לקט מנהגי ימים נוראים - ב

3 points not directly related to each other

1

In my last post, I mentioned (in the last footnote) that the congregation sits during תקיעות דמיושב in KAJ. This is a mistake, which ישראל Strauss thankfully caught me on: the congregation does indeed stand as is (to my awareness) almost universally practiced; the מגביהים holding the ספרי תורה sit, as opposed to other קהילות where the מגביהים return to their seats and the ספרי תורה are placed on the בימה.

This is, however, the practice at the Portuguese shul in Amsterdam [1].

(The reason why תקיעות דמיושב are referred to as דמיושב even though the congregation stands for the duration of those תקיעות will בע"ה be the subject of another post in the future.)

2

The פוסקים (specifically the מחבר and שו"ע הרב או"ח תקצ:ב ועיין מ"ב שם) describe the שופר sound as a wail. I have frequently wondered why the sound is described as such, being that most (if not all) of the תקיעות that are blown by the average בעל תוקע resemble a beep rather than a wail.

I later came across a recording of תקיעת שופר at the Bevis Marks shul in London. (Perhaps this series of תקיעות was staged on a weekday for the purposes of the recording or perhaps a gentile recorded on יו"ט itself.)

Here is a link to the recording:

http://www.londonsephardimusic.org/files/Music/RH/01c_WS2_ShofarBlowing.mp3

For a alternate form of "wailing" תקיעות, see here:

https://www.chazzanut-esnoga.org/high_festivals/RH-parasa.htm

3

Over the years I have observed many people experiencing only one emotion during ראש השנה, namely, a seriousness in awe of יום הדין. Indeed, there is certainly what to be serious about and this point does not need me to say it. Even a superficial look at such source texts as ונתנה תקף will cause such a feeling. I only point out another aspect of ר"ה which is perhaps frequently ignored, or, at best, not focused on, and that is, that aside from the seriousness and severity of יום הדין, there is an additional 'theme' to the יו"ט, namely the joy [2] of crowning הקב"ה as King of the world.

This point is not Chasidic in nature (as perhaps could be assumed). I will point out to you a מעשה רב of the גרא [3] in which this idea is illustrated:

אדמור (הגרא) שמח למאד בעת תקיעת שופר, כי כך אמר שצריך להיות ברוב שמחה וחדוה, כדוגמת המדינה שממליכים מלך ומעטרים אותו, כך אנחנו בתקיעת שופר ממליכים להקב"ה

Indeed, at שלמה's coronation, a שופר was blown, at which point the nation said יחי המלך שלמה and they were שמחים שמחה גדולה [4].

[1] https://www.chazzanut-esnoga.org/high_festivals/RH-parasa.htm

[2] Only a quick Google search is necessary to observe what elaborate festivities are conducted at the coronation of a monarch, and indeed, at the inauguration of democratic leaders as well.

[3] אות רו

[4] מלכים-א א:לח-לט