אין דבר

אין דבר                             

R. (Shlomo) Zalman Hena  (רז"ה)  was one of the greatest Balei Dikduk. The Pri Megadim calls him “Harav Hamedakdek Hagadol” (O. Ch. 56)

It is said that the Vilna Gaon acquired his knowledge in Dikduk from the Seforim of the Rezah.

In the year 1725, the Rezah printed his Siddur “Bais Tefilah” with his Pirush “Sha’arei Tefillah”. The Siddur supposedly has a 

Haskamah from the Chacham Zvi and other Gedolim.

Wherever the Dikduk was incorrect, he changed the Nusach.  He also changed from Leshon (terminology) Chazal  (KLUM) 

to Leshon Torah (DOVOR).

Most of the changes in the Bal Hatanya’s Siddur supposedly are based on the Rezah’s  Siddur “Bais Tefilah”.

The Rezah was probably the first person to tamper with the נוסח התפילה. He held that Dikduk overrides the Nusach

established by the אנשי כנסת הגדולה.

The Yavetz (R. Yakov Emden ) criticized strongly the Rezah. He published a sefer (לוח ארש)  whose sole purpose was to point out the mistakes and argue on the Rezah. In his Hakdama he writes “It is unbelievable what he (Rezah) did. He destroyed and broke fences, moved into territory that doesn’t belong to him and there he destroyed and built without permission.

He made changes whenever he felt like it. He had the העזה (chutzpa) to tamper with the Nusach of the אנשי כנסת הגדולה ”.

The Yavetz also claimed that the Haskama from his father, the Chacham Zvi was forged, in order to make a great name

(Rezah)   for himself


Another Maskil and Medakdek , "Itzik Stanov" appeared and followed the Rezah. He too changed the Nusach according to Dikduk and from Leshon Chazal he changed to Leshon Tanach. (Leisheiv Basukah to Losheves Basukah) etc.

This trend started to spread to some Chasidic courts, where they too added and subtracted from the original Nusach of the אנשי כנסת הגדולה.
Eventually, even in the non-Chasidic siddurim, many changes crept in from the Rezah and Itzik Stanov.

Until 300 years ago, in every siddur, "Yisgadal Veyiskadash" was pronounced with a Patach. Rezah changed

it to Yisgadeil Veyiskadeish with a Tzeirei.

The Mishna Verurah quotes the Pri Megodim who quotes the Rezah to say it with a Tzeirei.

Hence, in Litvishe Yeshivos they pronounce it with a Tzeirei.

The Shu”t  Minchas Yitzchok (10 – 16) criticizes the  Siddurim printers for changing the Nusach from Klum to Dovor