Bidspirit auction | ”They Should Not Say 'Keser'

”They Should Not Say 'Keser' Aloud” – A Rare Halachic Teshuvah Permitting Chassidim and Misnagdim to Recite Kedushah Together – 1905 Important halachic teshuvah from Hagaon HaKadosh Rabbi Yehosef Rottenberg , author of Bnei Sheloshim of Kassan , in which he explains why it is permissible for a small minyan consisting of two Chassidim (davening Nusach Sefard ) and eight Misnagdim (davening Nusach Ashkenaz ) to recite Kedushah together, even though one group says ”Nakdishoch” and the other ”Na'aritzach.” Written on 1 Elul, 1905 . The Bnei Sheloshim rules that there is no cause for concern, since the essential part of Kedushah is the declaration of ”Kadosh, Kadosh, Kadosh.” He therefore advises that those reciting ”Keser” should do so quietly and finish together with the rest of the minyan, so that everyone proclaims the main Kedushah in unison. He writes: ”...In my opinion there is no concern whatsoever, for the essence of Kedushah is 'Kadosh, Kadosh, Kadosh.' Those reciting Keser should say it quietly and hasten to finish, so that everyone says Kadosh, Kadosh, Kadosh together. I also know many distinguished individuals who davened Nusach Sefard while praying in Ashkenazic batei medrash...” He adds: ”...The two Chassidim who customarily say Keser should not say it aloud , but quietly, finishing together with the congregation, so that the essential Kedushah will be recited with a minyan of ten.” • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • A Classic Machlokes Among the Gedolei HaDor The question of whether Chassidim and Misnagdim may recite Kedushah together while following different nuscha'os became the subject of a well-known halachic debate. While the Bnei Sheloshim ruled leniently, the Netziv of Volozhin ( Meishiv Davar , siman 17), the Pe'as HaShulchan (siman 3), and Rabbi Shlomo Kluger ( HaElef Lecha Shlomo , siman 45) prohibited such a practice. Many later poskim, however, accepted the more lenient ruling of the Bnei Sheloshim . • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Hagaon HaKadosh Rabbi Yehosef Rottenberg , author of Bnei Sheloshim of Kassan (1853–1912), was a renowned gaon and tzaddik, to whom thousands flocked seeking brachos and yeshuos. A grandson of the Atteres Tzvi of Ziditchov , he was a foremost talmid of the Divrei Chaim of Sanz , who greatly admired his extraordinary brilliance. At the age of just thirteen , he became the son-in-law of Hagaon HaKadosh Rabbi Meshulam Feish HaLevi of Tosh . Alongside his renowned avodah—immersions in icy waters, fasting, and other acts of asceticism—he was an extraordinary gaon, reportedly knowing the entire Bavli , Yerushalmi , Zohar , and more by heart. It is related that during a visit to the famed Pressburg Yeshivah , he engaged in a lengthy Torah discussion with the Shevet Sofer , who was so impressed that he asked him to examine all the bochurim. After hearing each bochur present a difficult question, the Bnei Sheloshim answered every one of them with a single brilliant explanation. Autograph letters of the Bnei Sheloshim are of the greatest rarity—especially a halachic teshuvah addressing one of the central issues in the historic divide between Chassidim and Misnagdim: the question of differing nuscha'os in tefillah.