Promoting The Study Of The Siddur As A Primary Text
The attached is found in a Siddur written in 1471. It is the first time that I have seen the Bracha שעשתני אשה ולא איש. The wording of the Siddur is otherwise very similar to Nusach Roma. Click here to view the entire Siddur:
In the first image below, the word גוי was censored in the ברכה of שלא עשתני גוי. Someone replaced the word גוי with the words בלתי מדבר. In my opinion the one who inserted the words בלתי מדבר wanted to send the following message to the censor: you can erase the words but I am not mute and I will still recite the word that belongs in that ברכה; the word גוי. In the second image, the ברכה was changed to שעשתני ישראל ולא אלם; that You, G-d, made me a Jew and I am not mute; i.e. I can proudly declare that I am glad to have been born a Jew. Neither version survived until today. Today those who follow the Roman Nusach simply say: שעשני ישראל.
