The song "Al Hanisim" is popularly sung on Hanukkah by many Jews everywhere. However, I've noticed a discrepancy:
On this website it states that the lyrics are:
עַל הַנִּסִּים, וְעַל הַפֻּרְקָן, וְעַל הַגְּבוּרוֹת, וְעַל הַתְּשׁוּעוֹת, וְעַל הַמִּלְחָמוֹת, שֶׁעָשִֽׂיתָ לַאֲבוֹתֽינוּ בַּיָּמִים הָהֵם בַּזְּמַן הַזֶּה.
However, on Chabad's website, it states that the text is:
עַל הַנִּסִּים, וְעַל הַפֻּרְקָן, וְעַל הַגְּבוּרוֹת, וְעַל הַתְּשׁוּעוֹת, וְעַל נפלאות, שֶׁעָשִֽׂיתָ לַאֲבוֹתֽינוּ בַּיָּמִים הָהֵם בַּזְּמַן הַזֶּה.
Why the change? Is this just how the song is arranged? Is this a difference with the source text itself (I know that Chabad has a nusah different from other Ashkenazi communities, making changes so some prayers are grammatically correct). Or what?
Answer
The Lubavitcher Rebbe explains that the Baal HaTanya when composing the siddur had in front of him 60 different siddurim. This version appears in the Abudraham among others (listed at the link).
The plain-meaning logic behind the selection is: "For the wars" isn't understood - it should be "for winning the wars" or something similar. Another version of leaves out the "and" (for תשועות on the war) but this is inconsistent, because then it should also be saying that for the other clause - על הפורקן (שנעשו) על הצרות. Some have נחמות - comforts - instead of war. But comfort for what? (similar to the debate about ונחמתא in Kaddish). And most compellingly in Haneiros Hallalu נפלאות is mentioned twice, so it should be mentioned here as they should be expected to parallel each other.
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