.org.il/he/books/NNL_ALEPH001326450/NLI ''Seder ha-Tamid''], Avignon 1776.</ref> nuschaot also existed before being gradually replaced by the Edot Hamizrach and [[Spanish and Portuguese Jews|Spanish and Portuguese]] nuschaot respectively.
* Until the [[16th century]], the Aleppo community had its unique prayer rite.<ref>There are 2 surviving copies of the first printing of this rite from 1527, both of which are missing pages.  Recently, Yad HaRav Nissim produced a facsimile of a combination of the two copies, using pages from one edition where the other was is missing, see [http://www.yadharavnissim.com/%D7%9E%D7%97%D7%96%D7%95%D7%A8_%D7%90%D7%A8%D7%9D_%D7%A6%D7%95%D7%91%D7%94 here]. The copy that from the [[National Library of Israel]] is scanned and available [https://www.nli.org.il/he/books/NNL_ALEPH001288596/NLI here]. It was printed once more in [[1560]], but the second printing was highly censored, see a reprint of [http://www.pizmonim.org/library/AramSoba1560-I.pdf Volume I] and [http://www.pizmonim.org/library/AramSoba1560-II.pdf Volume II].</ref> After Jews expelled from Spain arrived, they managed to convince the local community to adopt their practices, and the rite died out completely.
* The Jews of [[Catalonia]] had a Nusach distinct from the "standard" Spanish rite.  This rite was preserved partially until the 20th century.<ref>See the [https://tablet.otzar.org/he/book/book.php?book=150492 High Holiday Machzor] according to the rite published in [[Salonica]] in [[1927]].  The siddur of this rite was not published until Idan Peretz published it based on manuscripts in 2019, see the [https://blog.nli.org.il/catalonia/ article on the blog of the National Library of Israel].</ref>
* The [[Urfalim]] Jews of south eastern [[Anatolia]] follow their own prayer rite, which differs from the Syrian, Kurdish and Iraqi Jewish rites.{{citation needed|date=March 2022}}

It is said among some mystics that an as-yet undisclosed nusach will be revealed after the coming of the [[Mashiach]], the [[Jewish Messiah]]. Others say that the differences in nusach are derived from differences between the twelve tribes of Israel, and that in Messianic times each tribe will have its proper nusach. The concept of one ''nusach'' for each of the 12 tribes was formulated by R' [[Isaac Luria]]; at the time there were exactly 12 Jewish communities in Luria's city of [[Safed]], and each community's ''nusach'' was meant to stand in place of that of one of the tribes.<ref> Joseph Davis, ''The Reception of the "Shulḥan 'Arukh" and the Formation of Ashkenazic Jewish Identity'', AJS Review: Vol. 26, No. 2 (Nov., 2002), pp. 251-276 (26 pages), pages 254-256. Davis writes that  the twelve communities had their origins in 'Portugal, Castile, Aragon, Seville, Cordoba, the Maghreb, "Italy," Calabria, Apulia, the Arab lands, Germany, and Hungary'.</ref>

==Halakhot==

Most halakhic authorities believe that one should follow the nusach of one's family, or at the very least follow one nusach consistently.{{citation needed|date=July 2024}} Rabbi [[David Bar-Hayim]] disputes this and permits a Jew to change his ''nusach'' at any time, even on a daily basis.<ref name="MS-02November2010">{{cite web|last1=Bar-Hayim|first1=David|title=What is the Proper Nusach Tefillah?|url=http://machonshilo.org/en/eng/list-audio-shiurim/42-nusachyisrael/432-tephillah-what-is-the-proper-nusah|website=Machon Shilo|publisher=Machon Shilo|access-date=4 October 2017|archive-date=5 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171005050658/http://machonshilo.org/en/eng/list-audio-shiurim/42-nusachyisrael/432-tephillah-what-is-the-proper-nusah|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="RDBH-InterviewNT">{{cite web|title=Not Changing Nusach Tefillah - An Invented Halacha- Interview with Rabbi David Bar-Hayim|url=http://mp3xyz.co/play/not-changing-nusach-tefillah-an-invented-halacha-interview-with-rabbi-david-barhayim/Wbg2ZnSbEic.html|website=supermp3song.net|publisher=mp3xyz.co|access-date=4 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171004191309/http://mp3xyz.co/play/not-changing-nusach-tefillah-an-invented-halacha-interview-with-rabbi-david-barhayim/Wbg2ZnSbEic.html|archive-date=4 October 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="MS-28October2014">{{cite web|last1=Bar-Hayim|first1=David|title=Not Changing Nusach Tefillah - An Invented Halacha|url=http://machonshilo.org/en/eng/component/content/article/34-featured/787-not-changing-nusach-tefillah-an-invented-halacha|website=Machon Shilo|publisher=Machon Shilo|access-date=4 October 2017|archive-date=4 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171004190454/http://machonshilo.org/en/eng/component/content/article/34-featured/787-not-changing-nusach-tefillah-an-invented-halacha|url-status=live}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[Minhag]]
*[[Siddur]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*  [http://opensiddur.org/?p=567 A Historical Map of Jewish Liturgical Influence and Variation]
*  [http://kayj.net/nusach Western Ashkenazi Nusach]
*  [https://sidduraudio.com/ Audio and text from the traditional Siddur] SiddurAudio.com

{{Jews and Judaism}}
{{Jewish life}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Nusach}}
[[Category:Nusachs| ]]
[[Category:Jewish music]]
[[Category:Yiddish words and phrases]]
[[Category:Yiddish words and phrases in Jewish law]]
[[Category:Hebrew words and phrases in Jewish prayers and blessings]]
[[Category:Hebrew words and phrases in Jewish law]]