Rav Porush’s Tzava’ah to His Sons: Daven Ashkenaz
Following the recent petirah of Rav Menachem Porush zt”l, the noted askan and longtime shliach tzibbur who served as a Knesset member for Agudas Yisroel and Yahadus Hatorah, it was revealed that Rav Porush left behind a couple of tzava’os, wills, for his family members. One of the tzava’os referenced a second tzava’ah, which family members opened, discovering that it had actually been written at Rav Porush’s behest by the posek hador, Rav Yosef Shalom Elyashiv, in the gadol’s own handwriting.
In this tzava’ah, several personal requests of Rav Porush are made. One of the most intriguing ones, Matzav.com has learned, is that his children daven nusach Ashkenaz, in accordance with those who follow minhag Lita and minhag haPrushim.
It was thus an interesting sight for those at the bais avel to observe Rav Porush’s sons, Reb Meir and Reb Naftali Tzvi, who are both Chassidish, reciting Kaddish without the words “veyatzmach purkonei…,” which is a standard part of Nusach Sefard Kaddish. The sons will be satisfying their father’s request to daven Nusach Ashkaenaz.
{Yair Alpert-Matzav.com Israel}
18 Responses to “Rav Porush’s Tzava’ah to His Sons: Daven Ashkenaz”
2. Comment from L. Oberstein
Time March 8, 2010 at 5:12 PM
” the posek hador, Rav Yosef Shalom Elyashiv”.
[deleted by moderator]
3. Comment from Dovid
Time March 8, 2010 at 5:31 PM
Why is Matzav publishing the comment #2 when it only says: ”the posek hador, Rav Yosef Shalom Elyashiv”.[deleted by moderator]“? Please tell me what the point is!
4. Comment from Albert Einstein
Time March 8, 2010 at 5:54 PM
Reminds me of the famous story with Reb Shlomo Kluger, who paskened that a litvak-turned-chusid should say veyatzmach, despite his father’s dying words commanding him not to.
“Your father is in the Oilam huEmes,” said the Tzaddik, “and in the Oilom huEmes, they know that you must say ‘veyatzmach pirkunay, veykuraiv meshichai.’”
5. Comment from FYI
Time March 8, 2010 at 6:00 PM
Interesting. But I am not klohr (clear) on the inyan.
1) They should be davening nusach Ashkenaz anyway, as we are taught ‘al titosh Toras imecho’, they are supposed to follow the minhog of their father. And if they weren’t doing so before the petira, why weren’t they?
2) Did the tzavo’oh mean that they should daven nusach Ashkenaz while in aveilus and say kaddish nusach Ashkenaz (as with Rav Akiva Eiger - or was it his son? - too, who told his son that if he will say viyatzmach, he should not say kaddish after him), just for that period, and not in general?
3) I don’t see why you label it as intriguing. It is a dovor poshut.
4) Either way, as above, I don’t understand how they have a heter to change from their father’s minhog, tzavo’oh or not tzavo’oh. If they changed in the past, hopefully they will change back now and follow the way of their father.
6. Comment from serious question
Time March 8, 2010 at 6:23 PM
this is a serious question. If the reason we believe in what we do is because of a “3000 year mesora that’s unbroken,” how is it that the sons are doing something different than their father? How do we know that this hasn’t been the case of changing things for 3000 years? Not to doubt but seriously confused…
7. Comment from ben tora
Time March 8, 2010 at 6:30 PM
very importnt news.
8. Comment from Litvak
Time March 8, 2010 at 9:29 PM
The Litvak said “I don’t even mind that Mosheach should come already so that I don’t have to hear people say “V’yatzmach Pirkonai Vekoraiv Meshichai”, that Mosheach should come.
9. Comment from Oy Vey!
Time March 8, 2010 at 9:43 PM
It is interesting to note that Reb Moshe has a Teshuva in teh Igros Moshe on a Shayla about what Nusach to use. it’s a whole Arichus but Reb Moshe does say that a Bais Hakneses that was Davening Nusach sfard can switch to Ashkenaz but a Nusach Ashkenaz cannot switch to Sfard.
10. Comment from MASHBAK
Time March 8, 2010 at 9:56 PM
The “yatzmach pirkunei” story involves Reb Leibele Eiger zy”a saying kaddish for his father Reb Shlomo Eiger zy”a the Gilyon Maharsha (and son of Reb Akiva Eiger zy”a)that despite his fathers alleged animus to chassidus (he did send Reb Leibele to Warsaw to learn at the yeshiva of the Chidushei Har”im)he said v”yatzmach pirkunei” because “der Tatte is oif in oilam ha’emes in er veist vos der emes iz”.
11. Comment from chosid
Time March 8, 2010 at 10:30 PM
FYI,
Do you suppose that chasidim have been around since Moshe Rabbeinu? Obviously before the Baal Shem Tov we were all using ashkenaz. Mistamma there is a good reason why so many have switched, al pi halocha and al pi kabbola.
12. Comment from anonymous
Time March 8, 2010 at 10:44 PM
#3, probably so people dont keep repeating the comments because they think they just got lost somewhere. This was, the editors are acknowledging the post, not the comment.
13. Comment from Anonymous
Time March 9, 2010 at 12:29 AM
[deleted by moderator]
MATZAV.COM RESPONDS:
You are funny.
14. Comment from The Rav
Time March 9, 2010 at 8:35 AM
Lo Mugbal, you are saying beautifully. Your words are musical, much like a harp being played by a fountain, on a clear summers day.
In fact, there is no difference between the 2 nuschaos. A couple of hundred years ago, a printer in Europe decided he needed to make more money, so he made up different nuschaos to get people to buy more than one siddur.
15. Comment from FYI
Time March 9, 2010 at 11:03 AM
The siddur Rav Amram Gaon, which I think is the oldest siddur we have, has kaddish without viyatzmach, like nusach Ashkenaz.
16. Comment from Rabbi
Time March 9, 2010 at 12:15 PM
Need clarification as to why the changed from their Porush mesora in the first place.
17. Comment from Pashuteh Yid
Time March 9, 2010 at 1:42 PM
Rabbosai, in all probabillity, this tzavaa has nothing to do with nusach, unfortunately. [deleted by moderator]
18. Comment from The Rav
Time March 9, 2010 at 8:15 PM
Pashuteh Yid, your words are not only soothing to the ear, like a bird singing alone in a maeadow, they also belie your name, as you are certainly not poshut!!
1. Comment from Lo Mugbal
Time March 8, 2010 at 4:40 PM
What is the difference? Theese are 2 perfectly kosher nusachim.