![Rabbi Binyomin Shlomo Hamburger in the library of Machon Moreshes Ashkenaz[File Photo: Mishpacha Magazine]](http://www.vinnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/ravg1.jpg "ravg1")
Bne’i Brak, Israel – Did you ever wonder why the yekkishe shuls use a vimpel instead of a regular gartel to wrap the sefer Torah? How about why the German Jews pronounce a cholam as “ow” rather than “oy” or “oh.”
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Sensing the neglect of German mesorah, in 1985 Rav Shlomo Hamburger founded Machon Moreshes Ashkenaz to research the source of minhagei Ashkenaz, dating back to the times of the Rishonim.
Rabbi Hamburger, who has a great German yichus, has printed numerous sefarim which eludicate the reason for so many of the halachos and minhagim that those of German descent perform on a daily basis. One of the many sefarim published by the institute is an updated version of the Sfas Emes siddur, used by German Jews, which was originally published by R’ Wolf Heidenheim in the city of Roedelheim, near Frankfurt, in 1799. Noticeably absent from the Sfas Emes siddur are almost all kabbalistic tefillos. Rav Hamburger explains, “The non-kabbalistic siddur is the most original form of the German nusach, predating the kabbalistic influences of the 17th and 18th centuries.” The great leaders of Western Europe, the Chasam Sofer and Noda B’Yehuda, and leaders in Germany itself, all rejected the kabbalistic tefillos. There are various reasons brought down for this: either they didn’t want to expose kabbalah to the masses, or they didn’t believe that these tefillos represented the real kabbalah.
The Sfas Emes siddur has its share of problems, says Rabbi Hamburger. “Had Wolf Heidenheim had available to him the sources that have become available to us, he would have not made a number of grammatical changes, which he held were corrections of typographical errors.”
When Rabbi Hamburger, a descendent of the Chasam Sofer, was growing up, some of his chassidish neighbors told him that the Chasam Sofer was really a chassid. Never having heard this before, he set out to research his zaide’s true identity. What he discovered was that the Chasam Sofer was definitely not chassidish; as a matter of fact he was a true misnaged. The Chasam Sofer simply followed the oldest of minhagim, which is minhag Ashkenaz. With this knowledge, Rav Hamburger set out to find out what minhag Ashkenaz was. Since his father was niftar when he was very young, and there were not many German kehillos in Eretz Yisrael, Rav Hamburger had no choice but to start his research from scratch. This was the beginning of Rav Hamburger’s lifelong mission to uncover and bring back to life such a precious old mesorah to the yeleidei Ashkenaz. He believes that just as the various groups of Sefardim (Syrian, Moroccan, Yemenite etc.) each have their own shul, unique to their nusach, so too, those of German descent should have their own shul based on their unique mesorah. Rav Hamburger is single handedly responsible for numerous shuls around Eretz Yisrael, Baltimore, and Lakewood following the oldest of mesoras existing today, including his own shul at Mayenei Hayeshua Hospital in Bnei Brak. The gedolim have the highest of praise for his work.
On Motzaei Shabbos, parashas Vayeira (January 16) Rav Hamburger will present a shiur on these issues at the Young Israel of Wavecrest-Bayswater, 2716 Healy Avenue. The event will begin at 8:00 p.m. with introductory remarks by Rabbi Eliezer Feuer, mara d’asra of YIWB. Rav Moishe Katzenstein, rosh yeshiva of the Yeshiva Gedolah of the Five Towns will also will be speaking and a Q&A session will conclude the session.
This Is A Old Mistake, Many chasidim try to “Hijack” The Holy chasam sofer. He Was From The Real misnagdim.
” The Chasam Sofer simply followed the oldest of minhagim, which is minhag Ashkenaz.”
Likutei Chaver ben Chaim writes that his Rebbe the Chasam Sofer davened Ashkenaz in public, but used an Ari Siddur at his seat…
concerning Restoring The Ashkenaz Tradition , please remember that in germany there were four differant nusachas . there was northwest and southwest and southeast and southwest . each one was unique in its own way
There is a siddur named ‘Avodas Yisroel’ by a ‘Reb Yitzchok ben Aryeh Yosef Dov’
known as the ‘Ber Siddur’ – published in Biberrach 1868 ? – (not to be confused with another Chasidisher siddur by the same name).
This siddur is another authentic Ashkenaz Siddur, well researched and includes a lot of additions to be recited on special shabbosos, such as Shabbos Chanuka ( different for each Shabbos) ,Shabbosos in between Peasach and Shavuous (one for each week).
A lot of nusach changes which are all with a source.
The northern germans did not say “ow”; they said “Oh”.
Also R’ Henkin in his discussion of hilchos gitten says that “medakdekim” say “O-U” (OH) while those who are “meshabesh” (mess up) the pronunciation say “Oi”.
you should all see what this great rov writes about upsherin. it will make you quake in your boots. in short, he holds it to be chukas hagoyim!
There were no “misnagdim” in the days of the Chasam Sofer.
Also, the word “misnagid” does not represent any particular minhag or derech in avodas hashem.
one might say that the heilige Chasam Sofer, zya, was not chassidish, as he davened Ashkenaz, but he definitely was not a Misnaged. Misnaged means opponent to Chassidus, and the Chasam Sofer was a talmid of the Baal HaFlaah, zya, who was a chassidishe Rebbe, so he was not an opponent to Chassidus. His other Rebbe was Rav Nosson Adler, zy”a, who davened nusach sefard, and started his own minyan (which was not done in those days), just so he could daven nusach sefard.
The Nodah B’Yehudah zya was opposed to reciting L’Shem Yichud, but that is not the only Kabbalistic influence in the siddur.
The Chasam Sofer ZT”L was defintiely a shtick Chassid – one of his main teachers was the Bal Ha’aflah a chosid of the Mezritcher Maggid.
The C”S’s descendant Reb Avraham Sofer ZT”L said many many times that the C”S was shtick Chassid including that the C”S said “Whoever opposes Nistar be’Niglah also opposes Niglah be’Nistar”!!!
Does Rabbi Hamburger match up Reb Avraham’s words? Ha!
Was he not a talmid of R’ nossen adler, who was very involved in kabbalah, nusach ari, and even davned with sfardishe havoroh, I dont know that peopel hijack him to chassidim as much as to minhogai kabbalah etc.? is that so far fetched? to be devoted to R’ nosson and yet be cosidred a misnaged makes me wonder who is doing the hijacking.
The definiton of a misnaged is one who is against chassidus or chassidim.
It may be debatable whether the Chasam Sofer was personally chassidish or not. Following “minhag Ashkenaz” does not mean that one is against chassidus. Many of the Hungarian chassidim also follow “minhag Ashkenaz” to some extent.
The only ones who may have “hijacked” the Chasam Sofer are those who attempt to portray him as a “misnaged,” which he definately was not.
All chassidim follow certain things of the Chasam Sofer, some more than others. Honestly, do you think all chassidim would follow someone who was against their derech?!
The definiton of a misnaged is one who is against chassidus or chassidim.
It may be debatable whether the Chasam Sofer was personally chassidish or not. Following “minhag Ashkenaz” does not mean that one is against chassidus. Many of the Hungarian chassidim also follow “minhag Ashkenaz” to some extent.
The only ones who may have “hijacked” the Chasam Sofer are those who attempt to portray him as a “misnaged,” which he definately was not.
All chassidim follow certain things of the Chasam Sofer, some more than others. Honestly, do you think all chassidim would follow someone who was against their derech?!
Rav Hamburger shlit”a has written numerous seforim on these issues. Interested parties should look at them, especially Shorshei Minhag Ashkenaz, not rely on short articles like this, which can contain mistakes.
For example, there is a whole chapter in Shorshei Minhag Ashkenaz cheilek aleph about the pronunciation of the cholam. Rav Hamburger concludes there that the ow pronunciation of it of northern Germany is a distortion, an error. He says that the true pronunciation is oh, as prevailed in other parts of Germany (Ashkenaz in loshon kodesh)..
Re comment # 4, Rav Hamburger shlit”a, according to the direction he received from R. Shimon Schwab z”l, tries to find the oldest/original minhag Ashkenaz, with roots in the rishonim. Northern Germany was influenced by Polish nusach. Southern Germany and Frankfurt tended to have the oldest/most original version of minhag Ashkenaz, which Rav Hamburger generally tries to follow.
He will also be speaking at Shabbos parashas Shemos, January 8-9 – Baltimore (Kehillas Ashkenaz, Congregation Shomrei Emunah).
Sunday, January 10 – Silver Spring-Yeshiva of Greater Washington day
Baltimore – Congregation Shearith Israel. evening
Monday, January 11 – Philadelphia – Lower Merion Synagogue.
Tuesday, January 12 – Lakewood – R. Nosson Hershberg’s shul.
**Wednesday, January 13 – Lakewood – family Chasuna.
**Thursday, January 14 (day) – Lakewood family Sheva Brochos.
Shabbos parshas Va’era, January 15-16 – Riverdale Jewish Center.
Motza’ei Shabbos, January 16 – Bayswater (Rockaway), Queens, New York (Far Rockaway/5 towns/ South Shore Long Island, NY area).
Sunday, January 17 – Monsey, NY Congregation Bais Torah, morning.
Bronx, NY, Riverdale Jewish Center, evening.
Monday, January 18 – Passaic, NJ – Congregation Ahavas Israel.
Tuesday, January 19 Elizabeth, NJ – Congregation JEC.
The definition of misnaged is someone who did NOT accept the NEW mahalach of chasidus, rather stuck to the old tradition of minhag ashkenaz, whether he actively fought chasidus is debatable. A classic example of chasidims misunderstanding is that they think he davend nusach sefard, WRONG it was nussach sefaraDE of the sfardim that was nussach haari and thats what reb noson adler daavend. As for his rebbe the Hafloa, although HE definitely was chasidik, he belived that chasidus is not for everyone and did NOT teach it to his talmidim.
I hate writing this but there is much that the article does not mention.
It seems that many comments are written without the complete knowledge of this topic.
It goes way beyond whether the C”S ZT”L used this or that Nusach.
Hamburger has a weird agenda. He most definitely is a colorful fellow but also an extremist.
His writings and publications can be categorized as divisive at best and at worst (as some would say) bordering on heresy.
One doubts if there is much benefit from promoting his exclusionary mission.
For those that do not grasp this man’s way of thinking – go hear the lecture.
Klal Isroel would be better served without Hamburger publicizing his agenda.
The Chasam Sofer was very antagonistic of Chasidm. He wrote some teshuvos that were published as a collection of pamphlets named Likutei Hua (pronounced who-a and means “unaware”) where he discusses this. In those pamphlets he also discusses his nussach teffilah, and says that he used a hybrid of Ari and Sefard. His personal sidur had footnotes of what he changed, but has been lost.
Also, Germany had 6 nusachs, not 4 as mentioned above.
Thank you VIN for this beautiful Torahdiga article and forum!!!!
This whole meshguaas regarding someone who is a hybrid “a bit chassidish, a bit misnaged and a lot litvashe” highlights how far we have strayed from the core of yiddeshkeit. Who cares into what “box” the Chasen Sofer should be classified in terms of his derech. Maybe we can start by teaching our children to value and respect ALL these different lineages and perhaps for those who are from “hard-core” ashkenaz, teach them to prounounce hebrew without the excessive yiddish/germanic accent that makes their words virtually unintelligible to other yiddin.
I enjoy davening Nusach Ashkenaz for the reason that the tefillos are very kav v’naki. I feel better davening that way. I live out of town and daven with and without minyans. At home I daven with the Rav Hirsch Siddur. This is the Minhag Frankfurt Siddur. Very simple. I do enjoy learning Chassidus though and have read that the reason Chassidim were metaken Nusach Ari ZL is its application for all Shevatim. I read that each Shevet has its own nusach. Nusach Ari ZL applies to all Shevatim since it is a generic Nusach. Can anyone add to this point. I mean if that is so, why was Nusach Ashkenaz accepted prior to the Ari ZL?
Just because something was the minhag in Germany 200 years ago, doesn’t mean that was the original “Ashkenazi” minhag of 1000 years ago.
The minhagim in Germany deviated from the original “Ashkenazi” minhagim just as it did in the rest of Europe.
To call “Yekkishe” minhagim of 200 or so years ago the authentic “Ashkenaz” menhagim is misleading and plain false.
I think the use here of the term “minhag Ashkenaz” is being used to intentionally convey the idea that these are the “real” Ashkenazi minhagim, and the rest of the Ashkenazim are not following the “real” minhagim.
It seems their is an agenda here to show the “suprieriority” of the Yekkishe Kehilla!
The whole notion of there being one “authentic” Ashkenaz minhag is absurd, The Rema writes in several places “…….. is the custom in Ashkenaz, but we do not follow it.” So clearly in his time there was a difference between Polish and German customs, utterly unrelated to conflict between chassidim and misnagdim. His description of the Western European leaders being the Chasam Sofer and Noda biYehuda is questionable, the Noda BiYehuda was from Galicia and only served as rabbi in Prague in Central Europe. The Chasam Sofer was born in Germany but left as a teenager and never moved back, certainly never functioned as a rabbi there.
And about the authentic nusach of Ashkenaz in Frankfurt, one should also mention the opinion of the Chavos Yair about nuschaos of German cities. He says that often after an expulsion Jews from many places gathered together and made a hodge-podge of piyutim representing an amalgam of the customs of the kehilos they lived in before.
No-one nusach is pure, because no kehila ever remained static.
They Recently Found Old Old Syrian MACHZORIM And Realized It Was Very Similar To NUSACH ASHKNZ Unlike The Way The SyriaNS Do Today AND We All Know How Close Syria Was And Is To Israel And The Source Of Our DAVENING
The Chasam Sofer followed the “Oberland” way of davening and Hashkafa. Perhaps some of the ‘experts’ on here should research that a bit more.
Chasam Sofer and Noda B’Yehuda were not “in Germany” for most of their productive lives, and the Noda B’Yehuda wasn’t even from Germany. The Chasam Sofer’s most productive time was when he is in what is now Bratislava, Slovakia, and the Noda B’Yehuda was in Prague.
A few (I believe) important comments:
A) I can’t believe this discussion descended into a ludicrous discussion re the CS and chassidus. The CS was a talmid of the hafloo and RNA and actually (contrary to a comment above) writes positive about certain chassidic minhogim. Simply the CS lives in an area that almost never even heard of chassidus. Interesting is that the CS is probably quotes by more chassidic rebbes than litvishe, but this is all beyond the point, there is no reason or relevance to whether the CS was chassidic or not.
B) I hate to say this, but based on German jewry utterly dismal record of staying frum and traditional to autjentic Jewish values (even considering hirshian torah I’m derech eretz which would be considered abhorrant to the “gedolim” in bnai brak etc,as opposed to the hungarian, or other minhagim, so I don’t really see the need to further such minhogim, put simply, they didn’t work.
C) unless I’m mistaken, and I may well be, this person authored a terribly divisive and factually incorrect, although welcomed in certain warped circles, a book on false messiahs etc, hardly a person who should be regarded as worth anything positive in furthering jewish values afra lepumai.
The Debrecen shul in BP (16th and 49th) claims to follow nusach chasam soifer. Many Hungarians feel that the oberland nusach is from the chasam soifer. This makes sense, since many of the oberland rabbonim learned in Pressburg. Even the direct descendants of the chasam soifer were rabbonim in Hungary, such as R’ Shimon Soifer in Erlau (Eger). It is mistaber that the nusach of these communities is connected to that of the chasam soifer and Pressburg. However, the chasam soifer himself probably davened the nusach of R’ Nosson Adler. What nusach did R’ shimon soifer daven personally?
The Chasam Soufer ZTz”L followed Minhag Ashkenaz. He, I believe out of deference to his two main teachers, Rav Natan Adler HaHasid ZTz”L and The Hafloh ZTz”L, he would oren [daven] Nusach Ashkenaz while holding a Nusach Ari siddur. (With the huge personalities of those Talmidei Chachomim, what Hapshoroh was The Chasam Soufer supposed to make?) The idea that someone who is firmly anchored in Nusach Ashkenaz can not be a mequbol is wrong. The one basic rule one has to follow, is that Qabboloh does NOT over rule Halochoh!
#50 rallisw,
“The one basic rule one has to follow, is that Qabboloh does NOT over rule Halochoh!”
So all the non sfardi shuls, which basically is everybody except the yekkies, that say Hallel on Pesach night in contradiction to what the Rem”a says are in violation of halacha?
I don’t think so.