Palestinian minhag
Encyclopedia
The Palestinian minhag as opposed to the Babylonian minhag, or Palestinian liturgy, refers to rite and ritual
of medieval Palestinian Jewry in relation to the traditional order and form of the prayers.
A complete collection has not been preserved from antiquity, but several passages of it are scattered in both the Babylonian Talmud and Jerusalem Talmud
, in the Midrashim, in the Pesiktot, in Soferim
, and in some responsa of the Palestinian Geonim
. Some excerpts have been preserved in the Siddur of Saadia Gaon
and the Cairo geniza
yielded some important texts, such as the Eighteen Benedictions. One fragment of a Palestinian siddur discovered in the genizah was written in Hebrew with various introductions and explanations in Judaeo-Arabic.
Though the Palestinian Talmud never became authoritative against the Babylonian, the Palestinian liturgy was destined to be accepted in Italy, Greece, Germany and France, even in Egypt, against the Babylonian, owing to the enthusiasm of the scholars of Rome. The Babylonian rite was accepted mainly in Spain, Portugal and the southern counties.
Ashkenazi Jews
accepted many elements of the Palestinian minhag which evolved into three distinct groupings: the German ritual, itself divided into two rituals, the western or Minhag Ashkenaz
and the eastern, or Minhag Polin. Minhag Ashkenaz was introduced in Palestine itself during the 16th-century by German and Polish Kabbalists. The Italian minhag, perhaps the oldest branch of the Palestinian ritual and lastly the Romanic Minhag, more accurately, the Rumelic or Greek ritual; this ritual of the Balkan countries has retained the most features of the Palestinian minhag. Saadya Gaon’s siddur
reflects the Palestinian minhag, which was in-cooperated in to liturgy of German Jewry.
Minhag
Minhag is an accepted tradition or group of traditions in Judaism. A related concept, Nusach , refers to the traditional order and form of the prayers...
of medieval Palestinian Jewry in relation to the traditional order and form of the prayers.
A complete collection has not been preserved from antiquity, but several passages of it are scattered in both the Babylonian Talmud and Jerusalem Talmud
Jerusalem Talmud
The Jerusalem Talmud, talmud meaning "instruction", "learning", , is a collection of Rabbinic notes on the 2nd-century Mishnah which was compiled in the Land of Israel during the 4th-5th century. The voluminous text is also known as the Palestinian Talmud or Talmud de-Eretz Yisrael...
, in the Midrashim, in the Pesiktot, in Soferim
Soferim (Talmud)
Soferim is a Talmudic treatise dealing especially with the rules relating to the preparation of the holy books, as well as with the regulations for the reading of the Law. It belongs to the so-called "smaller tractates," a term applied to about 15 works in rabbinical literature, each containing...
, and in some responsa of the Palestinian Geonim
Palestinian Gaonate
The Palestinian Gaonate was the chief talmudical academy and central legalistic body of the Jewish community in Palestine during the middle of the ninth century till its demise during the 11th-century. During its existence, it competed with the...
. Some excerpts have been preserved in the Siddur of Saadia Gaon
Siddur of Saadia Gaon
The Siddur of Saadia Gaon is the earliest surviving attempt to transcribe the weekly ritual of Jewish prayers for week-days, Sabbaths, and festivals . The text also contains liturgical poetry by Saadia, as well as Arabic language commentary...
and the Cairo geniza
Cairo Geniza
The Cairo Geniza is a collection of almost 280,000 Jewish manuscript fragments found in the Genizah or storeroom of the Ben Ezra Synagogue in Fustat, presently Old Cairo, Egypt. Some additional fragments were found in the Basatin cemetery east of Old Cairo, and the collection includes a number of...
yielded some important texts, such as the Eighteen Benedictions. One fragment of a Palestinian siddur discovered in the genizah was written in Hebrew with various introductions and explanations in Judaeo-Arabic.
Though the Palestinian Talmud never became authoritative against the Babylonian, the Palestinian liturgy was destined to be accepted in Italy, Greece, Germany and France, even in Egypt, against the Babylonian, owing to the enthusiasm of the scholars of Rome. The Babylonian rite was accepted mainly in Spain, Portugal and the southern counties.
Ashkenazi Jews
Ashkenazi Jews
Ashkenazi Jews, also known as Ashkenazic Jews or Ashkenazim , are the Jews descended from the medieval Jewish communities along the Rhine in Germany from Alsace in the south to the Rhineland in the north. Ashkenaz is the medieval Hebrew name for this region and thus for Germany...
accepted many elements of the Palestinian minhag which evolved into three distinct groupings: the German ritual, itself divided into two rituals, the western or Minhag Ashkenaz
Nusach Ashkenaz
Nusach Ashkenaz is a style of Jewish religious service conducted by Ashkenazi Jews, originating from Central and Western Europe.It is primarily a way to order and include prayers, and differs from Nusach Sefard , and still more from the Sephardic rite proper, in the placement and presence of...
and the eastern, or Minhag Polin. Minhag Ashkenaz was introduced in Palestine itself during the 16th-century by German and Polish Kabbalists. The Italian minhag, perhaps the oldest branch of the Palestinian ritual and lastly the Romanic Minhag, more accurately, the Rumelic or Greek ritual; this ritual of the Balkan countries has retained the most features of the Palestinian minhag. Saadya Gaon’s siddur
Siddur of Saadia Gaon
The Siddur of Saadia Gaon is the earliest surviving attempt to transcribe the weekly ritual of Jewish prayers for week-days, Sabbaths, and festivals . The text also contains liturgical poetry by Saadia, as well as Arabic language commentary...
reflects the Palestinian minhag, which was in-cooperated in to liturgy of German Jewry.