Word Prompt – MACHZOR – Adena Berkowitz

The word machzor originally referred to the Ashkenazic siddur that contained all the prayers for the yearly cycle. An example of this can be found in the 11^th-century Machzor Vitry, compiled by Rabbi Simcha of Vitry (hence its name), a student of Rashi. This siddur, too heavy for daily and weekly use, led to a smaller siddur, leaving the machzor to contain only the prayers for the once-a-year holidays. Eventually, it came to be identified primarily with the use on the High Holidays.

Our Sages connected the name with the theme of the High Holidays as the root of machzor is chazar, to return. Before Rosh Hashanah, we should return not only to review the tefillot in the machzor, but spend time returning to review our actions between us and Hashem as well as our fellow human beings.

The machzor may stay the same; but by davening from our machzor, and spending time in shul with our community, hopefully our neshamas, our souls, will be stirred to change as we stand before Hashem. In that way, as we work on being better Jews and better human beings, we can also return to our true essence as our best selves, as pure as the day we were born. Ketiva vChatimah Tovah!