Mussaf

To understand tefillat mussaf, we need first to discuss the korban mussaf, additional sacrifice. A korban mussaf was offered in the Temple on days with special sanctity: Shabbat, Rosh Chodesh, festivals and Yamim Nora’im, in addition to the twice-daily korban tamid.¹ Both the korban mussaf and the korban tamid consist of animal sacrifices, accompanied by a meal offering and a wine libation.

The mussaf offerings feature some interesting patterns. Shabbat’s additional sacrifice is simply a doubling of the korban tamid, perhaps representing the double portion of manna that fell on Friday, to serve for Shabbat.

In Tishrei, on Rosh Ha-Shana, Yom Kippur, and Shemini Atzeret, the korban mussaf includes one bull, one ram, and seven sheep. The korban mussaf of Pesach, Shavuot, and Rosh Chodesh adds a bull to that pattern. Sukkot’s korban mussaf is a combination of these two models — double the rams, double the sheep, and multiple bulls — possibly because Sukkot is simultaneously part of the Tishrei season of “the turn of the year” and of the trio of pilgrimage festivals.²

Every korban mussaf except for Shabbat’s also includes a se’ir, a he-goat. The Mishna teaches that these goats serve as a sin offering. What transgressions do they atone for? A person who is tamei, ritually impure, may not enter the Temple or eat kodshim, consecrated items. The goat of the korban mussaf atones for unwitting violations of these prohibitions.

Even when it is certain that no such transgressions have taken place, korban mussaf includes the goat. In other words, the goat is not solely a means of atonement for these transgressions. It is also a reflection of the day’s special sanctity, kedushat ha-yom.³

The korban mussaf is a communal sacrifice. The obligation to offer the korban mussaf falls on the Jewish community as a whole, though the kohanim have direct responsibility for it.

Sefer Ha-chinuch seemingly includes women in this obligation, as part of the community.⁶

To whom does a communal offering such as korban mussaf belong? We might consider it to be co-owned by all the contributors of the half shekel, or as belonging to the entire Jewish community.

I. The Half-Shekel Contributors’ Half-shekel funds collected annually from the community pay for communal offerings such as the korban mussaf. The Torah obligates only those counted in the military census, i.e. men over the age of twenty, to contribute the half shekel:

Although women are exempt from contributing to the half-shekel collection, the option of participating remains open to women:

In his comments on a mishna, Rashi writes that specifically those who contribute to a Temple offering via the half shekel own a portion of it:⁴

According to this opinion, only women who have voluntarily contributed a half shekel would have a portion in korban mussaf. We should note, however, that in that same mishna Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai rejects this model of ownership.⁵

II. The Entire Community’s Ramban distinguishes between voluntary offerings of the community funded by the half shekel and voluntary offerings brought by partners.

To Ramban, the community represented by the half-shekel offering is more than the group of individuals who actually contribute a half-shekel. Community here is its own entity, greater than the sum of its parts. A sacrifice bought from half-shekel funds belongs fully to all of the Jewish people.⁷

According to this view, a woman is part of the community that owns korban mussaf, whether or not she personally donates a half shekel.

With this background information about korban mussaf in place, we can now turn our attention to tefillat mussaf.

We recite tefillat mussaf on days on which the korban mussaf (additional sacrificial offering) was offered. Anshei Kenesset Ha-gedola (the men of the Great Assembly) enacted tefillat mussaf to correspond to the sacrifice,⁸ and in Temple times, tefillat mussaf was actually recited following the offering of korban mussaf, just as shacharit was recited right after offering the morning korban tamid.

The timeframe for bringing the sacrifice forms the basis for the timing of the tefilla to this day. Mussaf should ideally be recited prior to the end of the seventh halachic hour, which is when the sacrifice was usually brought, but the prayer (like the sacrifice) remains valid any time before halachic sunset.⁹

Structure and Rachmi

Like other tefillot (i.e., shacharit, mincha, and ma’ariv) of Shabbat and holidays, Tefilat mussaf includes one central blessing of kedushat ha-yom.

Unlike other Shabbat and holiday prayers, however, the central blessing of tefillat ha-mussaf always includes a description of the day’s korban mussaf.

This seven-beracha structure, tefillat sheva, is distinct from the nineteen berachot of the daily shemoneh esrei, in which the central thirteen berachot express supplications for Divine mercy, rachmi.

Rabbeinu Asher (Rosh) makes two important observations that mitigate the difference between the beracha of kedushat ha-yom and the thirteen supplicatory berachot of the weekday shemoneh esrei.

First, he contends that most tefillot of Shabbat and festivals really ought to include all the supplicatory berachot of a weekday. Although our sages shortened the prayers to make them less burdensome and out of respect for the honor of Shabbat,¹⁰ they remain prayers of rachmi. Second, he suggests that the mussaf prayers of Rosh Chodesh and chol ha-mo’ed may once have included the full set of berachot of rachmi.

Rosh’s suggestions lay open the possibility that tefillat sheva, even of mussaf, retains the character of prayer as rachmi.

Tosafot, however, maintain that tefillat mussaf was established only as a way of making up for the lack of opportunity to bring the korban mussaf, and that it is thus unlike prayers of rachmi.¹¹

Both of Tosafot’s claims are subject to challenge. If tefillat mussaf was merely a replacement for korban mussaf, why was it recited in Temple times, when the sacrifice was offered?¹² What makes Tosafot certain that kedushat ha-yom, which includes prayers for redemption and the renewal of the sacrifices, is not a beracha of rachmi?

Some halachic authorities derive an exemption for women from tefillat mussaf from the close connection between the tefilla and the sacrifice. One school of thought bases its arguments more on the sacrifice, the other more on the nature of the tefilla.

I. Exemption because of the Sacrifice Rabbi Akiva Eiger argues that women are exempt from reciting mussaf because of women’s exemption from contributing the half shekel. ¹³

Rav Eiger assumes that korban mussaf belongs specifically to contributors of the half shekel and that obligation in tefilat mussaf depends on having a portion in korban mussaf.

But according to the view that korban mussaf belongs to the entire community, women would have a portion in it. If we follow that approach, a particular person’s obligation to donate a half shekel does not determine their obligation in tefillat mussaf.

According to Rav Tzvi Pesach Frank, anyone who receives atonement through korban mussaf is also obligated in tefilat mussaf. Rav Yechiel Heller articulates how this would include women.¹⁴

Alternatively, we can see both the mussaf sacrifice and the tefilla essentially as expressions of kedushat ha-yom. In that case, Rav Shaul Nathansohn argues, women may be obligated to recite mussaf because it expresses kedushat ha-yom, just as women are obligated to recite kiddush, which does so as well.

II. Exemption because of the Tefilla The Talmud teaches that women have an obligation in daily prayer because of the importance of every person seeking rachmi, God’s mercy.

Building on the position of Tosafot that we saw above, that tefillat mussaf is not rachmi, Tzelach argues that women are exempt from reciting it:

Halachic authorities present three different grounds for rejecting this argument for exemption, on three different grounds. One, Rav Betzalel Zolty argues that mussaf is like other prayers, so women are obligated.

Two, Magen Gibborim claims that since teflilat mussaf on Rosh Chodesh and chol ha-mo’ed may have once included the full set of supplicatory blessings, tefillat ha-mussaf is rachmi. ¹⁵

Finally, Rav Yosef Soloveitchik argues that tefillat mussaf is rachmi based on its content. ¹⁶

Furthermore, tefilat mussaf sets the stage for the Divine judgment unique to each sacred day. In the face of judgment, we seek mercy

Even those who would otherwise exempt women from tefillat mussaf make an exception for the Yamim Nora’im. Rav Shimon Sofer (19th century, Chatam Sofer’s grandson) writes that on Rosh Ha-shana, when the connection to rachmi in mussaf is very strong, there is even greater reason to consider it obligatory for women.¹⁷

We can extend this logic to Yom Kippur as well.¹⁸

Mishna Berura mentions both positions, to exempt and to obligate. He does not rule decisively either way.

In light of the strong arguments and counter-arguments, women’s obligation in tefillat mussaf remains a matter of debate.

Rav Eliezer Melamed argues that this debate creates a situation of doubt. Since the doubt concerns a matter of rabbinic law and not Torah law, there is room to allow women not to say mussaf.¹⁹

On the other hand, even if we maintain that women are exempt from mussaf, a woman may recite it voluntarily. Rav Ovadya Yosef generally rules that women should not recite berachot over voluntary mitzva performance. Therefore, he initially wrote that a woman should hear mussaf in synagogue and not recite it on her own, since her recitation would be voluntary and include berachot.²⁰ Later on, though, he changed his mind and permitted all women to recite tefillat mussaf, perhaps because the berachot of mussaf do not include the phrase “ve-tzivanu” “and He commanded us.”

Shevet Halevi notes that when a woman prays mussaf, it is not considered a mere tefillat nedava, or voluntary prayer. Rather, her prayer is a full-fledged tefillat mussaf.

Many women do regularly recite mussaf,²¹ and that custom can itself be binding.²² Given this fact, that women might be obligated, and that voluntary recitation is fully permissible, women who pray regularly should make an effort to recite tefillat mussaf, keeping in mind the atonement of the sacrifice, the sanctity of the day, and longing at all times for rachmi.