Aleinu - Other Variations

Other Variations

"Numberless changes" have been introduced into the text, primarily by Conservative and Reform communities, to make it less controversial and invidious; in some instances these changes have taken the form of less-than-literal translations of the traditional Hebrew into the local language. For example, the British Reform version borrows words from the blessings over the Torah, and begins "It is our duty to praise the Ruler of all, to recognise the greatness of the Creator of first things, who has chosen us from all peoples by giving us Torah. Therefore we bend low and submit.." Reconstructionist Judaism changes the lines which reference the chosen people.

For example, in the Italian ritual, "they bow down" was changed to the past tense, "they used to bow down", and "vanity and emptiness" was changed to לאלילים "idols", so the whole verse refers to ancient idol worship. There was, evidently, an experimental amendment to the preceding verse in one or more Sefardic prayerbooks: "... He has not made us like some nations of other countries ...." But this amendment was abandoned.

Although the standard text of Aleinu today includes the phrase "le-taqen olam" (=to fix the world), most likely the original text had "le-taken olam" (a kaf, not a quf). The original meaning was thus: to establish a world under the kingdom of God. Therefore, Aleinu originally had nothing to do with tiqqun olam (fixing the world). One can see the "kaf" reading in the text of R. Saadiah Gaon, and in fragments from the Cairo Genizah.