Following the reading of the הפטורה on שבת morning, a תפלה for the congregation is printed in אשכנזי סדורים.
Examining this תפלה, one observes that it is split into 3 parts: 2 paragraphs beginning יקום פורקן, and a מי שברך. In this article we intend to examine both יקום פורקן paragraphs in some depth. We hope to address the מי שברך separately אי"ה.
1
An immediate observation that is easily apparent is that most of the text of both paragraphs are repetitive, i.e. identical to each other. The primary difference lays in the fact that the second paragraph is addressing the congregation directly, in the second person; whereas the first paragraph addresses a variety of institutions in the religious community, in the third person. Theoretically (as we will discuss below), both paragraphs could be combined into one, thereby eliminating the need for such repetition.
A second observation that is also immediately apparent is that the structure of the תפלה - in that in it is a תפלה on behalf of the congregation, ending with ונאמר אמן - would seem to indicate that it is intended to be said by one person (such as the שליח ציבור, who is, literally, the messenger of the ציבור) on the congregation's behalf.
I have not, as yet, come across any סידור which combines both paragraphs of יקום פורקן into one, or nearly any that instructs the שליח ציבור to say the תפלה out loud, on behalf of the congregation [1]. This is despite the fact that the original source (see below) for יקום פורקן indeed combines both paragraphs into one, instructing the שליח ציבור to say it out loud for the congregation to respond אמן. This would, indeed, seem to be the original practice. Further research is necessary to determine how and why the original practice changed to the current one, and by whom was it changed.
Following are the instructions and text of יקום פורקן as they appear in מחזור ויטרי [2], one of the first נוסח אשכנז סדורים ever compiled:
After the מפטיר finishes the הפטורה, the שליח ציבור gives a ברכה to those who are involved in צורכי ציבור, the ראשי ישיבות and those who are involved in לימוד התורה worldwide from whom תורה and הוראה go out to כלל ישראל. This practice was instituted by ראשונים to encourage the public in יראת שמים because where people see that those who attend services at the shul are being commended, those who need encouragement to attend shul strengthen their own alacrity.
The שליח ציבור says:
יקום פורקן מן שמיא חנא וחסדא ורחמים וחיי אריכי ומזוני רויחי וסייעתא דשמיא ובריות גופא זרעא חיא וקימא זרעא דלא יפסוק ודלא יבטול מפתגמי אורייתא ובנין דחיין בעובדי אורייתא למרנן ורבנן חבורתא קדישתא דבארעא דישראל ודבבבל ולרישי כלה ולרישי מתיבתא ולדייני דבבא ולדייני דמתא ולכל תלמידי חכמים ולכל תלמידיהון ולכל תלמידי תלמידיהון. לכל מאן דעסקין באורייתא, לכל קהלא קדישא הדין - רברביא עם זעריא טפליא עם נשיא - מלכא דעלמא יפיש חייהון ויסגא יומיהון ויתן ארכא לשניהון ויפרוק וישזב יתהון מכל צרה ועקא ומכל מרעין בישין. מרן דבשמיא יהא בסעדהון וישמע בקול צלותהון ויתן יתהון לחנא ולחסדא קדם כורסא דיקר מלכותיה וקדם שלטוני דארעא ויקיים זכותהון דכל ישראל בכל זמן ועדן. ונאמר אמן
Translation (mine):
Let there arise, from Heaven, salvation, favor, kindness, mercy, longevity, abundant sustenance, Heavenly assistance, physical health, living, healthy offspring that will not stop or desist from the dicta of תורה, and offspring that will live according to the תורה's expectations of behavior to the teachers and rabbis, the Holy Group, that are in ארץ ישראל and that are in בבל; and to the heads of כלה [3]; and to the heads of ישיבות; and to the judges of the gate; and to the judges of the city; and to all תלמידי חכמים, and all their תלמידים, and all their תלמידים's תלמידים; to anyone who is involved in לימוד התורה. For this entire Holy Congregation - elders and youth, children with women - the King of the World should increase their lives, and enlarge their days, and give length to their years; and save and redeem them from any sorrow and misfortune and from all bad occurrences. Our Master in Heaven should be at their assistance, and hearken to the sound of their תפלה, and consider them to be in favor and kindness before the כסא הכבוד and before Earthly rulers; and the merit of all כלל ישראל should last in every time and era. (Congregation responds: אמן)
2
Recently, I met R Hershel Schachter and I discussed this topic with him. He suggested [4] that יקום פורקן was originally instituted as a תפלה for the ריש גלותא [5]: in the ריש גלותא's presence, the שליח ציבור would say a תפלה for his success (similar to the practice of many shuls today, where the rabbi's name is mentioned in a מי שברך if he is there); if he was not present, there would be no יקום פורקן (similar to the practice of many shuls today, where if the rabbi is not present, his name is not mentioned). At the same time, the members of the congregation are mentioned in יקום פורקן as well; seemingly, they did not want to miss an opportunity to be blessed only because the ריש גלותא was not there; so, to this end, יקום פורקן was split in two. Eventually, (ed. - perhaps at the abolishment of the ריש גלותא's position altogether [6]) the מנהג developed to say the first יקום פורקן as well; and once they were split, they remained split.
Regarding why the congregation mumbles יקום פורקן together instead of the שליח ציבור saying it out loud and the congregation responding אמן, as the setup of the תפלה would indicate, R Schachter suggested that perhaps this is similar to ואמרו אמן at the end of שמונה עשרה which, perforce, is said quietly; namely, that there we are, so to say, asking the מלאכים to say אמן to our תפלות [7]. He agreed to my comment, however, that there is a דין to say שמונה עשרה quietly; there is no such דין by יקום פורקן.
ועדיין נשאר בצ"ע.
[1] This is, however, the מנהג in KAJ (מחזור שבחי ישרון, שבת, מאת דוד חיים ראט 2016 עמ' 139). I have heard a rumor to the effect that R Yaakov Neuburger says יקום פורקן on his shul out loud on behalf of the entire congregation, to which they respond אמן, but this information is, as yet, unconfirmed. Any leads or clarifications are appreciated.
[2] מח"וו סדר שבת אות יד, מהדורת אוצר הפוסקים
[3] those who conducted study sessions for the general public. See The Authorized Daily Prayer Book, R Joseph H Hertz, Bloch Publishing Company, 1948 pg. 499
[4] based on בעל המאון (עירובין נט.)
[5] Exilarch, or political leader of the Jews in Babylonia; see next note
[6] in 1040 למספרם (see Hertz there). For more on ריש גלותא, see R Berel Wein, In the Footsteps of Eliyahu Hanavi, Shaar Press 2019 pg. 25-29
[7] This is ברוך שאמר's explanation.
Presumably (my suggestion) this would not be included in the איסור (expressed in the רמבם's 5th עיקר אמונה) of davening to מלאכים because the assumption here seems to be that we are not literally asking the מלאכים to please choose to bring out תפלות to the כסא הכבוד, rather, we are using this phrase as a figure of speech whose plain meaning is a בקשה to 'ה that our תפלה should be accepted. Other suggestions are welcome.
