Monday, April 13, 2009

she'hechiyanu on the last days of Pesach

Rogatchover-ish chakira found in the Likutei Sichos of the Lubavitcher Rebbe: Is the reason we don't say she'ehechiyanu on the last days of Pesach because --

1) Since these days are not considered a new Y"T there is no new obligation of she'hechiyanu.

or

2) Every second of Y"T, right through the last days, creates a new obligation to say she'hechiyanu, but that obligation is fulfilled through the she'hechiyanu recited on the first day.

(Compare with the machlokes in Chagigah 9 whether each day of Yom Tov is a new chiyuv of aliya la'regel or the chiyuv is fixed on the first day and each of the following days is just an opportunity for tashlumin.)

Here is the language of the Rambam (Shabbos 29:23) --

ובשביעי של פסח, אין מברכין שהחיינו, מפני שאינו רגל בפני עצמו, וכבר בירך על הזמן בתחילת הפסח

Notice that the Rambam does not just say the last days are not a new Y"T, but the Rambam adds that the bracha of she'hechiyanu was already recited at the start of the chag, implying that it is that original she'hechiyanu on the first days which is what exempts the final days from a new bracha.

Would a katan who becomes bar mitzvah in the middle of Pesach recite a new bracha of she'hechiyanu on the last days?

6 comments:

  1. Daas Yuchid6:18 AM

    I saw some discussion in the comments on Hirhurim Blog describing the Lubavitcher Rebbe as a "light weight" with regard to his amkus. Do you have an opinion?

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  2. I am not a L. chassid and have not studied the sichos and ma'amarim to any great extent so I am in no position to have a fully informed opinion, but from what I have read of the Rebbe's torah it seems to me that had he been a R"Y in some Brisker place you would rank him along side the biggist Litvishe roshei yeshiva. The style is very similar to the Rogatchover. I can also say pretty confidently judging from certain members of my wife's family who are prominant Lubavitcher chassidim that there is absolutely no lack of gadlus in torah caused by being affiliated with chabad.

    What's the point of being malshin against the Rebbe regarding his amkus or anything else?

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  3. Daas Yuchid10:39 PM

    I don't know what the point was of that silly discussion on Hirhurim. being cose to Lubavitch myself, I was simply interested in an unbiased opinion ;)

    I have heard that R Hershprung A"H, who was know as one of the biggest bekiim in Shas of the generation, said he had "caught out" many gedolim he had met, but never the Rebbe.

    BTW, the style of the Rebbe's Rashi sichos seems to me quite similar to that of the Gur Areyeh al Hatorah.

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  4. It is funny you mention the Rashi point because before getting to the computer this morning I was thinking about your question and realized that I had not even given a thought to the Rebbe's explications of Rashi when I responded -- is that not a sign of amkus? Anyway, the whole question is silly. Who is any of us to rank the amkus of the Rebbe vs. anyone else on that madreiga?

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  5. Tal Benschar4:41 PM

    I don't understand the second side of the chakirah. What does it mean that there is a "new" obligation to say shecheyanu, but yet that was already fulfilled with the initial beracha?

    It was always my understanding that (1) kedushas ha yom is the mechayev of shehecheyanu and (2) the entire 7 days of Pesach is treated as one long kedushas ha yom.

    Compare your question to the following issue: Hallel on Pesach. As we all known, the gemara in Erchin states that there is only a chiyyuv to say (full) Hallel on the first day, because the other days are not chalukim be korbanoseihem.

    R. Moshe Soloveichik once held that this means there is one long kedushas ha yom of Pesach which extends for 7 days. A shailo came about: a person did not say Hallel on the first day for some reason (e.g. he was too ill to do so.) Now it is Chol ha Moed. What should the person do?

    RMS held that there is no special chiyyuv to say Hallel the FIRST day, except we generally do so to fulfill our obligation at the first possible time. But one can fulfill one's obligation any time during the 7 days of Pesach. Hence he paskened the person should say full Hallel during Chol ha Moed.

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  6. >>>(2) the entire 7 days of Pesach is treated as one long kedushas ha yom.

    The second tzad rejects this. The Rogatchover raises the same point in many other contexts, e.g. by chanukah (see here http://divreichaim.blogspot.com/2007/12/rogatchover-chanukah-chakiraone-8-day.html), by sukkah, and within a single day e.g. by Shabbos and Y"K he discusses whether the issur melacha is chal on the entire day at bein hashemashos or each second is a new mechayeiv.

    This issue is a mirror of the chakira raised in chagigah 9 whether with respect to aliya laregel the 7 days of the chag are tashlumin for the chiyuv which is chal on the first day or whether each day is a new mechayeiv.

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