Recommended Reading

It's so much fun when your book order arrives!

I just got three new books with similar titles:

1. Minchat Aviv- a new collection of Rav Lichtenstein's gemara publications
2. Mincha Vezevach- Rav Danny Wolf's book on fundamental Brisker sugiot in Seder Taharot(I already have the first book in the series Mincha Leaharon)
3. Mincha Tahara- another book in Rav Wolf's series, this one on Seder Kodshim

I really enjoy this format of  published gemara shiurim. Unlike a live class, you can go back and re-read sections until you really understand them well, plus all the sources are referenced right there on the page for you to look up. It's also very efficient for learning on successive train rides...

But despite the similar format, Minchat Aviv and Shiurim Lezecher Abba Mari Zal are different than Rav Wolf's books. Rav Wolf's books are there to give you basic background information on the Sugya--what are the main questions and major approaches, before you dive-in and try develop your own understanding. The other two books already assume a certain level of familiarity with the material and they try to develop novel approaches of their own.

In any case, recommended reading, and you can expect plenty of future posts on this blog relating to these books...

Rosh Chodesh vs. Chol Hamoed: Hallel

Following up on the chakira of Full/Partial Kedushat Hayom, we now have a related chakira, also about kedushat hayom. While the former chakira taught us that Rosh Chodesh only has a partial kedushat hayom limited to the korban musaf in Beit Hamikdash, this one will teach us that, additionally, Rosh Chodesh has a limited kedushat hayom created by the minhag of saying Hallel.

Chakira: Kedushat Hayom from the Torah vs. Kedushat Hayom created by a Minhag

• Chag has Kedushat Hayom as expressed by mitzvot of the day
• Rosh chodesh doesn’t have kedusha(except in beit hamikdash for korban Mussaf). But the minhag of treating it like Chag with regards to saying Hallel(itself a corollary to the mitzvah of Simcha) creates a limited Kedushat Hayom

אך לפי דרינו צריך עיון בדברי רב בסוגיא בתענית (כח ב) אשר אמר, אחרי שראה שבני בבל קוארים את ההלל בדילוג, "שמע מינה מנהג אבותיהם בידיהם"...הווה אומר, מנהג אבותיהם בידיהם לנהוג מנהג קדושה בקריאת הלל ביום זה, וממילא מתחייבים המה בקריאה זו.(הזכרת ר"ח וחוה"מ:ד)

• This is similar to the Minhag of keeping 2^nd day yom tov in the Golah, despite the original doubt over which day is Yom Tov having being alleviated by the move to a fixed calendar. The minhag creates a real kedusha, albeit one limited the level of the original safek(thus various leniencies apply to the second day).

קדושת היום חלה כמו ביו"ט שני על ידי הנוהג עצמו. עשיית יום טוב וניהוגו בבחינת יום מקודש מקדשים את היום ואין קדושתו חלה מעבר למנהג.(הזכרת ר"ח וחוה"מ:ד)

Nafka Minot

 

1. Rambam’s apparently contradictory halachot

The Rambam says that Rosh Chodesh Hallel is only an obligation when praying with a minyan.  However, he continues, if an individual begins saying hallel, he is obligated to complete it.

אבל בראשי חדשים קריאת ההלל מנהג ואינו מצוה ומנהג זה בצבור וכו', ויחיד לא יקרא כלל ואם התחיל ישלים ויקרא בדילוג כדרך שקורין הציבור (הל' מגילה ג:ז)

Explanation: Since Rosh Chodesh Hallel is a minhag by which a community gives Hallel limited kedusha, so it was only instituted in a communal setting i.e. when davening with a minyan. If, however, an individual does begin saying hallel, so the limited kedusha this creates obligates them to complete the hallel.

ברם היחיד הופקע רק מחובת ניהוג קדושה, אבל לא התמעט מיעילותו. ובכן, אם התחיל לקרוא – כלומר, אם פתח בניהוג קדושה – אז חלה קדושת היום לגביה והוא גומר את ההלל בחיוב. (הזכרת ר"ח וחוה"מ:ד)

2. Tosafot (ברכות יד א ד"ה ימים), on the other hand, says that neither Yachid nor Tzibbur say Hallel, but if they began, they should complete it.

 

Explanation: They don’t follow the minhag of Bavel, but even they agree that one who does creates kedusha that requires him to finish the Hallel.

3. The Raavad on the Rambam (ברכות יא:טז) says that Hallel should be recited with a blessing on Rosh Chodesh, but not on Chol Hamoed Pesach. 

 

Explanation: On Rosh Chodesh we are creating kedusha where there was none. This creates an obligation for Simcha and thus for Hallel, which then requires a bracha.

Chol Hamoed Pesach, on the other hand, has Kedusha from the Torah, but it’s part of the same unit of kedusha that we already said Hallel for on the first day. Since the obligation to say Hallel on Chol Hamoed Pesach stems solely from the Minhag, not from the obligation of Simcha, so it’s said without a Bracha.

Rosh Chodesh vs. Chol Hamoed: Tefilah & Bircat Hamazon

Last time we discussed the chakira of Full Kedushat Hayom vs. Limited Kedushat Hayom.  Let’s look how this distinction is realized with regard to mentioning the day in tefilah & bircat hamazon.

In general, the Rav points out three distinct requirements to mention the day in tefilah, the first two being generally accepted, the third being the chiddush:

1. Mention the Kedusha of the Day- tefilah is incomplete if forgotten 
2. Mention the Unique Nature of the Day- if forgotten, don’t need to repeat Shmoneh Esrei
3. Israel’s acceptance of the day as Rosh Chodesh is what estabelishes it as such(based on השגות הרמב"ן על ספר המצוות מ"ע קנ"ג ורמב"ם קידוש החודש ה:א). Therefore, on Rosh Chodesh specifically, Chazal require that we all mention the day in our tefilah in order to demonstrate this acceptance.

בענין הזכרה בתפלה נאמרו שתי הלכות: א) הזכרת קדושת היום בכל מועד מקודש כמו שבת ויו"ט ב) הזכרת מעין המאורע אע"פ שלעצמו של יום אין קדושה מיוחדת, וכגון תענית... וכן חנוכה ופורים או תשעה באב(הזכרת ר"ח וחוה"מ:ה)

ובכן נראה, כי ההזכרה בתפילה בר"ח, פרט לדין הזכרה מעין המאורע שבה, שבגינה אין חוזרים, נובעת ממקור אחר- והוא, ענין קביעות ראש חודש שנוהג אפילו בזמן הזה(הזכרת ר"ח וחוה"מ:ו)

Nafka Minot

The Rav takes this model and uses it to explain various difficult halachot in the literature:

1. Forgot yaaleh veyavo in shmoneh esrei at night 

  

• Chag- shmoneh esreh is lacking mention of kedushat hayom. Repeat it.
• Rosh Chodesh- only has din of מעין המאורע, since establishing the month doesn’t apply at night time. Don’t repeat.   

2. Forgot yaaleh veyavo of rosh chodesh during day

The gemara(ברכות ל ב) suggests that you don’t repeat shmoneh esrei because you can say yaaleh veyavo in your next tefilah. Requirement of keviut apparently only applies once per day, leaving only the requirement of מעין המאורע, which doesn't require going back and repeating the tefilah.

  

 3. Gemara שבת כד א  

 

The gemara debates whether we need to say rosh chodesh yaaleh veyavo in benching. Why does it consider the possibility that we don't say it? Because perhaps the takana of saying yaaleh veyavo for kviut only applies to tefila, not birkat hamazon(הזכרת ר"ח וחוה"מ:ג)

4. Gemara ברכות מט א  

The gemara is of the opinion that we don’t say the chatima of the compensatory beracha after benching on Rosh Chodesh. Why? Because the chatima mentions kedushat hayom which is not relevant on Rosh Chodesh except during Mussaf.

Rosh Chodesh vs. Chol Hamoed

In his speech “הזכרת ראש חודש וחול המועד” in שיעורים לזכר אבא מרי ז"ל, Rav Soloveichik discusses Rosh Chodesh and how it is different at the most basic level from other Moadim.

קדושת היום

The central chakira that the Rav develops is whether the day has:

• Full Kedusha: the entire day has Kedusha, as is the case with the Holidays 
• Limited Kedusha: the day’s Kedusha is limited to its unique service in Beit Hamikdash, and for all other purposes it is a יום חול

Chol Hamoed, like Yom Tov, is a day of Full Kedusha:

קדושת חולו של מועד מקיפה הרבה דינים וחלותים, ובעצם קדושתו היא חפצא של קדושת חג הסוכות או חג הפסח. (הזכרת ר"ח וחוה"מ:ג)

Rosh Chodesh’s Kedusha, on the other hand, is limited to the Mussaf offering and therefore is limited only to Beit Hamikdash:

נקרא הוא יום מקודש אבל קדושתו תחומה ומוגבלת רק לקרבן מוסף. (הזכרת ר"ח וחוה"מ:ג)

אין קדושת היום של ר"ח מעלה ולא מורידה בגבולין. (הזכרת ר"ח וחוה"מ:ד)

Nafka Minot

The Rav goes on to discuss at length several Nafka Minot of this distinction(I’ll try to cover these in more detail in another post):

1. Tefilin on Chol Hamoed- Rav Chaim quoted as saying that chol hamoed has the same kedusha as chag, but with heter melacha. Therefore we don’t wear Tefilin on Chol Hamoed, while we do on Rosh Chodesh
2. Din Simcha- we say Hallel on days that have a mitzvah of Simcha as do the three Regalim. Rosh Chodesh actually has a limited din of simcha due to the minhag of treating it with a limited kedusha, so we say Hallel, but it has a lesser status
3. Shmonah Esre & Bircat Hamazon- The Rav ties a number of dinim in mentioning Rosh Chodesh/Chol Hamoed to the chakira of Kedushat Hayom. For instance, whether one is required to repeat a forgotten יעלה ויבוא

Amud Hashachar vs. Netz

I found the second half of Rav Soloveichik’s lecture on יום ולילה to be more challenging than the first half on Bein Hashmashot. After changing my mind several times as to what the Rav meant, I'm cautiously confident of my final understanding, so, for what it’s worth, here goes...

In this second half of the lecture, The Rav moves on to discuss the beginning of the halachik day. Astronomically it’s similar to the end of the day in that there are two distinct transitions:

1. Amud Hashachar: when the darkness begins to give way to light.
2. Netz Hachama: when the sun rises above the horizon.

The Mishna(מגילה כ ב) says that, in general, halachot that apply during the day should be performed from Netz, but bediavad can be performed even from Amud Hashachar.

זה הכלל דבר שמצותו ביום כשר כל היום דבר שמצותו בלילה כשר כל הלילה

Halachik Significance of the Two Times

Rashi(מגילה כ א) understands the Minsha's ruling as meaning that the Halachik day begins unequivocally at Amud Hashachar, but that chazal decided to push back the time to the more easily recognizable Netz so that people don’t make a mistake and perform daytime mitzvot too early.

Rabeinu Tam(יומא לז ב ד"ה אמר), on the other hand, understands that the Mishna's rule is a din torah. The Rav explains that the transition from night to day has two distinct chaluyot. The chalut at Amud Hashachar is based on light/darkness while the chalut at Netz is based on meorot. Ideally we use the later time, but the earlier time can also be used.

Struggling with Rabeinu Tam

Rabeinu Tam's shita comes out strange, according to the Rav. The Rav sets up a chakira and which side does Rabeinu Tam come out on? Both! The day begins with this two-step transition from day to night, yet ends in a moment(albeit one that can’t be identified precisely).

Why should the day start and end so differently?  Similarly, why doesn't the same safek of "how dark is dark" that applies to bein hashmashot apply to Amud Hashachar, according to Rabeinu Tam? The Rav doesn't really address these questions...

Exceptions to the Rule:

After explaining how Rabeinu Tam understands Amud Hashachar/Netz, the Rav goes on to explain cases that don't conform to the general rule.

Raveinu Tam says that the morning Shema can only be said from netz, even bediavad. The reason is that it is dependent on זמן קימה, not daytime.

The Rambam(הלכות קרבן פסח ה:ט) says that the ptur of derech rechoka is measured from netz. On the other end of the day, the Raavad says that a Yoledet's days end at shkiyah, without the usual safek applied to bein hashmashot. Similarly, Rabeinu Tam says blood becomes nifsal at shkiah rishona. The Rav explains all these cases by saying that Amud Hashachar is used as the cutoff for questions of day/night, while Netz is used when we need to measure the amount of a day:

כי בכל מקום שאנו עושקים בחלות שם יום או לילה, אז עמוד השחר קובע את היום, אבל במקום שאנו מעוניינים ביום בתור יחידה כמותית, בחלות שיעורין, אז הזריחה היא התחלת שיורי יום.

This is quite a nice little distinction in and of itself, and I found it to be quite persuasive.

Bein Hashmashot

Bein Hashmashot is a short period after sunset about which the halacha is in doubt whether to consider night or day. In his שעורים לזכר אבא מרי ז"ל, Rav Soloveichik takes a closer look at the nature of this doubt.

Incidental vs. Inherent Doubt

The Rav presents two different understandings of the doubt over the status of bein hashmashot:

1. There is an exact moment that divides day from night, but we are unsure when it is. This is a conventional example of a ספק and may be either a doubt over the halacha or the metziut. Maybe there is a halachic dispute as to the exact time when day turns to night. On the other hand, perhaps there is simply a practical problem in measuring the moment precisely.
2. Bein Hashmashot is a time containing both aspects of day and of night simultaneously. This situation creates a halachic doubt of which aspect to follow.

שניות זו מחדשת שתי אפשריות: א) לאמר שזמן זה יהא מקצתו יום ומקצתו לילה, על פי חלוקה כמותית. ב) שכולו מורכב משתי בחינות, יממיות וליליות, והספק לא יתברר על ידי חלוקה כמותית.(שעורים לזכר אבא מרי ז"ל, יום ולילי, ג)

Nafka Mina 1: Rabeinu Tam vs. the Gra

The debate between Rabeinu Tam and the Vilna Gaon over the timing of bein hashmashot is fairly well known.

• The Gra says Bein Hashmashot begins with the astronomical sunset and ends 18 minutes(זמן הליכת 3/4 מיל) later with 3 stars
• Rabeinu Tam says Bein Hashmashot begins 54 minutes(זמן הליכת 3 ו3/4 מיל) after astronomical sunset and ends 18 minutes(זמן הליכת 3/4 מיל) later with complete darkness

Rav Soloveichik uses this debate to demonstrate the two views about the doubt over Bein Hashmashot.

1. Rabeinu Tam says that darkness defines the point at which night time ends, but that we are in doubt as to when precisely it is dark enough to be considered night. It is a typical incidental doubt.
2. The Gra says that we have some psukim that say that darkness/light determines the change-over, while others imply that the visibility of the sun is the determining factor. Therefore, Bein Hashmashot, when the sun has set but it is still light out, has both aspects of day and night, creating an inherent doubt.

 Nafka Mina 2: Rashi vs. Rabeinu Tam

For another example of this debate, the Rav brings Rashi and Rabeinu Tam's debate on שבת לד:ב.

בסוגיא הנ"ל, בראשיתה(לד,ב), ביאר רש"י כי דברי המשנה בזבים, "ראה שני ימים בין השמשות ספק לטומאה ולקרבן", מתייחסים לזב שראה במשך כל בין השמשות בשני הימים, והספק הוא שמא ביה"ש הראשון כולו שייך ליום שלפניו, והבין השמשות השני שייך ללילה שלאחוריו.

Rabeinu Tam asks the obvious question: it should be consistent and therefore either way it should be considered consecutive days. If Bein Hashmashot is considered daytime then it should be for both, and if it's considered night, then it should be for both.

The Rav explains this difficult Rashi as holding that Bein Hashmashot is an inherent doubt. Since the the Zav's first ראיה happened during a time that simultaneously belonged to day 1 and day 2, and his second ראיה happened during a time simultaneously belonged to day 2 and day 3, so there is a ספק whether the ראיות have the status of having happened on consecutive days.

According to Rabeinu Tam, however, the doubt is incidental and therefore the Mishna must be talking about momentary ראיות belonging either to day or to night, but not to both simultaneously.