Addendum to Chapter 3: Details related to Chapter V of L. H. Schiffman [LS1985]

The chapter's main point is that Jewish Christians were accepted as Jews, but they were considered to be heretics and in order to stop them from being precentors (leaders of the service) a new benediction was added to the existing 18. This was composed by Samuel Ha-Qatan [ibid, p. 55] and it is directed against the heretics (minim). It is normally recited as the twelfth benediction. Schiffman [ibid, pp. 55-56] provides the following text based on a document found in the Cairo Genizah.

For the apostates may there be no hope unless they return to Your Torah. As for the noserim and the minim, may they perish immediately. Speedily may they be erased from the Book of Life and may they not be registered amongst the righteous. Blessed are You, O Lord, Who subdues the wicked.

Who were the noserim?According to Schiffman [ibid, 59-61] it refers to Gentile Christians although there are disputes about the origin of the term. The Rabbis could not call the Christians with the Hebrew translation of their name Meshikhiyim because that would acknowledge Jesus as the Messiah. (For additional discussion of this issue see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Notzrim).

LS1985 Lawrence H. Schiffman, Who Was A Jew? Rabbinic and Halakhic Perspectives on the Jewish-Christian Schism, Ktav Publishing House, 1985.

The Benedictions

I provide below a list taken from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amidah for those not familiar with the Benedictions. This article also contains the story of the addition of the twelfth benediction but it provides a slightly different spelling for its author, Samuel Ha-Katan. The text is somewhat different than the one given above but the substance is clearly the same. I provide only the titles for the other 18 benedictions.

The Nineteen Benedictions of the Amidah (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amidah)

1. THE GOD OF HISTORY
2. THE GOD OF NATURE
3. SANCTIFICATION OF GOD
4. PRAYER FOR UNDERSTANDING
5. FOR REPENTANCE
6. FOR FORGIVENESS
7. FOR DELIVERANCE FROM AFFLICTION
8. FOR HEALING
9. FOR DELIVERANCE FROM WANT
10. FOR GATHERING OF EXILES
11. FOR THE RIGHTEOUS REIGN OF GOD
12. FOR THE DESTRUCTION OF APOSTATES AND THE ENEMIES OF GOD
    Let there be no hope for slanderers, and let all wickedness perish in an instant.
    May all your enemies quickly be cut down, and may you soon in our day uproot,
    crush, cast down and humble the dominion of arrogance. Blessed are you, O Lord,
    who smashes enemies and humbles the arrogant.
13. FOR THE RIGHTEOUS AND PROSELYTES
14. FOR THE REBUILDING OF JERUSALEM
15. FOR THE MESSIANIC KING
16. FOR THE ANSWERING OF PRAYER
17. FOR RESTORATION OF TEMPLE SERVICE
18. THANKSGIVING FOR GOD'S UNFAILING MERCIES
19. FOR PEACE

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