02. Wednesday 12 Shvat 5777/ February 8 2017. רבון העולמים Class Two.

02. רבון העולמים Class Two.
Examining relative נוסחאות. A) How Hashem is addressed: רבון העולמים or רבון כל העולמים or רבונו של עולם, a personal G-d or the Creator of all. Also, is this paragraph only a prayer or a praise and a prayer? B) The mention of קטרת first appears in the Chassidic נוסחאות, why isn’t it mentioned before? Basically because the question is whether קטרת is the same as קרבנות or something entirely (higher and) different. C) Most נוסחאות see prayer as a Mitzvah, from the Possuk “”ואתה אמרת ונשלמה פרים שפתינו, with exception of the Alter Rebbe. To him this is something a Yid volunteers to do, and is not based on commandment. D) לכן יהי רצון מלפניך the טור uses no name of Hashem, as all the others add: הוי’ אלוקינו ואלוקי אבותינו perhaps because he wrote the תפילה himself and fears using a proper name of Hashem. But, all those who follow him rely on his greatness to add Hashem’s name! On a deeper level מלפניך means Hashem Himself and the טור leaves it that way and all the others bring it down into a name etc. E) In the טור it says שיהא זה (our prayer) and all the rest say שיהא שיח שפתותינו (or: שתהא אמירה זו) because he speaks of the תפילה meaning the words and the כונה, while all those who follow him speak only of the words. The Chassidic Nusach may be re-including the כונה by saying שתהא אמירה זו F) .חשוב ומקובל לפניך some נוסחאות add the word ומרוצה. Why do the טור and the Alter Rebbe leave it out? They’re giving with no intention of getting anything in return. G) שהקרבנו קרבן התמיד in the טור it says קרב קרבן התמיד במועדו. H) By מעמד the טור says ועמדתי על מעמדו and we all say ועמדנו על מעמדו… Perhaps the טור knew himself to be fit to be from the אנשי מעמד. This reveals two sides of the טור who shows great humility on the one hand and an honest sense of self on the other. I) Does מעמד include the קטרת also or only the קרבן. J) The various פסוקים at the end of the paragraph.