שבת הגדול

1

The שבת before פסח is called שבת הגדול, because of the miracle that occurred on it, namely, that once the Egyptians noticed בני ישראל designating sheep (לבוש [1] even says they dragged the sheep on the ground purposely to denigrate the Egyptian idol), they then asked what the sheep were for [2] and were told that the sheep were for the קרבן פסח which would protect them (בני ישראל) from מכת בכורות. At that point the Egyptian בכורים lobbied פרעה to release בני ישראל, which he refused to do; so the Egyptian בכורים went to war against the rest of Egypt, resulting in many casualties on both sides. [3] 

Alternatively, the Egyptians observed בני ישראל designating sheep. Upon inquiring as to the purpose of said sheep, they were then told that the sheep were going to be slaughtered for a קרבן פסח. The Egyptians were miraculously prevented from saying anything, so they were left only being able to gnash their teeth over the fact that their idols (the sheep) were going to be slaughtered. Being that יציאת מצרים took place on Thursday, we thereby deduce that the sheep were designated on שבת. On account of this miracle, the שבת before פסח is referred to as שבת הגדול [4].

Now, it seems a bit strange that the miracle is related to שבת before פסח rather than the day of the month, namely י ניסן. -?-  The problem is that בני ישראל came out of the ירדן on י ניסן [5], so if י ניסן were to be designated a festive day then the assumption would be that it is festive on account of בני ישראל coming out of the ירדן. To avoid such misconceptions [6], the miracle of the Egyptian בכורים waging war is therefore commemorated on the שבת before פסח.

Additionally, מרים died on י ניסן, in which case the date of her passing would end up begin established as a fast; on שבת, however, one may not fast on account of a yahrzeit [7].

Alternatively, the entire miracle occurred as a result of שבת, meaning, that the Egyptians saw בני ישראל handling animals on שבת specifically, which was strange because animals are מוקצה on שבת and, as such, may not be moved on שבת. This is why the Egyptians asked for an explanation, and either of the two miracles described above then occurred [8].

A deeper explanation proposed by the ערוה"ש [9] is that שבת and יציאת מצרים depend on each other, in that שבת is a testimony to the creation of the world, and פסח is a testimony to Hashem's special attention and value for כלל ישראל. One without the other would be pointless, which is why Hashem gave us שבת immediately upon leaving מצרים, without waiting for מתן תורה, because יציאת מצרים and שבת depend on each other. This is why this שבת is called שבת הגדול, because besides for the creation of the world, Hashem's השגחה was also made clear, and we also were נתגדל by being chosen from all other nations, which is the true reason why we call it הגדול.

2.1

There is a מנהג to say the הגדה from עבדים היינו until לכפר על כל עוונותינו by מנחה on שבת הגדול (at which point those who otherwise say ברכי נפשי stop doing so) [10]. The reason for this מנהג is because the גאולה started from the point where the sheep were designated for קרבן פסח [11]. This is done even where ערב פסח falls on שבת, in which case the דרשה (which will be discussed shortly) is rescheduled for the prior week [12].

There is also a (to my knowledge) universal מנהג that the rabbi addresses the congregation on matters pertaining to פסח (known as the 'שבת הגדול דרשה'). In some communtities, the rabbi takes this opportunity to teach הלכות פסח. In other communities, it is assumed that anyone who has a shaila will ask the rabbi directly and individually [13]. To that end, some rabbis take the opportunity to exhort the congregation to destroy the חמץ of their crooked actions, confused ideas, and rotten מדות [14].

On account of these two מנהגים, some say this is where the designation of שבת הגדול comes from, namely that people spend so much time in shul hearing all the הלכות of פסח and relating the miracles and wonders that Hashem did for our ancestors in מצרים that the day seems very big (in length and/or in prominence), which is why it started being called שבת הגדול [15].

2.2

מדקדקים are נוהג that instead of saying ומבורך שבת שלום or גוט שבת as they would normally, they instead say שבת הגדול מבורך or א גוטטען שבת הגדול [16].

2.3

At one point, all of כלל ישראל had a מנהג to bake bread on ערב שבת הגדול to distiribute to the poor, and from the day that people were מזלזל in this מנהג - there was then a curse against the grain [17].

3

The deeper message of שבת הגדול

Adapted from the שבת הגדול דרשה of ר משה Feinstein delivered in 5682

שבת is the תכלית הבריאה, the pinnacle or peak for which the world was created [18], because if not for שבת then a person would hardly have any opportunity to contemplate spiritual matters, so by keeping and remembering שבת - a person then comes out of the גלות spiritually thereby; even if the body is in גלות, still the spirit is not in גלות in that it has no master other than Hashem. In מצרים, where the תורה was not yet given such that the spirit was still in גלות - the מצוה of קרבן פסח was therefore given to us to be eaten בחבורה and to the exclusion of בני נכר, and even a ישראל whose actions were נתנכר from הקב"ה (i.e. an ערל - ed.) is not fit to eat the קרבן פסח, and with this (the fact that the קרבן פסח could only be eaten with non-ערלים) the spirit already had its redemption through the תורה. But after מתן תורה where the spirit was already redeemed by means of the תורה from which point the spirit is no longer נשתעבד - then even though the body is in גלות, still the נפש is not in גלות, and that is by means of שבת which enables the נפש to contemplate properly. So by means of the קרבן פסח - a person thereby reaches a recognition that the primary גאולה is that of the spirit and the soul through קבלת התורה whereupon the spirit is no longer נשתעבד. This is the deeper meaning behind why this שבת is called הגדול: because at that point בני ישראל recognized the גדולה of שבת and its position as the תכלית הבריאה.

[1] או"ח תל:א

It is worth noting that בני ישראל were not previously aware that the Egyptians would be prevented from doing them any harm; rather, they placed their full trust in Hashem that no harm would befall them from doing a מצוה.

(מ"ב שם)

[2] פרישה (ס"ק ב על הטור שם) specifies that what the attention of the Egyptians was that they saw בני ישראל making knots. Since they knew that tying a knot is אסור on שבת (but they didn't know that a temporary knot is allowed), they therefore asked why בני ישראל are suddenly tying knots. -?- To which they responded as in the main text.

What puzzles me, however, is why the Egyptians would notice the knots more than the sheep. -?- Additionally, פרישה does not bring any source to the effect that בני ישראל were vigilant about the איסור of tying knots on שבת at this point in their history (i.e. before they received the תורה). וצ"ע

[3] This is the meaning of למכה מצרים בבכוריהם (תהלים קלו:י).

תוס' שבת פז: ד"ה ואותו יום

[4] טור שם

A slightly differing account if given in כל בו סי' מז, to the effect that the Egyptians actually wanted to annihilate בני ישראל on account of their slaughtering sheep, so Hashem therefore plagued the Egyptians with various illnesses, thus disabling them from hurting בני ישראל in this instance.

[5] יהושע ד:יט

מלבים there points out that the פסוק specifies what day of the month it was that they crossed the ירדן to demonstrate that there wasn't simply a tidal recession (what he calls 'ebb and flow') that יהושע calculatedly took advantage of - as the cynics would have it; rather, the drying of the ירדן was completely miraculous.

Presumably, though I have not found this point made directly in any source, the reason why one would automatically assume that י ניסן is festive on account of the ירדן rather than יציאת מצרים is because the date of the crossing of the ירדן is explicit in a פסוק, whereas the chronology of יציאת מצרים is only deduced by חזל, making the crossing of the ירדן more obvious to anyone who learns נביאים.

[6] One might wonder what the major problem is if there will indeed be a misconception. -?- There is to say that we pin these days on the miracles of יציאת מצרים, which are of greater significance than the miracles related to the crossing of the ירדן. 

ע"פ ערוה"ש שם

[7] עיי"ש שקבעו כעיקר, וכמדומה שראה את פשט זה בשום ספר. וצע"ק דהא איסור מוקצה הוא או הלכה למשה מסיני או תקנת נחמיה בן חכליה כדאי' בערוה"ש תחלת סי' שח באו"ח, ומהיכן ידע שהיה איסור מוקצה קיים אף קודם מתן תורה. ושם כתב כי בודאי היו שומרים שבת ממסורת אבותיהם, אבל עדיין לאו דוקא שהיה להם איסור מוקצה ג"כ

[8] מור וקציעה שם. The תענית referred to here is one of a list of optional תעניות listed in שו"ע או"ח תקפ:ב.

[9] שם סעיף ד

[10] רמא שם סעיף א

[11] ביהגר"א שם אות ב, [וכך אי' במעשה רב קעז] ועיי"ש שפסק שמנהג זה אינו נכון, שהרי מצות סיפור-יציאת-מצרים היא רק כשמצה ומרור מונחים לפניך, כדאי' במכילתא סוף פרשת בא. אבל לי הקטן אין זה מובן, כי אין מנהג זה לשם חובת-מצות-סיפור, אלא רק למנהגא בעלמא. ואפשר כוונתו שמנין לנו להוסיף על המצוה [ונתקשה בזה במור וקציעה ג"כ], אף בדרך מנהג בלי חובה גמורה

וראיתי מובא [שערים מצויינים בהלכה קז ס"ק ה] שהיו צדיקים שעשו פשרה דהיינו שאמרו רק את החרוז הראשון בכדי שלא לבטל את המנהג ותו לא

ובאשכנז נראה שלא אמרוהו כלל, כדמשמע ממנהגי וורמז [של ר' יוזפא שמש אות עב] ששם כתוב "ושאר המנהג (כלומר לבד ממה שפורט שם אחרת) הוא ככל שאר שבתות השנה", ומנהג זה לא הוזכר כלל. גם במנהגי וורמז לר' יודא ליב קירכהיים ובמנהגי אמסטרדם ליתא.

ומהריץ הלוי נהג לאמרו יחד עם בני ביתו באותו ניגון שבו אמרו את ההגדה בלילות הסדר. כך נוהג הרב שמואל קמנצקי (שמעתי מתלמידו מו"ר הרב דניאל אשר הכהן קליינמאן)

אבל בשנות רבנותו בלונדון היה אומר את ההגדה בציבור אחרי תפלת מנחה קודם עלינו לשבח, ואח"כ אמרו קדיש יתום, עלינו, עוד קדיש יתום, ואח"כ הדרשה. (מנהגי מהריץ הלוי פרק ו אות ח)  

[12] חק יעקב ס"ק א שם

[13] ערוה"ש שם סעיף ה

[14] כף החיים שם ס"ק ד

In the Syrian community, this was historically about one and a half hours long, consisting of three parts focusing on גמרא, הלכה and אגדה respectively. (Rabbi Herbert C. Dobrinsky, A Treasury of Sephardic Laws and Customs, Ktav, 1988, page 253)

While R. Joseph Hirsch Dunner was a rabbi in London, he would break up his דרשה into two parts: the halachic-ethical section, which was geared towards the general public, he would say after קריאת התורה before מוסף, while the פלפול section, which was geared towards לומדי תורה, he would say after מנחה while wearing a טלית over his head (presumably this was done לכבוד הציבור - ed.). The latter section was based on a series of sources which would be publicized in advance. Sometimes, at the end of the פלפול, he would exhort the audience about communal matters that needed attention or improvement. (מנהגי מהריץ הלוי פרק ו אות ז)

"It behooves the members of the community to be present at this important event. This brings honor to the Rav and also to the occasion." (Rabbi Dovid Ribiat, The Halachos of Pesach, Misrad Hasefer, 2020, page 83)

[15] מטה משה תקמב

[16] ע"פ מחזיק ברכה או"ח שם אות ב

[17] כף החיים שם ס"ק ה

חיוב קטנים בקריאת המגילה

רבי יהושע בן לוי used to gather his family members and read the מגילה to them [1]. Based on this, people are נוהג in some places to bring children to hear מקרא מגילה, in order to be מחנך them in the מצוה of פירסום הנס [2]. This is why the congregation is נוהג to say certain פסוקים out loud, namely איש יהודי ,ומרדכי יצא, ליהודים and כי מרדכי (specifically those because they are the primary beginning and end of the נס), in order to wake up the children that they shouldn't fall asleep but rather that they should pay attention to the reading, to which end we are מקריא those פסוקים to them to train them [3].

One should be careful, however, only to bring children to shul if they are mature enough to sit through the reading quietly, or else they may disturb the rest of the audience [4].

The above is all in the past. Today, however, it is נהפוך on account of our many sins, in that not only do children not listen - but they even disturb so much as to prevent the adults from listening themselves, the only reason they come to shul in the first place being to bang המן, and if that is the only reason they come to shul then a father does not even fulfill his מצוה of חינוך at all. Really, as far as חינוך is concerned, every father has to hold on to his children and supervise them to make sure that they listen to the reading, and where the בעל קריאה mentions 'המן האגגי' then the child can bang as he normally does, but that banging should be the main purpose of bringing a child to shul in the first place is misplaced emphasis [5]. Not only that, but today it is a good idea for everyone to have a מגילה כשרה and read every word quietly with the בעל קריאה, because otherwise it is often impossible to hear anything on account of the noise that people make with their sticks [graggers?], and anyone who has the ability to do should do so. If a person does not have a מגילה כשרה - one should then at least read along quietly from a חומש [6]. Women should also have a מגילה כשרה from which they should read quietly to themselves, as often in the ladies' gallery it is even more difficult to hear the בעל קריאה than it is in the shul, on account of all the noise [7].

Addendum

The precise לשון of the מחבר [8] is that bringing children to קריאת המגילה is a ''מנהג טוב". The מחבר is clearly referring to children that are הגיע לחינוך, because, after all, smaller children are only likely to disturb, in which case why would bringing children who are הגיע לחינוך to shul be called a מנהג טוב and not a חיוב if, after all, מדין a father is obligated to train them in קריאת המגילה? Perhaps for that it would be enough to read for them at home, but in order to publicize the נס more, there is therefore a מנהג to bring them to shul so that they get used to hearing the מגילה being read בציבור [9].

[1] ירושלמי מגילה ב:ה

[2] טור או"ח תרפט:ו, לבוש שם

[3] לבוש שם

[4] מ"א שם ס"ק יא, ערוה"ש שם סעיף ג

[5] מ"ב שם ס"ק יח

[6] שם ס"ק יט

[7] כה"ח אות כז

[8] שם סעיף ו

[9] ביה"ל שם

או"ח ח:ו - ברכת ציצית: להתעטף בציצית או על מצות ציצית?

There is a discussion among the פוסקים as to the correct ברכה to be made where initially putting on ציצית as part of the morning routine.

הרב רבינו יצחק wrote [1] that on a טלית קטן one should make על מצוות ציצית, whereas on a טלית של עיטוף (a טלית in which one could wrap their body - what we call a טלית גדול) - one makes להתעטף. The מהריל, however, was asked the same question, and he answered [2] that there are those who make להתעטף on both - and one need not be concerned that one is not actually wrapping oneself in the טלית קטן because, after all, there are many ברכות (such as לישב בסוכה) that employ a standard נוסח even where said נוסח does not strictly encompass what the ברכה is being made for. (Additionally, it can be argued that the definition of עיטוף in the context of this ברכה is covering the body [3], and even though clothing styles have changed since the ברכה was established - such that a לשון of עיטוף no longer makes sense - nevertheless the ברכה does not change, rather we interpret the meaning of the ברכה loosely such that it now even covers how we put on טלית קטן as an עיטוף [4].)

תרומת הדשן writes [5] that on a טלית קטן one should make להתלבש בציצית. The מנהג, however, is to make על מצות ציצית. The reason for the מנהג seems to be that we are concerned for the opinions that one is not יוצא with a טלית that is as small as a טלית קטן, to which end we make neither להתלבש nor להתעטף, either of which would imply that, by means of a טלית קטן, we are thereby fulfilling the מצוה properly; instead, we only thank Hashem for giving us the מצוה of ציצית in general, even though we are not fulfilling it properly at the moment. (This is why the language of the ברכה is not present, as in להתעטף or להתלבש, but rather על מצות, which would more strongly imply that we thanking Hashem for having given us the מצוה in the past.) [6]

Either way, it is a מצוה מן המובחר that everyone should have their own טלית גדול on which they make a ברכה in shul. This is because a טלית גדול can be worn around the entire body, which inspires a sentiment of צניעות and הכנעת הלב. Only if one doesn't have a טלית גדול or one is traveling - then one is יוצא with a טלית קטן [7].

Postscript:

There is a חומרא based on a הנהגה of the אריזל to the effect that one does a מעשה עטיפה even on a טלית קטן, making a ברכה להתעטף, the same way that one would normally do with a טלית גדול [8].

[1] כל בו סימן כב

[2] שו"ת סימן י

ועיי' במור וקציעה או"ח סימן ח ד"ה וכ"כ באגור שמפקפק בראית המהריל שהרי עיקר ישיבה היא אכילה דהא אין דרך בני אדם לאכול מעומד כדאי' בגיטין ע. וגם ישיבה משמע עכבה כמו ותשבו בקדש (דברים א:מו) וגם שיש דין של 'תשבו כעין תדורו' כלומר שיש לעשות את כל עניני חיי האדם בסוכה דוקא אבל כנראה שסבר המהריל שישיבה ממש - הרי הוא לאו דוקא, ועל אף שיש לפקפק - אבל מ"מ היסוד - היינו שלשונות של ברכות הרי הם לאו דוקא - הרי עדיין נשאר במקומו. ואפשר שיש לדקדק את זה מלשון המור-וקציעה ששם כתוב "ואינה כ"כ ראיה לענ"ד" אבל הלא לפעמים במור-וקציעה כתובים לשונות חריפים נגד סברות שהם מופרכות לדעת בעל מור-וקציעה - אלא שכנראה לדעתו אין סברא זו מופרכת לגמרי. (גם לא חלק שם בפירוש על פסק האגור.) גם רצה להביא ראיה מרחיצת הידים שהרי מ"מ מברכין ענט"י אבל כתב שהיא במחלוקת שנויה. ובערוה"ש סעיף יב הובאה ראיה זו בפשיטות  

[3] עולת תמיד או"ח ח:ו:ח

[4] לבוש שם סעיף ב

[5] סימן מה

[6] ד"מ על הב"י או"ח ח:ו:ה

[7] לבוש שם סעיף ד

[8] כה"ח שם ס"ק כז

חנוכה Parties: Halachic Fact or Popular Fiction?

Today it is commonplace that every family and institution makes some type of סעודה/party in honor of חנוכה. This article will explore the sources and reasoning behind this practice.

1

The first one to address this question is the מהרם of Rothenburg (quoted by the טור להלכה [1]) who says unequivocally that חנוכה parties are a סעודת הרשות, because חנוכה was not established for משתה ושמחה but rather for הלל והודאה.

The בח there asks גופא why this is so, unlike פורים. -?- The בח explains that the main decree by פורים was a punishment for benefitting from אחשורוש's party; to that end, it was decreed that the Jews be persecuted and have their bodies, which benefitted from food and drink of איסור, killed. Where they did תשובה, they then afflicted their bodies (אסתר ד:טו); which is why פורים was established for משתה ושמחה, namely to remember the עיקר הנס. By חנוכה, on the other hand, the main decree was a punishment for lack of enthusiasm and zeal for the עבודה in the בית המקדש, which is why part of the decree was to disrupt the עבודה. Where they did תשובה, they then did so by sacrificing their lives for the continuation of the עבודה; which is why חנוכה was established for הלל והודאה, which are an עבודה שבלב.

The טז [2] offers an entirely different reason for this disparity, namely that the נס פורים was מפורסם להצלת נפשות, for which there is שמחה in a physical sense, whereas by חנוכה - even though there was a ישועה from ה יתברך in battle, still - the military victory was not מפורסם על צד הנס; rather, only by the נרות was the נס מפורסם, which is why they were קובע להודות ולהלל, namely because from the נרות there was no particular שמחה in a physical sense (the הצלת נפשות that resulted from the military victory having been historically secondary in significance). To that end they made an עיקר from the נס המפורסם which demands gratitude more than celebration.

The לבוש [3] is מחלק between חנוכה and פורים in that by פורים there was הצלת נפשות whereas by חנוכה there wasn't; after all, the Greeks weren't looking to kill per se, but rather political/cultural submission which would have involved leaving our faith. The טז disagrees with this חילוק because one who causes someone to sin is worse than one who kills him [4]. The reason for this is because one who kills someone only makes that person lose their life in this world. One who causes someone else to sin, on the other hand, makes that person lose their life in the Next World as well. אליה רבה points out, however, [5] that the aforementioned principle is only true with regards to one who convinces someone to sin willfully, not one who forces someone to sin, because one who sins unwillingly does not lose their life in the Next World.

The בח himself, however, disagrees with the מהרם, based on the fact that גדולי הדור of the previous generations [6] made parties - the correctness of this practice being proven by means of an inference from the רמבם (חנוכה ג:ג) who says that חנוכה was established for שמחה והלל.

2

מגילת תענית says [7] that part of the reason for the establishment of חנוכה as a festival was the rededication of the מזבח.

דרכי משה suggests the rededication of the מזבח [8] as a possible reason why there is some מנהג of משתה ושמחה nevertheless. What is not entirely clear is which מזבח is referred to here. The מ"א [9] assumes this to mean the completion of the מלאכת המשכן. Now, even though the משכן was completed on כה כסלו, it still remained unused until ניסן, where it was formally inaugurated. To that end, כסלו (figuratively speaking) complained to הקב"ה of unfair treatment. 'ה reassured כסלו (again, figuratively speaking) that it would get its due by means of חנוכה. This is why the חנוכת המזבח of the משכן which took place in ניסן might be celebrated in כסלו.

אליה רבה and מלבושי יו"ט [5], on the other hand, disagree with the above resolution and say, by dint of this קשא, that the חנוכת המזבח referred to by the רמא is that of the חשמונאים.

ר אייזיק Tirnau adds [10] that they were נוהג to say מזמורים and many תשבחות at a חנוכה party so that it should be like a סעודת מצוה.

Conclusion

We have shown that numerous reasons for חנוכה parties are brought by the פוסקים, some even going so far as to say that they are obligatory. While there are those who complain about this practice as a recent innovation, we have seen that this phenomenon is actually quite an old one, as evidenced by the discussion among the פוסקים as to whether such parties are סעודות מצוה or סעודות רשות. -?-

ואחד המרבה ואחד הממעיט ובלבד שיכוון את לבו לשמים.

[1] או"ח תרע:ב

[2] שו"ע או"ח שם ס"ק ג

[3] או"ח שם סעיף ב

[4] רשי דברים כג:ט

[5] לבוש או"ח שם אות יד

[6] This is in consistent with the בח's assumption that anything done by the previous generations (especially the גדולי הדור thereof) must be correct if only because it was indeed done by them. Whether or not we, mere mortals, can understand why what they did was correct is hardly relevant, as our understanding of the הלכה plays little role in determining what the הלכה should be; rather, we must simply copy what was done by the previous generation, on the assumption that whatever they did must have been correct. See או"ח סי' סח וקיב for a good example of where else this שיטה appears in the בח. This would not seem to be the consistent approach of many other פוסקים, who instead prefer to determine הלכה objectively, by means of שקלא וטריא.

ואכמ"ל.

[7] פרק ט. In truth, מגילת תענית does not say explicitly that חנוכת המזבח was a factor in the establishment of חנוכה as a festival. In fact, מגילת תענית only references the miracle of the oil lasting for eight days. However, מגילת תענית then asks why, if the חנוכת המזבח in the מדבר lasted only seven days, does חנוכה still last eight days? If we take מגילת תענית at face value, then the entire question seem irrelevant: what does the חנוכת המזבח in the מדבר have to do with anything? The מפרשים infer from here that, evidently, the חנוכת המזבח in the מדבר was part of the reason for establishing חנוכה as a יו"ט in the first place.

This connection is brought out further by פסיקתא רבתי in פרשה ו אות א.

[8] טור שם ס"ק א

[9] שו"ע שם ס"ק ג

[10] ספר המנהגים [חנוכה הגהה כט]. Note that the רמא, where bringing this הלכה in שו"ע, does not say that such a party is like a סעודת מצוה, but rather that such a party is a סעודת מצוה.

או"ח ו:ד - עניית אמן צ' פעמים בכל יום

There are those who are נוהג that after one person says ברכות השחר and everyone else answers אמן - that one of those who answered אמן then makes his own ברכות and everyone answers אמן to his ברכות, each person taking their turn one at a time [1]. This is done in order to answer אמן 90 times, because כלל ישראל is called a גוי צדיק because they answer אמן ninety times every day, in addition to saying 4 קדושות and 10 קדישים and making 100 ברכות every day [2].

Now, one might think that this is problematic on account of the fact that those who listen to the first person make their ברכות was already יוצא by answering אמן. However, this is not really true because whoever made their ברכות did not necessarily have in mind to be מוציא anyone else [3]. The מהרשדם [4], however, objects that any ברכה that one could be יוצא by means of having someone else who is already making the ברכה be מוציא them - is then considered a ברכה שאינה צריכה if one still makes it themselves. מלבושי יו"ט responds [5], on the other hand, that this arrangement only looks like a ברכה שאינה צריכה but in actuality it is no different than any other ברכה that we could theoretically be יוצא with someone else (like ברכות ק"ש or שמו"ע) which we nonetheless say ourselves because there actually is a halachic preference [6] to say ברכות yourself over answering אמן to someone else's ברכות. One could argue, however, that for ברכות השחר one does not specifically have to have in mind to be יוצא, because these ברכות are only about the way of the world (that there is a circadian rhythm which wakes us up, that the sea remains separate from the dry land, etc.) in which case one can simply answer אמן without having anything in mind and that would be enough [7]. (To that end, one who hears someone making ברכות השחר and wants to still make their own - should then say ברוך הוא וברוך שמו, thereby creating a הפסק that prevents one from being יוצא. Alternatively, an even better solution is to make ברכות השחר as soon as one can, thereby minimizing the interruption between ברכות השחר and waking up in the morning [7].)

[1] שו"ע או"ח ו:ד

[2] תיקוני זוהר תיקון יח לג, הביאו השואל בתשובת הרמע מפאנו סימן קט

[3] ב"י או"ח שם בשם המהריל

[4] שו"ת סימן א

[5] שם ס"ק א

[6] ברכות נג: "ממהרין לברך יותר מהעונה" כלומר גדול שכר המברך יותר משכר העונה אמן

[7] ערוה"ש סעיף יג

סוף דבר: הנה במ"ב על סוגיתנו הובאו דברי תשובה מאהבה (חלק ב סימן ריב) שכ"ז לפי מנהגם שהיו יוצאים את ידי חובתן בברכות (בכלל) מהש"ץ אבל לפי מנהגנו שכ"א מברך כל ברכה לעצמו - הרי אין שום חשש. ולפי המהרשדם - הרי אין דבריו מובנים כלל שהרי אין זה תלוי במנהגם או במנהגנו אלא בעצם דין ברכה שאינה צריכה וצ"ע. ולדאבוני כעת אין התשובה תחת ידי לעיין בו בפנים. אכן ראיתי הובא בשם מקור חיים החדש (הובא בשערי אהרן על סוגיתנו) שמה שיוצאים את ידי חובת הברכה ע"י שמיעה בעלמא מבלי לכוון לצאת - הוא תלוי ב'סתם דעת' בני אדם שדעתם לצאת או שלא לצאת. ואפשר שזה כוונת התשובה מאהבה אבל עדיין צ"ע

.עוד יש לציין שבמ"ב כתוב להלכה שכל אחד ינהוג כפי מנהגו כי לכל אחד יש לו על מי לסמוך

ולפי מה שהעלנו למסקנא בפנים - הנה העצה הכי פשוטה להלכה היא לברך את כל ברכות השחר מיד אחר נטילת הידים

או"ח ד:יז - רחיצת הפה בבוקר

There are those who are נוהג to wash their mouth in the morning because of the רירים (mucus or other such unpleasant debris) inside it, in order to have a clean mouth for davening, especially where one mentions the Name of Hashem. If the only water available, however, is not clean, and one is sensitive to that, then washing the mouth is not מעכב with regards to saying ברכות and the like.

Even one who normally washes their mouth every morning to have a clean mouth for davening still may not do so on a תענית ציבור.

References: שו"ע או"ח ד:יז, לבוש שם, כף החיים שם

It would seem that all of the above is not on the assumption that one anyway brushes their teeth with toothpaste every morning, in which case one would already be washing their mouth regardless. However, even one who does brush their teeth with toothpaste every morning, has, until reading this article, presumably only done so for hygiene. Hereon they can also invest one piece of their daily routine with halachic significance.

הושענא רבה @ Breuer's

This past הושענא רבה I decided to visit Breuer's (Khal Adath Jeshurun in Washington Heights), having heard that הושענא רבה davening there is a significant attraction, meaning that outsiders who may have little connection to the Kehilloh otherwise nevertheless attend הושענא רבה services there. As I was not at all disappointed, I therefore decided to write about all the unique things I saw there that are difficult to find elsewhere. I will list them in chronological order, i.e. in the order that they occur in the davening.

Shacharis began promptly at 6:55am with Adon Olam. The official מנהג המקום is to wear tefillin on Chol Hamoed, to which end those who do not wear tefillin on Chol Hamoed daven in the Sulzbach Shiur Room next to the main sanctuary until Hallel, where many of those that do wear tefillin take theirs off. The official מנהג המקום is also that everyone wears a talis (even those who are not married), hat (even those who are married), jacket and tie (some wore specifically white ties), in keeping with a proper festive environment. Despite rumors to the contrary, nearly everyone followed this dress code, although it was not specifically enforced as it has been in the past (where, for example, one who did not wear one already was offered a hat and talis, with the clear expectation that they accept the offer).

At this point I will skip to Hallel, as the regular weekday minhogim of Breuer's are beyond the scope of this article, and everything done until that point is more or less the same as a regular weekday (aside from these two pieces in ברכות ק"ש).

In Hallel, Chazzon Ezra Lasdun sang a Modzhitzer B'Tzeis Yisroel (of which I could not find a recording) for לך אזבח and הללו together, followed the official Naanuim Nigun (of which I also could not find a recording), which the Chazzon used for all 4 lines of הודו (indeed, there were naanuim for all 4 lines). After the Chazzon chanted each line, the congregation responded with הודו לה' וכו for all 4 lines, with naanuim (using the same nigun) for each line.

Following Hallel, the Chazzon put down his lulov in a canister next to the omud which was designated to be a lulov holder.

Above: the official lulov holder of Khal Adath Jeshurun

Following Musaf were Hoshaanos. The Aron was opened, three sifrei Torah were taken out by young bochurim who then put down the sifrei Torah on the bimoh and stayed with them for the duration of the Hoshaanos. In many congregations, the Chazzon says each line of Hoshaanos aloud preceded and followed by הושע נא (for example הושע נא למען אמתך הושע נא). Here, however, after the first 4 lines which introduce Hoshaanos any day of Succos, the Chazzon, followed by the Rav, then led the congregation around the shul, all the while singing the Hoshaana paragraphs to tastefully selected popular melodies (meaning, the Chazzon sang למען אמתך למען בריתך etc. together with the congregation without interspersing the lines with הושע נא, besides for the last two lines which were followed by a resounding הושע נא on the part of the congregation). Towards the end of each paragraph the melody would inevitably conclude, at which point the Chazzon would finish the paragraph in Nusach.

Now, while singing the lines of Hoshaanos without interspersing them with הושע נא before and after each line may seem strange at first glance, it should nonetheless be pointed out that in no siddur (of the many that I have encountered) is such an interspersion printed. To that end, while interspersing the lines of Hoshaanos with הושע נא before and after each line is certainly appropriate, it is nevertheless reasonable to assume that these were not part of the original piyyut-form and, as such, Breuer's does not say them. (I was later informed that similar customs are followed in certain Chassidic communities.)

After the initial 7 encirclements, everyone then returned to their seats for the remainder of the Hoshaanos service, which, on הושענא רבה, is lengthened by extra piyutim. The Chazzon finished each of these aloud in a Nusach, followed by the introductory line for the next piyut. Each introductory line was chanted aloud the Chazzon, with a resounding response by the congregation in the same Nusach.

After the very last piyut, the Chazzon chanted קול מבשר מבשר ואומר aloud in Nusach, followed by a resounding response from the congregation of the same in the same. This was done three times, each louder and with more emphasis than the previous. At this point the sifrei Torah were returned to the Aron, and everyone beat their arovoh on the floor two or three times. The concluding Kaddisch was chanted/sung in a festive melody, after which the congregation offered a resounding "Shko'ach!!", thanking the Chazzon for a [not so easy] job well done.

The service concluded with Oleinu, Tehillim, and a Dvar Halochoh from the Rav about מוקצה מחמת מצוה, each of which was followed by Kaddisch [said by one person at a time only, hence the need for multiple קדישים in the first place].

Above: the shtender from where the Rav delivers a Dvar Halochoh, covered with a festive cloth (changed immediately following davening from a white High Holiday cloth)

Overall, I found the davening very inspiring and uplifting. I hope to go back again in the future.