«The Strange Repercussions of the Alteration of the First Two Words of the Kaddish Elsewhere in the Siddur.
Even assuming the custom as recorded in Masseh Rav is correct, the change in punctuation of those two words raises additional problems. As mentioned before there are other words which are either similar to the grammatical structure of the first two words in kaddish and in at least one case in the siddur the very same words appear – all of which are in Hebrew. Thus, these words should get the same treatment as the kaddish words, i.e. be punctuated with a tzeirei. But, in siddurim which claim to follow either the position of the Gra[45] or that of the Chofetz Hayyim, only the kaddish has been altered and the rest retain a patach.
As here has been a renewed interest in the Gra and his customs and those who follow him, there is no lack of siddurim which this point has been borne out. In the first siddur based upon the Gra – Ishe Yisrael – kaddish (the first two words) get a tzeirei while the other instances throughout the siddur all get a patach. In the more recent Siddur Vilna although the change appears in kaddish in the Shemoneh Esreh where the similar formulation appears there is no change.[46]
The Siddur Aliyot Eliyahu which was "edited and reset from anew . . . with great care . . . based upon the text of . . . the Gra" changes the first two words of kaddish. Yet, when it comes to both the Shemoneh Esreh and the very same words – yisgadel v'yiskadesh after the removal of the Torah – it employs a patach.[47]
In the recently printed Yom Kippur Machzor which includes the commentary and customs of R. Joseph B. Soloveitchik the same result occurs. This Machzor which also includes a list of R. Soloveitchik's relevant customs, includes that of R. Soloveitchik's views on kaddish. One these customs "based on the tradition of the Vilna Gaon that the opening two words of Kaddish" should be pronounced with a tzeirei. This is so because those "two words are Hebrew words . . . and the proper Hebrew pronunciation of each of those words is with a tzeirei."[48] The editors are not satisfied with the mention of this custom at the beginning of the book, instead, each and every time kaddish appears they make mention of this custom. While they are punctiliousness regarding kaddish they make no mention by either the shemoneh esreh nor by the very same words after the Torah is removed.[49]
To be fair at least one siddur which is based upon the Gra has been partially[50] consistent.
In the Siddur Ezor Elyiahu, when the actual words yisgadal v'yiskadah appear during the removal of the Torah, the editor changes those as well to a tzeirei. He notes explicitly that this change is an extension of the Gra's custom regarding the kaddish.[51]
The problem of altering the kaddish text but retaining the other examples in the siddur was already noted in the late 18th century!
*R. Isaac Satanow in decries the "haughty simpletons (am aratzim)" who change the kaddish to a tzeirei but fail to note the others. These who "speak in contradictions," Satanow applies the verse in Proverbs (18:2) "a fool does not delight in understanding."[52] The expression "better leave well enough alone" is extremely apt.[53]*
In conclusion, it would seem that perhaps what may be viewed as a minor change has much broader implications. These implications include the propriety of the change itself as well as the consequences of the change. It seems that many were unaware of these outcomes and both made the change without full awareness of the history. Further, they were also oblivious to the necessity to alter other portions of the text as well. As one scholar has put it "the critical study of Jewish liturgy is in any case too important to be left exclusively to the 'daveners'!"[54] In the end, unfortunately, these words have proven to be extremely prescient.
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Kol Tuv,
RRW
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