This is a compact siddur for weekday Minḥa according to Nusaḥ Ereṣ Yisrael, as derived from rulings of the Jerusalem Talmud, fragments found in the Cairo Geniza and other historical documents.
Until the time of the First Crusade, the Jewish communities of the Land of Israel maintained the ancient traditions: they followed the Halakhic rulings of the Jerusalem Talmud (as opposed to its Babylonian counterpart) and prayed according to the liturgy used in Ereṣ Yisrael from time immemorial. Even outside the Land, certain communities, notably Egypt, used the Land of Israel’s liturgy and followed the ancient customs of Ereṣ Yisrael as recently as two generations ago! But, in the Jewish world in general, the nusaḥ of Ereṣ Yisrael had receded into the mist of history.
Today, old realities of Jewish life in the Exile, a time of decline and decay, are clearly not the same as the realities we are experiencing during our period of national and spiritual rebirth. Today, nearly 50% of the Jewish nation lives in Ereṣ Yisrael, its ancestral homeland. The Return of Jews to Ereṣ Yisrael should be complemented by a return to the authentic teachings and religious practices of Ereṣ Yisrael in order to “renew our days as of old.”
The Siddur Ereṣ Yisrael project is a significant milestone in this process for all Jews, whether they still live in the Exile or already live in Ereṣ Yisrael. The driving force behind the revival of this ancient nusaḥ is Rabbi David Bar-Hayim of Machon Shilo in Jerusalem.
This siddur also includes Birkat HaMazon (Grace After Meals) and Tefillat HaDerekh (Travelers’ Prayer). Modern additions to the ancient prayers include ʿAl Hannissim for Yom Yerushalayim (Jerusalem Liberation Day) and Yom HaAṣmaut (Israeli Independence Day), additions which keep the nusaḥ at once uniquely ancient, yet thoroughly connected to our modern reality here in the Land Of Israel.
