צבע חוטי הציצית

There are those who say that one must make the ציצית [strings] from the same color as the טלית because it is a הידור מצוה where the בגד and the strings are the same color, and so are the מדקדקים נוהג [1]. This is based on the רמבם who writes [2]:

טלית שהיא כולה אדומה או ירוקה או משאר צבעונים - עושה חוטי לבן שלה כעין צבעה, אם ירוקה ירוקין, ואם אדומה אדומין.

A טלית that is entirely red or green or other colors - we make its white strings similar to its own color: if green - green; and if red - red.

The רמבם, in turn, is based on a ברייתא [3] which teaches that a טלית colored entirely תכלת [which is blue] can hold strings of any color (besides for indigo [which is blue]). This is because if a טלית is made of תכלת and its strings are blue - then someone may think that all the strings are blue from תכלת (which is derived from a sea creature and would be כשר) rather than blue from indigo (which is derived from a plant and would be פסול). The ברייתא is teaching us that ציצית strings do not have to be white per se, but rather a different color than תכלת.

The רמבם there continues:

היתה כולה תכלת - עושה לבן שלה משאר צבעונים חוץ מן השחור מפני שהוא נראה כתכלת וכורך חוט אחד של תכלת על הכל כדרך שעושה בשאר ציציות שאינן צבועין.

If a טלית was colored entirely blue - then one makes its strings (which would otherwise be white) from all other colors besides for black [4] which is similar to תכלת; one then wraps one string of תכלת around the other strings the way one does for other ציציות that are not colored.

There are those who disagree on this point, however, saying that even for a טלית made entirely of blue fabric one can nonetheless wear blue strings. To that end, all of כלל ישראל is נוהג to wear a white טלית with white strings, thereby avoiding any מחלוקת הפוסקים [5]. An additional reason to wear a white טלית is because Hashem's clothing, as it were, is described by דניאל [6] as being white like snow.

אשכנזים, specifically, who were not always מקפיד to wear a white טלית were still נוהג to make the ציצית strings white regardless of the color, because אשכנזים are only מקפיד that the material should be the same but not the color [7]. One should not change this מנהג [8]. Even, however, someone whose טלית גדול is of whatever color (not specifically white) - nevertheless, a מדקדק should make sure that at least his טלית קטן should be white, so as to satisfy all opinions where he makes the strings white [9].

[1] לבוש שם סעיף ה ,טז שם ס"ק ז ,מחבר או"ח ט:ה

[2] ציצית ב:ח

[3] מנחות מא:

[4] The רמבם here is לשיטתו in that the רמבם (ציצית ב:ב) relates that the blood of a חלזון [the sea creature from which תכלת is derived] has blood that is black like ink. It is unclear where the רמבם obtained this information. [Some say the רמבם found a חלזון from which he made תכלת, and that this חלזון's blood was black. However, in the opinion of this writer, this is not מוכרח from the context in which the רמבם lists the criteria for determining what a חלזון is.] The classic נושאי כלים are silent on this point. To that end, I turned to ר חיים Kanievsky's קרית מלך, which offers sources for the רמבם in all the places where the classic נושאי כלים did not do so themselves for whatever reason.

Here, ר חיים references פתיל תכלת which brings 'somewhat of a ראיה' from the ירושלמי (נדה ב:ז) where sea creatures are described as having blood which is black like ink; and where the ברייתא (מנחות מד.) described a חלזון - it does so by saying 'ברייתו דומה לדג' [the structure of its body is like that of a fish]. The רמבם, according to ר חיים's interpretation, seems to be applying the principle of a חלזון's body structure being like that of a fish to the blood of the חלזון as well.

[5] בח או"ח שם בשם הרי, וכתב הראבד על הרמבם שם שקושיתו אינה קשא עיי"ש.

[6] ז:ט

[7] ע"פ תשובת הרשבא ג:רפ לבוש או"ח שם; תרומת הדשן סימן מו

[8] רמא או"ח שם

[9] טז שם ס"ק ח

אכילת מאכלים חלביים בשבועות

1

We are נוהג in every place to eat dairy on the first day of [1] שבועות. 

There are many reasons for this מנהג of eating dairy on שבועות [2]. In this article, we will attempt to deal with each one individually and their ramifications.

The רמא [1] suggested a reason to the effect that the dairy and meat that we eat in the same סעודה on שבועות is like the two cooked foods that we use on ליל פסח, one in memory of the קרבן פסח and another in memory of the קרבן חגיגה. Similarly, we eat dairy followed by meat in the same סעודה; as such, we need to use two separate חלות for each קרבן on the table which is in place of the מזבח. By doing so, we thereby remember the שתי הלחם that was brought on יום הביכורים. (In other words, just like on פסח we memorialize the קרבנות that were brought on פסח – so too on שבועות we memorialize the קרבנות that were brought on שבועות [3].)

According to the above reasons, one should specifically eat dairy followed by meat in one סעודת יו"ט.

2

The כל בו [4] relates that there is a מנהג to eat honey and dairy on שבועות on account of the תורה having been likened to the same in the פסוק which says דבש וחלב תחת לשונך [5].

According to this מנהג, there is no specific requirement to eat dairy in the context of סעודת יו"ט per se; rather, in general at some point on שבועות a person should eat dairy.

3

The חפץ חיים [6] heard further from a certain גדול who said a correct reason for this מנהג:

Where בני ישראל received the תורה at הר סיני following which they went home – they then discovered nothing to eat right away, because, after all, kosher meat requires much preparation (to shecht with a checked knife as Hashem commanded, to be מנקר the strands of חלב and blood and to rinse and salt and then finally cook the meat in new כלים since whatever כלים they had used in the last 24 hours then became אסור to them). To that end, for the moment, they chose to instead eat dairy; and we make a remembrance of this fact.

According to the above calculation, one should eat dairy corresponding to the time that would have immediately followed קבלת התורה. Perhaps one could argue that this means whatever one eats immediately following their all-night learning (which I hope to write about at a future opportunity) should be dairy. On the other hand, this חשבון does not account for the amount of time that קבלת התורה itself took up, which is not specifically specified anywhere (to my knowledge). In large part one can only speculate how long the עשרת הדברות and their accompanying events took and schedule their dairy for then. (As an aside, this reason for eating dairy on שבועות does not specify one way or the other whether said dairy should be eaten in the context of סעודת יו"ט or not. The point here is the timing more than the context.)

Additionally, שנות חיים [7] points out that according to this reason there is no specific הכרח to eat dairy and then meat in the same סעודה; in fact, perhaps אדרבה one should eat a completely dairy meal, as following מתן תורה this is exactly what בני ישראל did, considering the aforementioned factors.

[1] רמא או"ח תצה:ד

ועיין באגרות משה (או"ח חלק א סימן קס) שהעדיף שלא לקיים את מנהג זה אליבא דרמא שהרי יש מקום להחמיר דוקא לברך ברכת המזון בין חלב לבשר

כל בו (which we will cite shortly) brings another מנהג to remember שתי הלחם, namely that of baking long four-headed bread. The connection between one and the other is not clear to this author.

[2] באר היטב שם ס"ק ח

[3] כף החיים שם אות סג

[4] סימן נב

[5] שיר השירים ד:יא

In this פסוק the lover (Hashem) compliments his beloved (כלל ישראל) that honey and milk (תורה and מצוות) are under her tongue. (In other words, that כלל ישראל is constantly busy with מעשים טובים as an expression of love for הקב"ה.) – ע"פ נחל אשכול שם

[6] מ"ב שם ס"ק יב

 שבועות סימן כד הע' ט[7]

נישואין בימי הספירה

1

We are נוהג in all places for many centuries not to get married between פסח and שבועות until the 33rd day of the עומר, because רבי עקיבא's תלמידים died during that brief period (though getting engaged and even קידושין is allowed because these are not עיקר שמחה according to the ריץ גיאת; additionally, if one does not be מקדש as soon as possible - there is then a possibility that someone else will take the opportunity to do so themselves instead) [1], to which end we try not to increase our joy then. There is no difference in this regard between נישואין של מצוה (for example, where one does not yet have children) vs. any other נישואין (for example, where someone already has children), because this is how they were נוהג: not to differentiate [2]. Remarrying one's own former spouse, however, is allowed, as the שמחה at such an occasion is relatively limited [3].

The historical background to this מנהג is as follows:

רבי עקיבא had 12,000 pairs of תלמידים between the two cities of גבת and Antipheras (these places may have been misidentified today - ed.), who all died of אסכרה in one period (namely, between פסח and שבועות) because they did not treat each other with the respect properly due to a תלמיד חכם. The world was then desolate of תורה until רבי עקיבא taught תורה to the scholars of the south. They were

רבי מאיר, רבי יהודה, רבי יוסי, רבי שמעון , and רבי אלעזר בן שמוע, who upheld תורה at that time [4].

Additionally, the primary season for the decrees in Germany and France in the days of our ancestors (i.e. the Crusades ר"ל) also took place during this season, as shown in the פיוטים (see here and here) that the קדמונים wrote to be said on these שבתות [5].

Now, if someone got married during this period anyway then we still don't punish them but לכתחלה we do not allow one to do so (so the גאונים paskened) [1].

From לג בעומר on, however, all of the above is מותר [6].

2

An unrelated reason given by רבינו ירוחם not to get married during this period is because these days are ימי דין on the grain, because, after all, the קרבן עומר is brought from barley. For this reason the מהריל did not shave until ערב שבועות [7].

Special thanks to Dr. Gabriel Wasserman for his assistance in locating piyyutim (many of which are no longer said in many communities) written in commemoration of the Crusades.

[1] טור ומחבר או"ח תצג:א

ועיין באר היטב שם ס"ק ב ובערוה"ש שם סעיף א

Today, however, that we do קידושין and נישואין together - it is still מותר to conclude a שידוך (i.e. get engaged) and even make a סעודה in honor of the occasion, because, after all, even a regular סעודת רשות is מותר. Dancing, however, even in honor of a special occasion, is still אסור (חק יעקב ס"ק ד;מ"א שם ס"ק א), and certainly playing musical instruments is אסור as well (ערוה"ש שם סעיף ב).

Additionally, we only don't punish one who got married between פסח and שבועות, because, ultimately, getting married is still a מצוה; one who gets a haircut, however, we do punish (באר היטב ס"ק ג).

[2] בח שם

[3] באר היטב שם ס"ק א בשם המהריקש ומ"ב שם ס"ק א וי"א שמי שהוא חולה וצריך למי שישמשנו הרי זה ג"כ מותר (עיין שערי תשובה שם ס"ק א). ובכהאי גוונא מותר לרקוד (אליה רבה שם אות ב)

[4] :יבמות סב

מהרשא explains that the reason they deserved to die for such a seemingly minor infraction (after all, disrespecting a תלמיד חכם is not typically a חיוב מיתה) is because the תורה is described as 'כי היא חייך', to which end one who disrespects the תורה and its scholars is deserving of מיתה (בידי שמים) because such a person is themselves disrespecting life itself.

Now, the reason they died specifically of אסכרה is because אסכרה (which, incidentally, is referred to as the most difficult death in :ברכות ח as referenced by פורת יוסף here) is a sign of לשון הרע which they evidently spoke about each other. Not only that, but the גמרא specifies that they died specifically between פסח and שבועות because the weather during that part of the year is the most pleasant and therefore most conducive to recovery from illness, and still רבי עקיבא's תלמידים died specifically then, to make obvious that the אסכרה plague was not seasonal but rather a form of מיתה בידי שמים, which they deserved for disrespecting each other.

See also כף החיים או"ח שם אות ה for a Kabbalistic explanation of how it came to be that רבי עקיבא's תלמידים were disrespectful of each other, the conclusion of which is that the purpose of the מנהגי אבלות is to distance ourselves from bad מדות and instead acquire in ourselves the מדות of love, humility and peace. To that end, שער הכוונות (דף א עג) warns one to be especially careful to love their peers with whom they learn תורה.

[5] ערוה"ש או"ח שם סעיף א

והנה מבואר בקישו"ע (צ:ד) ובעוד כמה פוסקים שאסור לספר דברים של צער בשבת וא"כ צ"ב איך תקנו לומר פיוטים אלו שכל עיקר ענינם הוא צער הגלות וסיפור התלאות שעברו על אבותינו וצ"ע

[6] רמא או"ח שם

This is on the assumption that one is נוהג התר to get a haircut from לג בעומר on, but according to those who are נוהג איסור against getting haircuts after לג בעומר - for them it is also אסור to get married after לג בעומר as well. According to that מנהג, however, one may then get married until ר"ח אייר just like they are allowed to get haircuts until ר"ח אייר.

[7] אשל אברהם או"ח שם וחק יעקב שם ס"ק ג

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.

הושענות - Part 2

In a previous post, we offered a basic background for הושענות. Here we will discuss what to do if, for whatever reason, one does not have their own ארבע מינים with which to encircle the בימה for הושענות.

1

ספרדים are נוהג to encircle the בימה for הושענות - even someone who doesn't have their own ארבע מינים [1]. 

The earliest discussion of this point is based on a תשובה of רשי [2] who initially posits that encircling the מזבח (on which our הושענות are based) is dependent on the presence of an ערבה, which is what the מזבח used to be encircled with. We, however, encircle the בימה with all 4 מינים, so evidently we do not consider our encircling to be a חובה (in the sense that we are doing עבודה as was done in the בית המקדש) but rather only a מנהג בעלמא. To that end, apparently we do not consider our encircling to be dependent on the presence of ארבע מינים (as they are not the causative factor for the encircling to begin with), in which case even one who does not have ארבע מינים should still encircle the בימה. Then, however, רשי retracts his position based on the counterargument of his brother (identified in the footnotes of the Elfenbein edition as ר שמעיה, his תלמיד) to the effect that once we are doing זכר למקדש - we should then do exactly what was done in the בית המקדש as closely as possible, in which case, since the encircling in the בית המקדש was dependent on the presence of an ערבה - so too our encircling is dependent on the presence of ארבע מינים.

2

ב"י adds [3] that this argument manifests itself on שבת, where we do not use ארבע מינים (out of concern that people might carry them to shul where there is no ערוב) and, as such, we therefore don't encircle the בימה on שבת at all, rather many communities say הושענות stationary, without encircling the בימה.

Based on the above, there are those who say that someone who does not have ארבע מינים does not encircle the בימה, and so are אשכנזים נוהג [4]. (The ספרדים, presumably, rely on רשי's original position, which, upon critical examination, was not entirely disproven.)

3

Now, on הושענא רבה - even someone who doesn't have ארבע מינים should still encircle the בימה with an ערבה (assuming they have one), only that it looks like יוהרא [5]. This is because the מצות היום of הושענא רבה is the ערבה, so one can, theoretically, encircle the בימה with it if not that it looks holier-than-thou [6]. על דרך האמת, however, there is absolutely no ענין to encircle the בימה with an ערבה (even on הושענא רבה) at all. Rather, after קדיש תתקבל one smacks the ערבה on the ground, ideally with the proper כוונות [7].

4

In practice, a sensitive גבאי will pick out someone who, for whatever reason, does not have their own ארבע מינים to hold the ספר תורה at the בימה while everyone else encircles him, so as not to embarrass someone who does not have their own ארבע מינים.

וכך ראוי ונכון לנהוג בכל מקום.

[1] שו"ע או"ח תרס:ב ע"פ ב"י שם

[2] סי' קכא

[3] שם

[4] רמא שם ע"פ פסק רשי שהובא בטור להלכה

[5] מ"א שם ס"ק ג

What specifically constitutes יוהרא is not specified, but seemingly one who encircles the בימה with only an ערבה looks like they are being מהדר to do more similar to what was done in the בית המקדש than the rest of the ציבור.

[6] בח שם

[7] באר היטב שם ס"ק ד, כה"ח שם ס"ק יג-יד

ובזה מבואר מה שאין אנו נוהגין כהמשך דברי הרמא שמקיפים עם הלולב והערבה ביחד, שהרי ע"פ קבלת האריזל - הנה אין לחברם יחד כלל וכדאי' בערוה"ש שם סעיף ד "כי אין ראוי לעורר את הגבורות ואת הדינים במקום כניסת החסדים" (ועיי' כה"ח שם ס"ק טו). וצע"ק על אותם הטוענים ש'כל ישראל יוצאים ביד רמא' (בלי שום יוצא מן הכלל) שהרי כמה מאותם שטוענים כך - הרי מעולם לא ינהגו כדברי הרמא כשדברי האריזל סותרים לדבריו. 

?או"ח תרד:ב - סליחות בערב יום כפור: קצרות או ארוכות

Unlike the rest of אלול and עשרת ימי תשובה, where we say many סליחות before עלות השחר - on ערב יו"כ, on the other hand, we don't say many סליחות (though there are places that are נוהג to be מרבה in סליחות, everything depending on the מנהג [1]).

The explanation for those who don't say many סליחות is that, since it is אסור to fast on ערב יו"כ - therefore it is like a יו"ט, which is why we also don't say תחנון [2].

Those who, on the other hand, do say many סליחות - assume that the festive aspect of ערב יו"כ only begins from עלות השחר, whereas סליחות are meant to be said at night [3].

[1] רמא או"ח תרד:ב

[2] לבוש שם סעיף א

[3] שו"ע הרב שם סעיף ד

והנה מנהג קהל עדת ישרון הוא להרבות בסליחות בערב יו"כ כמו ה'יש-מקומות' שהזכיר הרמא, אבל לפמ"ש נתקשיתי בהבנת מנהגם שהרי הם לא אומרים סליחות כלל בלילה (אפילו סליחות ראשונות) - וא"כ הרי אין להם שום טעם עוד להרבות בסליחות, וצ"ע

ואפשר שמעיקרא היו אומרים סליחות באשמורת הבוקר - וכפי המנהג שהביאו כל הפוסקים לומר סליחות באשמורת הבוקר דוקא - וא"כ הרי חל הטעם שעדיין אין דין יו"ט קודם עלות השחר - ושנשתנה המנהג לומר סליחות בבוקר אבל לא נשתנה המנהג להרבות בסליחות - אבל אין כל זה מסתבר, אלא דוחק ועדיין צ"ע

ועל אף שהובא טעם בשו"ע הרב להרבות בסליחות - אבל מ"מ הרי מנהג חבד הוא שלא לומר סליחות בערב יו"כ כלל, והדברים מפתיעים 

At what point to start saying סליחות

1

We are נוהג to get up באשמורת to say סליחות and תחנונים from ראש חודש אלול and on until יום כפור [1]. This is because these days are ימי רצון during which משה רבינו ascended הר סיני to receive the second לוחות [2]. So is the מנהג of the ספרדים. The מנהג of אשכנזים, however, is that where ראש השנה is on Thursday or שבת then we start saying סליחות on the Sunday immediately prior. (Some also fast and daven a תפלת תענית, including עננו and ויחל, etc.)  [3]. The חשבון of these 4 days before ראש השנה on which סליחות are said is to compensate for the 4 days between ראש השנה and יו"כ on which we eat סעודות מצוה such that we cannot fast as some used to [4]. Where ראש השנה falls on Monday or Tuesday, however, then we start on Sunday of the week before ראש השנה, rather than the Sunday of the week of ראש השנה [3]. The reason for this difference is because even though, strictly speaking, 4 days would be enough, nevertheless they instituted that סליחות should consistently begin on Sunday, so that no one should get confused what day סליחות start [5]. אשכנזים do, however, blow שופר every morning (and in some places every evening) from ראש חודש and on, which is a subject for its own article.

The reason for the specification of אשמורת is because הקב"ה floats, as it were, in 18,000 metaphysical worlds, and at the end of the night (which is, evidently, what אשמורת refers to) - He floats, as it were, in this world, such that the end of the night - i.e. before dawn - is an עת רצון [6]. The source of this concept (as pointed out by ביהגר"א [7]) is איכה ב:יט where the idea is expressed that ראש אשמרות (lit. the head of watches) is an appropriate point at which to pour one's heart out to Hashem.

2

There are those who are נוהג that whoever leads סליחות also leads the davening throughout the rest of the day [8].

3

On a practical level, ערוה"ש [9] offers an advisory that those who are not fasting should replace words referencing fasting in a given סליחה with words referencing תפלה. Additionally, there are words in סליחות referencing night or אשמורת הבוקר as the time where the particular סליחה is being said. One who says סליחות in the morning (i.e. before שחרית) should skip those words so as not to be saying falsehood.

Postscript:

There are various other technical דינים relating to who should lead סליחות, in what specific order they need to be said with what liturgical framework (such as אשרי, קדיש and the like), what do if one is wants to say סליחות individually, etc. These are purely halachic (rather than מנהג) in nature and, as such, are far beyond the scope of this article.

[1] שו"ע או"ח תקפא:א

The טז (ס"ק ב) points out that on ר"ח itself, however, we do not say סליחות and תחנונים.

[2] ביהגר"א אות א שם ע"פ פרקי דרבי אליעזר פרק מו

[3] טור שם

[4] פרישה שם ס"ק ו

[5] שם ס"ק ז

[6] מ"א שם ס"ק א

A vague reference to this point is made in :עבודה זרה ג.

[7] שם אות ב ובפסוק "קומי רוני בלילה לראש אשמרות שפכי כמים לבך נכח פני ה" ופי' הריד שהוא לשון תפלה, כמו אל הרנה ואל התפלה

[8] רמא שם

[9] שם סעיף ד

Where to Make על נטילת ידים

There are those who are נוהג to wait until they get to shul before making a ברכה on washing their hands in the morning. When they get to shul, they then arrange the ברכה together with the rest of the morning ברכות [1], which are said in shul to be מוציא those who don't know how to make their own [2] ברכות (and even where there are no such people, nonetheless, there is no exception made [3]). [4]

The reason for this is because we don't make the other ברכות juxtaposed to washing our hands rather we leave them for where we get to shul, therefore the ברכה on washing hands also gets pushed off with them. ספרדים, on the other hand, hold that washing hands is no different than any other מצוה whose ברכה has to precede the מצוה, only that here one cannot make the ברכה before washing their hands because there is still רוח רעה on one's hands, to which end one should make the ברכה at the earliest opportunity, namely immediately following washing one's hands. The רמא himself (uncharacteristically) conducted himself like the ספרדים [5].

לבוש is singular among the אחרונים [6] to the effect that once עובר לעשייתן is not possible due to one's hands being unclean, there is therefore no preference at all to say the ברכה as soon as possible, but rather once it is pushed off it is then pushed off completely.

[1] שו"ע או"ח ו:ב. Additionally, there are those who wish to answer אמן to each other's ברכות, to which end they purposely say the ברכה later than they would have otherwise, in order to facilitate the saying of אמן to each other's ברכות. See שו"ת הרמע מפאנו סימן קט.

[2] ביהגר"א שם אות יב

[3] פרישה שם ס"ק ג

[4] According the בח (שם) this would only be allowed if one goes to shul right away, whereas if one engages in other tasks prior to going to shul then one must make the ברכה at home.

The בח seems to assume that if one goes straight to shul then that is already some form of עובר לעשייתן, whereas engaging in other tasks prior to that would be considered a הפסק גמור. This point, however, is not entirely clear from the בח itself but rather constitutes my own attempt to fill in the blank.

[5] טז שם ס"ק ד

[6] או"ח שם סעיף ב

אמירת קרבנות בכל יום - או"ח א:ט

There are those who are נוהג to say פרשת הכיור which was the first עבודה done in the בית המקדש on a daily basis, followed by the פרשה of תרומת הדשן, and then פרשת התמיד, followed by the פרשה of the מזבח הקטורת and the פרשה of the ingredients of the קטורת and how it is made, because after the קרבן תמיד is brought - the קטורת is brought. They then say the פרשה of ברכת כהנים, because at that point the כהנים would bless the nation [1]. This is the order of the עבודה as it was done in the בית המקדש, which our תפלה is supposed to take the place of.

Those who say קרבנות before מנחה, however, say פרשת התמיד before קטורת because that was the order of the עבודה of the afternoon קרבן תמיד [2].

[1] שו"ע או"ח א:ט וב"י על הטור שם

[2] מ"א שם ס"ק יב

Memorial Prayers 2 - השכבות (cont'd)

Following קריאת התורה on שבת morning (in some congregations on weekday mornings as well) we recall the souls of the departed. This is based on דברים כא:ט as darshened by ספרי there, as follows: כפר לעמך refers to the living; אשר פדית refers to the departed, meaning that the dead need כפרה. To this end, one whose relative’s yahrzeit or the like was the past week makes a memorial prayer and pledges צדקה in order to atone for the sins of the departed.

We do so specifically on שבת because at that point the shuls are full and those who are attending can take to heart that one day they will also need their sins atoned for, to which end they should be involved in תשובה ומעשים טובים while they still have the opportunity to do so.

Similar to אבהרחמים, which is a communal memorial prayer on behalf of martyrs collectively, individual memorial prayers (referred to in ספרדי tradition as השכבות, while having no formal title in the אשכנזי one) are subject to rules as to where they are said or not. While each congregation is entitled to establish its own custom in this regard, nevertheless we present here some broad guidelines as put forth by the פוסקים.

1) השכבות are not said:

a.      On שבת מברכים (even during ספירה, during which we would say אב הרחמים) including שבת מברכים חודש אב and שבת ר"ח אב

                                                              i.      Except for someone who was buried that week (according to some opinions)

b.      שבת ר"ח אייר

c.      All of חודש ניסן (even what of it that overlaps with ספירה, where we would say אב הרחמים)

2)השכבות are said on any other occasion at which there is קריאת התורה (I have seen those who are מקפיד   not to say השכבות on ר"ח, though this is by no means universal).

References: רמא או"ח רפד:ז, מ"א שם ס"ק ז-ח, מ"ב שם ס"ק יז-יח

Memorial Prayers 2 - השכבות

As a continuation of our series on the liturgical texts said between הפטרה and אשרי that precedes מוסף. We have so far discussed יקום פורקן and the תפלה on behalf of the congregation. In this article we will discuss אל מלא רחמים, a type of השכבה (prayer on behalf of the deceased - this is the term used in the ספרדי tradition, while the אשכנזי tradition has no specific title for this category).

1

While the concept of remembering the deceased on שבת is mentioned as early as מדרש תנחומא [1], its specific placement is first spelled out by מחזור ויטרי [2] which writes as follows:

"After the שליח ציבור executes a תפלה on behalf of the congregation, he then remembers the departed who increased תורה and תקנות in כלל ישראל, and those that left צדקה for the community.

Now, perhaps one may say that there is no way to spiritually assist the deceased - on that the פסוק in (דברים (כא:ח says כפר לעמך ישראל אשר פדית ה which tells us (by way of דרשה) that where we ask for mercy for the departed - they are then thrown from גהנם to גן עדן like an arrow is shot from a bow."

2

שבולי הלקט adds [3] that שבת is a day of rest, similar to the Messianic Era, a day that even the departed rest from being judged - and it is therefore fitting to remember them לברכה and to daven for them.

Now, the question is, why should we daven for the departed on שבת, while they are not actually being judged? Instead, we should daven for them on weekdays, while they are being judged! -?- The answer is, while the departed are not being judged is an עת רצון [4].

3

There are גאונים who say that the צדקה pledged in memory of the departed doesn't have any effect on the departed at all, and there are those who say it does. Either way, its a good thing, because at least it helps the living, and perhaps the departed as well. [5]

4

We specifically remember the departed on שבת because that is where shuls are (relatively) at their peak capacity so that the living can take the reward for being involved in תורה and מצוות to heart. [6]

Now, even though we do not normally say תחינות on שבת, and we are not supposed to cause people pain, still, the departed need atonement, so for this need it is allowed. [7]

5

Residual benefits of אל מלא רחמים are the strengthening of belief in reward and punishment, in that, if we assume the necessity of giving צדקה for the benefit of the departed, it is implied that there is reward and punishment; as well as a התעוררות to תשובה, in that the congregation will (hopefully) keep in mind that life is not eternal, and that it is never too soon to do תשובה [4].

[1] האזינו א

[2] סדר שבת אות טו (מהדורת אוצר הפוסקים)

[3] שבולת פא

[4] שו"ת בצל החכמה סי' קכא

[5] תניא רבתי סי' טז; רוקח סי' ריז

[6] ביאור הגרא או"ח רפד:ז; מטה משה תנח

[7] אג"מ או"ח ב סי' עד