Nusach is a style of chanted prayers in Judaism, set to music that varies by season and service type. The standardized liturgical prayers are sung in Hebrew, with variations in tune according to the occasion. Nusach developed over thousands of years, with variations in style between Ashkenazi and Shefardic branches. The Hasidic movement led to further variation, but with modern technology, styles are beginning to merge again.
Nusach refers to any number of styles of chanted or chanted prayers within Judaism. In a nusach service, liturgical prayer texts are set to music which varies according to the season of the year and the type of service. These styles have historically varied along geographic and theological lines, although the basis of the prayer service is fairly consistent.
The word nusach literally means “text,” referring to the standardized liturgical prayers that are set to music in a Jewish service. Usually the text is taken from the Torah, the first five books of the Hebrew scriptures. The text is always sung in the original Hebrew language of the Torah. The most important of these is known as the Shema, which means “hear,” after its first word, and translates as: “Hear, Israel, the Lord your God is one God.”
Often, at least some of the text of the nusach does not vary throughout the year. The cantor, or singer, however, changes the tune according to the mood of the occasion. For example, a darker tune will be used on a day of mourning or fasting rather than a day of celebration. Within a given nusach tradition, there are standardized tunes to be used for particular times of day, seasons, or holidays.
The practice of nusach developed gradually over thousands of years. After the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem in AD 70, the Jewish people scattered throughout Europe. Eventually, a geographical division of Judaism developed between the Ashkenazi branch in Eastern Europe and the Shefardic branch in Western Europe. The nusach of each of these two groups evolved separately, resulting in variations in tune and style of worship, although much of the essential content of the two branches remained the same.
In the 18th century, the Hasidic movement of Judaism arose in Eastern Europe, which led many Ashkenazi Jews to revert to the Shefardic style of worship. The founder of the Hasidic movement, Rabbi Israel ben Eliezer, believed that Sephardic prayer best reflected the mystical aspects of the Jewish faith. However, Hasidic Jews did not fully adopt Sephardic nusach. Rather than leading to a unification of styles, this movement introduced even greater variation in Jewish worship which continued for several centuries. With the development of mass communications, including the Internet, various styles began to influence and merge into each other again.
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