When I read the morning prayers, I make a couple of minor changes.
I am not a rabbi, or even a talmid hakham, nor do I play one on tv.
But “tweaking” prayers has a long tradition within Judaism.
FOR EXAMPLE,
recited shortly before עלינו tells us to say this instead of that.
I use Sefardi sedurim, primarily סדור אבותנו and וזרח השמש .
The former is rife with comments about “optional” words, moreso than the latter.
The former also has a plethora of notes: the minhag here is this, the minhag there is thus.
שֶלׂא עָשַנִי גוי That you did not make me a non-Jew
Converts and those who are not Jews but participate in the prayers, can’t truthfully state:
Frankly, I take issue with the word “goy” when what is meant is “non-Jew.” The correct Hebrew for a non -Jew is “no-kare” (נוכר). “Goy” means “nation” but thanks to its misuse it has become a pejorative.
For all that, a convert could say שֶׁעָשַנִי ישראל
While a non-Jewish woman could say שׁעָשַנִי ישראלת
No female slaves in enlightened countries
The word “שִפחָה” pops up a number of times; firstly in the morning blessing (ברכות השחר), ibid.
It shows up again among the rules for sacrifices (just before רִִבִי יִשמָעֵאל).
In the section beginning “זִבחֵי שַלמֵ" we read that one of the errors includes “אשם שִפחה חרופָה”
Rather than a female slave (שִׁפחה), I prefer “conversation, words” (שִׂיחָה), replacing a shin with a sin and a yud for a pei. Now we have the sin of speaking badly of one another. It also reminds why the thousands of R. Akiva’s student’s died; for speaking ill of one another. (Much like politicians of today, alas.)
Changes to the Amedah (עמידה)
Before going on, it is best to identify the sedurs in use.
סדור אבותנו and וזרח השמש both of which follow Moroccan traditions. “Traditions” is correct; Morocco is a huge country and traditions — as noted in the אבותנו sedur — vary by area.
רֵפָאֵנו
To the paragraph asking HaShem to heal the sick (רֵפָאֵנו) I add “and all the world” (ואת העולם כולו).
Why? The Chinese virus, a/k/a Corona or Covid 19, spreads quickly around the world thanks to the wonders of modern airplanes and the reluctance of some countries to alert others to a danger. This is not the first pandemic and China is not the only source of past pandemics (e.g., Mexico gave us the so-called “Spanish flu” of 1918; it killed more people than WW1).
תעַקֵר וׁתשַבֵר
Rabbi Sholom Messas adds a word to the paragraph in the עמידה that begins תעַקֵר וׁתשַבֵר. In the sedur וזרח השמש, the rav adds one word —ותַשמִידֵם— “destroy them.”
The Amedah is from the rabbis, not the Torah, so changing a word or two to remain “au courant” (e.g., את העולם כולו) should not cause umbrage except perhaps from someone who wears blinders to the reality of today.
I am not suggesting changes to halakah — that’s the rabbis’ domain.
PLAGIARISM is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and passing them off as the product of one’s own mind.
Truth is an absolute defense to defamation. Defamation is a false statement of fact. If the statement was accurate, then by definition it wasn’t defamatory.
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