Nusach: Style of Prayer

Is the type of siddur/Nusach I pray in really matter?

Shalom!

Thank you for your question.

One’s personal nusach hatefilla (liturgical style of prayer) is extremely important and significant. Our sages compare nusach hatefilla with the gates of heaven: just as a person enters heaven through the gate allotted to his tribe, so too, a person’s prayers enter heaven in accordance with the nusach of one’s “tribe,” namely, one’s family nusach . It is also noted that deviating from one’s family nusach is a violation of “Do not forsake the teaching of your mother” and is forbidden.

One who is unsure of his ancestral nusach should adopt a nusach that is likely to correspond with his heritage. For example, one of Lithuanian descent should consider adopting Nusach Ashkenaz, while one of Hungarian or Romanian descent should consider adopting Nusach Sefard, and so on. A ba’al teshuva  or one who converts to Judaism may adopt any Nusach he wants. The custom is for a woman to adopt the nusach of her husband upon marriage, One should always be consistent and not change from nusach to nusach.

OC 68 and commentaries