שינוי מנהגים

Introduction

In a previous post, we discussed attempts to reinstate daily ברכת כהנים among אשכנזים in חו"ל, which all ended in terrible tragedy. [1] We left off with a צ"ע as to why this was, indeed, the case.

In my discussions of this point, some suggested that there is an איסור to change מנהגים whatsoever, anywhere, in any context, under any circumstances; this איסור being so severe, that catastrophes occur to those who try.

However, some of the halachic literature indicates that not all מנהגים are created equal: some are instituted by חכמי הדור as methods of preserving מסורת ההלכה; some, on the other hand, would seem to be a form of popular practice that may have taken too strong of a hold in the popular mind for חכמי הדור to successfully protest against - perhaps to the point where later חכמים will attempt to justify the popular practice after the fact, at times using weak halachic reasoning to do so.

From our research it appears that the אשכנזי practice of performing ברכת כהנים only on יו"ט fits into the latter category: as we have shown throughout this series, the origins of this practice are murky, and the halachic basis and support for maintaining it is problematic (see here, here, here, here, and here). Such being the case, there should, logically, be little (halachic) barrier for reinstating the performance of a מצות עשה.

Yet, with all that being said, those who tried to, indeed, do so failed terribly. Our goal here is to show that transgression of an איסור against changing מנהגים is not the reason, because there are numerous places in הלכה where פוסקים say to change or cancel a מנהג that they believe is wrong or needs improvement. (Some will say that it is one thing to write in a ספר "I don't agree with this" while actually going about proactively changing the status quo, בקום ועשה, is a step too far. If so, what is the point of writing such a language as יש לבטל המנהג or the like, if, indeed, actually being מבטל said מנהג is wrong; -?- essentially this would mean that one should only be מבטל the מנהג in theory, but not in practice, in which case, why bother making such a statement to begin with? Such a line of reasoning would relegate the דברי הפוסקים to the realm of להלכה ולא למעשה, which is not entirely logical.)

We will bring, here, a few examples of where פוסקים are critical of, decide to change, or stop a particular מנהג.

1

There were some places that inserted קרובץ [2] liturgical poems into ברכות קריאת שמע on שבת and other such special occasions. The טור,[3] רמה, [4] the ראש [3] the מחבר [5] and the שו"ע הרב [3] all say better to not say קרובץ as such would constitute a הפסק [6].

2

Before the widespread use of electric lights, a shul would often darken in the evenings. This presented a problem on יו"כ, where the congregation would be davening נעילה and they would not be able to read the פיוטים in the מחזור (which would only be said once a year, so memorizing them would be difficult, and, at the same time, it is too dark to read from inside the מחזור), a problem that presents itself uniquely on יו"כ. To this end, many shuls would have a gentile light the candles that would have gone out. קש"ע [7] and מ"ב [8] both say to stop this practice, suggesting that instead the gentile should strategically scatter the remaining lit candles throughout the shul, which would only involve שבות דשבות [9].

3

Some communities used to have a custom that the entire congregation reads the הפטורה out loud. ביאור הלכה [10] says this practice is wrong and should be changed, as it stems from lack of knowledge. Rather (and this is what I've seen in nearly every shul I have ever encountered), the בעל קריאה reads the הפטורה out loud and the congregation reads it with him, in a whisper.

4

This is not the place to provide a detailed introduction to הלכות טריפות, but briefly, animals that have lesions on their lungs which would cause said animals not to be able to live out the year are considered treif. To this end, there is an obligation to check the lung of an animal for said lesions. This is generally done today by trained בודקים working in kosher slaughterhouses.

Now, there are cases where בודקים are מחמיר, even against the strict הלכה; in many instances this would have been instituted by the חכמים of a particular locale, and should be maintained. However, where it is proven that those חכמים were mistaken, the מנהג should be stopped.

[11]

5

There were places where Jews were not allowed to shecht without saying Allah hu Akbar (G-d is all-powerful - Arabic) immediately preceding the  כף החיים .[12] שחיטה says to try stopping the מנהג because it seems like חוקות הגוים; similarly, to shecht facing a ציילעם or other idolatrous symbol is likewise problematic. [13]

6

There is a דין to perform ברכת כהנים at נעילה, assuming that the חזן reaches ברכת כהנים while there is still daylight. Some communities were not careful to ascertain that the sun did not yet set, rather they performed ברכת כהנים regardless. באר היטב [14] says to stop this מנהג.

7

In general (and I hope to discuss this point further in a full treatment בעז"ה of the definition of מנהג שטות and/or מנהג טעות and/or מנהג גרוע) a מנהג is only considered a מנהג if it has a source on which to rely; otherwise, a popular practice does not necessarily have the status of a full-fledged [15] מנהג. 

Additionally, if a מנהג has a trace of איסור, without having what to rely on to violate said איסור, such a מנהג should certainly be stopped forcefully, disregarding those unsophisticated claims that we must always do exactly as our ancestors did, in every context. [16]

As we have shown, only performing ברכת כהנים by מוסף on יו"ט has no fully legitimately backed up source (meaning, every source brought in support of this practice has significant halachic difficulties), so, to this end, there should seemingly be nothing wrong with restoring the מצוה to its former glory.

Conclusion

We have demonstrated throughout this series that there is no fully halachically workable reason not to perform ברכת כהנים daily. Yet, this is not the practice of אשכנזים in (most of [1]) חו"ל. Those who have attempted to remedy this situation have gotten into significant trouble as a result. We have shown in this article that the reason for this puzzling phenomenon cannot be that changing מנהגים is a capital sin, because, by halachic criteria of a valid [17] מנהג, this (only performing ברכת כהנים on יו"ט) should not count.

There are some other avenues we can pursue to find an answer. I hope to address those in future post(s) בעז"ה.

There is also a תשובה of the ראש [18], as well as a תשובה of the מהריק (שרש יח) that discusses the "rules" of מנהגים, namely which should be maintained versus which should be stopped, which we will אי"ה discuss in a future post of this series.

Appendix

1

In the interest of thoroughness, I plan to write a post in the future, collecting instances throughout halachic history where מנהגים were indeed changed (not organically, on their own, but rather purposely, by design).

2

This point is not directly relevant to our discussion, but a מנהג is also allowed to be changed for the sake of peace [19]; another example of an instance where there is such a concept as changing a מנהג. (As an aside, if a מנהג can be changed for the sake of peace, how much more so should a מנהג be changed if said מנהג involves ביטול עשה! -?-)

3

Anyone who has access to senior תלמידי חכמים that may have a valid response to my query, namely, why those who tried to reinstate daily ברכת כהנים seem to have been punished, should please let me know. I will be happy to provide any מראי מקומות etc. needed.

[1] I have since discovered that there is an אשכנזי shul in Dubai (see here) which performs ברכת כהנים daily. I am not aware that any catastrophe befell them as a result. בעז"ה I hope to get in touch with the rabbinic authorities there and discuss this matter with them. Any leads as to the identity and contact of the aforementioned will be appreciated.

[2] an acronym for קול רנה וישועה באהלי צדיקים (ב"י שם); see also מקור חסד (footnotes to מוסד הרב קוק edition of ספר חסידים) סי' קיד הע' ג for alternate explanations

[3] או"ח סח:א

[4] מובא שם

[5] שם

[6] The בח there asks how the 'טור וכו can stop a מנהג that רבי אלעזר הקליר, the ראבד and רבינו תם instituted. -?- The בח answers that רבי אלעזר הקליר didn't establish that קרובץ should be said except by those who were able to appreciate the content of קרובץ; but once the generations worsened and people interrupt davening just to engage in idle chatter about nothing particularly appropriate or important - therefore even רבי אלעזר הקליר would agree to stop them.

The בח, however, continues to say that this is only to answer for the טור; but חלילה to actually listen to the טור! There was even someone in our generation (says the בח) that began stopping קרובץ and didn't finish out the year.

This may be, at first glance, a proof that there is an איסור חמור against changing מנהגים; however, קרובץ was instituted by חכמי המסורה, and there is, at the very least, significant halachic grounds to maintain saying them, as the בח continues to explain there (see also לבוש there), whereas only performing ברכת כהנים on יו"ט was not clearly established by anyone, and the halachic grounds for maintaining the practice are very difficult to understand. This is also apparent from the ערוה"ש (שם סעיף ד) who says that someone who stops a פיוט gets punished, not that someone who changes a מנהג gets punished. We will בעז"ה further delineate the difference between stopping a פיוט (in particular) and changing a מנהג (in general) in a future post.

(Some may make a קל וחומר that if changing a פיוט is a capital offense בדיני שמים, surely reinstating daily ברכת כהנים, a much more significant change to the liturgy, would certainly be a capital offense בדיני שמים! However, significance in change to liturgy or not should, logically speaking, be irrelevant: if anything, אדרבה, what should, logically, determine the desirability of an action is not whether or not said action involves a change of the status quo, but rather, its inherent value or lack thereof. To this end, excising portions of liturgy that were placed there by חכמים קדמונים may have negative value; whereas reinstating the proper performance of a מצות עשה should, logically, have positive value.)

[7] קלג:כה

[8] תרכג:ג וכ"כ בכף החיים או"ח שם יג:א

[9] This is not the place for a full explanation, but briefly, שבות is a term for an איסור-מלאכה דרבנן. Instructing the gentile to light candles is a שבות of אמירה לעכום; whereas instructing a gentile to move candles that are already lit is a שבות דשבות, because for a Jew to move already-lit candles is a שבות of moving מוקצה. Telling a gentile to move already-lit candles is a שבות of אמירה לעכום to do another שבות of moving מוקצה. This is referred to in הלכה as a שבות דשבות, which, for a מצוה, is allowed.

[10] רפד:ה:א וע"ע קש"ע עט:ה

[11] כף החיים יו"ד לט:יט:א

[12] שם יט:לח

[13] שם ד:נה:א

[14] או"ח תרכג:ג

[15] This should be common sense, but for those who desire a footnoted reference see חוט שני שם ס"ק י 

[16] פלא יועץ - ערך מנהג

[17] To clarify, by valid I do not mean after the fact: in practice, the many communities that only perform ברכת כהנים on יו"ט have on whom to rely, in terms of the fact that many פוסקים (try to) offer justification therefor, and we cannot say it is אסור to rely on them. What I mean here is that, in the abstract, were there not to be such a מנהג in the first place, there would be little halachic justification to establish it to begin with.

[18] נה:י

[19] בנין ציון קכב:ב

יקום פורקן - מנהג קהל עדת ישרון

In a previous post (see note 1 there), I mentioned that the Chazzon in KAJ says the entire יקום פורקן out loud. ישראל Strauss and others corrected me that, in fact, the Chazzon begins and ends each יקום פורקן aloud, with the congregation saying along quietly.

This was a result of my misunderstanding the instructions on pg. 49 in מחזור שבחי ישרון (David J. Roth 2016) which say "The Chazzon begins", which I understood to mean that the Chazzon begins aloud and continues aloud; whereas, actually, the Chazzon begins aloud, continues quietly, and concludes aloud. The author of the מחזור confirmed for me as well that my original understanding of the instructions was not his intention.

This is also the practice of R Ely Shestack of Congregation Ahavas Achim (as can be heard here).

Leon Metzger shared with me that in Congregation Ohav Scholaum (a now-defunct yekkishe shul in Washington Heights - for more on that see here) the חזנים finished each יקום פורקן aloud.

טורח הציבור לגבי ברכת כהנים

Recently I had the occasion to daven at בית גבריאל, a Bukharian shul in Midtown, where I had the זכות to receive ברכת כהנים on an ordinary weekday. This experience was an eye-opener for me, in that the entire procedure took about 3 minutes, including the washing of the כהנים's hands. At this point I have trouble understanding what כל בו (סי' יא) refers to by objecting to daily ברכת כהנים on grounds of טורח הציבור. (The same צ"ב applies to the מהריל (תשובה חדשה כז) who says that daily ברכת כהנים causes ביטול מלאכה.)

A possible explanation of what would constitute טורח הציבור is the way ברכת כהנים is done in אשכנזי congregations on יו"ט, where every step of the process in done with painstaking care and deliberation, as well as many accessories, such as extended chants sung by the כהנים, and the like. This is seemingly a result of the fact that in these communities ברכת כהנים is (unfortunately) performed so rarely that it becomes (fortunately) a very special occasion. 

Perhaps where ברכת כהנים was done daily in ancient אשכנזי communities, it was indeed performed with all the accoutrements, in which case there would indeed be significant טורח הציבור. Nevertheless, the simplest solution to this problem is not to do away with a מצות עשה (almost) entirely, but rather to leave the accessories for where there is time, and keep, at least, the main part of the מצוה alive.

יציב פתגם - מהותה ואמירתה בחג השבועות

On the second day of שבועות, following the first פסוק of the הפטורה [1], a פיוט beginning יציב פתגם is sung by the בעל קריאה. This פיוט is part of a series of פיוטים related to the קריאות of שבועות, the original purpose of which was to serve as a נטילת רשות [2] to say the תרגום of the הפטורה [3]. (Evidently there was a custom to say the Aramaic translation of the הפטורה, similar to the custom - today practiced only by Yemenites [4] - of saying the תרגום of the פרשה during קריאת התורה.) Today, to my awareness, there is no community that says תרגום of the הפטורה, but the custom of saying the נטילת רשות stuck.

Being that יציב פתגם is a נטילת רשות for saying תרגום, it is said/sung following the first פסוק of the הפטורה, which is where the תרגום would, theoretically, begin.

Addenda

This custom is not completely universal: in Pozna it was not said (לבוש או"ח תצד:א). All of the various shuls I have attended over the years on the second day of שבועות do say it; considering, however, that they all, broadly speaking, follow נוסח אשכנז - מנהג פולין, this does not necessarily indicate much as regards other traditions. As for specific communities that I have not personally visited, I have only been able to find written record of יציב פתגם being said in Telz (מנהגי ישיבת טלז פרק ט - יום שני דשבועות). [5] It also appears in סידור קרני הוד (מכון מעדני אשר תשסד), which intends to be a completely accurate נוסח ספרד סדור, as indicated by the inside cover.

As an aside, the standard (מנהג פולין) tune for יציב פתגם is (nearly) identical to the rendition of אדון עולם sung at the end of davening in many ישיבות.

[1] ר אברהם Klausner, מ"ב תצד:ב; ספר המהנגים אות קלב. According to שו"ע הרב (או"ח תצד:ז), however, this would be considered a הפסק, to which end, he suggests placing prior to the ברכות of the הפטורה, or, better yet, not saying it altogether. This is indeed the custom in Lubavitch today (told to me by R Avrohom Bergstein of Anshei Lubavitch - Fair Lawn).

[2] lit. "taking permission", a נטילת רשות typically takes the form of a paragraph and/or פיוט which serves to introduce other פיוטים etc. that are not part of the ordinary סדר התפלה. See, for example, paragraph beginning מסוד חכמים ונבונים at the beginning of  חזרת השץ (according to נוסח אשכנז) on יו"ט.

[3] https://www.toviapreschel.com/yetziv-pitgam/

[4] told to me R Ronen Shaharabani of Cong. Magen Abraham (Mill Basin - נוסח תימן)

[5] I am unsure as to the מנהג הגרא on this matter: on one hand, סידור ווילנא (Mesores 5753) does include יציב פתגם in the הפטורה for the 2nd day of שבועות, whereas סידור אזור אליהו (מכון אזור אליהו תשפ), as well as סידור ע"פ נוסח הגרא (מוסד הרב קוק 2019) does not.

מנהגי לג בעומר for the non-Kabbalistically Inclined

In our times there are many customs associated with לג בעומר that stem from קבלה. This is because ר שמעון בר יוחאי, author/compiler of Kabbalistic works such as אידרא רבא, אידרא זוטא, died on לג בעומר. He also revealed many secrets to his תלמידים immediately preceding his death, which were later contained in the זהר. In fact, he specifically told them that his entire life he desired to see this day (i.e. the day he would die) upon which revealing those secrets would be opportune, and therefore it is a day of rejoicing for the whole world. [1]

Those who are not Kabbalistically inclined in particular may find it a challenge to ascribe today with any religious significance. To this end, I have collected all the מנהגים that I could find, related to לג בעומר, that do not stem from קבלה [2].

In general, לג בעומר is referred to by the פוסקים [3] as a day of joy and feasting, for then the plague that killed רבי עקיבא's תלמידים subsided. [4]

ר יוסף צבי Dunner related that in his childhood hometown of Keln לג בעומר was a day of שמחה  for children, and that in the תלמוד תורה the מלמדים would take their תלמידים on an outing. דינרי זהב explains that רבי עקיבא began teaching his 5 greatest תלמידים (among whom was רבי שמעון בר יוחאי) on לג בעומר in order to return תורה to the world. Indeed, that same day he gave them סמיכה. For this reason, לג בעומר was made a יו"ט for תלמידי ישיבה [5].

[1] אוצר דינים ומנהגים ערך לג בעומר

[2] The מנהגי אבלות, such as restrictions against music, haircuts and the like, that are lifted today are halachic in nature and are beyond the scope of this discussion.

[3] שו"ע או"ח תצג:ב; מהריל, בין פסח לשבועות אות ז ע"פ רוב כת"י

[4] An additional cause for joy is that on יח אייר the מן began to fall in the מדבר. See חת"ס יו"ד סי' רלג

[5] מנהגי מהריץ הלוי פרק טו אות ב. See דינרי זהב there where the customs of various communities in this regard are discussed at length.

יקום פורקן - המשך

A perusal of the ספרדי סדורים that I have collected indicates that ספרדים [1] do not say יקום פורקן. This would seem to be a result of the fact, as discussed here, יקום פורקן is a תפלה for the ריש גלותא, a no-longer extant position. To this end, ספרדי communities do not say יקום פורקן.

A slightly different objection to saying יקום פורקן was apparently made to the Chief Rabbi of England, namely that יקום פורקן is an anomaly, in that the ריש גלותא and the ישיבות of בבל are no more. He responded that this is a mistaken view in light of the addition (in his text of the סדור) of the words די בכל ארעת גלותנא (my translation: "in all the lands of our exile") making the תפלה applicable to our own times. Nevertheless, the omission of יקום פורקן was, as of the publication of The Authorized Daily Prayer Book, sanctioned in English Synagogues. [2]

[1] specifically Syrian (Siddur Abir Yaacob, Sephardic Press 2002), Kavkazi (סידור תפילה רינת קווקז, גבריאל דוידוב תשפ), Persian (A Sephardic Daily and Sabbath Siddur, Sephardic Traditions Foundation 2016), Spanish-Portuguese (Book of Prayers According to the Custom of the Spanish and Portuguese Jews, Union of Sephardic Congregations 1997), as well as סידור יחוה דעת (מכון יחוה דעת תשנה), which is not particular to any specific local custom but rather follows the פסקים of ר עובדיה יוסף.

Anyone who can provide me with access to סדורים of other distinct communities (ספרדי or otherwise) would be much appreciated.

[2] Hertz, 1948; see pgs. 499-503

יקום פורקן - הנוסחא המקורית

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.