Solved

Seems that they borrowed from R' Amram Gaon's siddur. I suppose I should have read the introductory sections of the book before complaining about it.

Ah well.

Siddur variations

During Hanukkah, a paragraph is added to the `amidah and to birkat hamazon, beginning with the words `al hanissim, by which it is generally known. (A similar paragraph, with an identical introduction, is added on Purim.)

The opening line I've always known translates to something like this:

[We gratefully acknowledge you] for the miracles, the deliverance, the mighty acts, the salvations, and the victories in battle that you granted to our ancestors in those days at this season.

The boldfaced section, in Hebrew, reads בימים ההם בזמן הזה. Now, זמן is a tricky word, and closely matches the German Zeit in its dual meaning of "time" and "season." Just keep that in mind for a moment.

Siddur Sim Shalom, the standard siddur of the American Conservative movement, contains a slight variation in the text: בימים ההם ובזמן הזה. The siddur translates the segment — not totally inaccurately — as ". . . in other days, and in our time."

Which changes the meaning completely.

Has anyone else seen the additional ו in a siddur not published by the USCJ? If it's one of their innovations, why might they have changed it?

It's funny . . .

I have a way of coming up with ideas that would greatly benefit causes I don't support. The most extreme example of late has been the realization that, if I were a member of al-Qa`ida, I know exactly what I would do to New York City. (No, I'm not putting it in print. I'm pretty sure they got the idea for the 9/11 attacks from previously published material.)

Anyway, if I were in the Rebuild the Temple Right Now camp, I think I could put together a killer ad campaign centered around the last line of the first stanza of Ma`oz Tzur, a song for which Israelis, and Jews in general, hold near-universal affection. The line reads אז אגמור בשיר מזמור חנוכת המזבח — "then shall I complete, with a musical psalm [probably Psalm 30], the dedication of the [sacrificial] alter."

Now I just have to hope that they don't read this.

Ain't it grand?

Monounsaturated fats, such as canola and olive oil, have been shown to increase HDL (good cholesterol) levels while decreasing those of LDL (bad cholesterol).

Just thought I'd make it a happier Hanukkah.

(The bad news is that all fats have lots of calories. Oh well.)

Brought up by the goings-on of my other blog

A few questions:

In communities in which people prefer to be called to Torah honors as [name] ben/bat [father's name] v'[mother's name], how is the (still prevalent) custom of using only the mother's name in a mi sheberakh l'holim* explained?

In such communities, why are women consistently sought after to light shabbat candles in the synagogue, especially in light of the fact that men and women are equally obligated under orthodox halakhah?

Why, in these communities, is the shekhinah** generally described as a feminine aspect of God, while in all other cases God is described as gender-neutral?

Discuss.

*Traditional prayer for healing, usually associated with Torah reading.
**Literally, the presence of God. In qabbalist philosophy, the shekhinah takes on certain qualities of an independent entity.