Shmini Atzeret - why Sukkah YES and Lulav NO?

Why do we sit in the Sukkah in the Golah on Sukkot but do not take the Lulav etc. on Shmini Atzeret? This question has bothered me since I was a kid - AND there are MANY reasons given.

Questions:

1. Why are Hanukkah and Purim observed only 8 and 1 day respectively in the Golah? Why not add a day?
2. Why is Sefirah done on the 2nd day of Passover as definite and not done on both 2nd and 3rd keeping 2 counts out of doubt?

Answer: The above are only Derabbanan. Extrapolate to Sukkot - and Sukkah is D'orraito ALL 8 Days while Lulav is Derabban after day 1. [Except in the Mikdash, but the mikdash of course never has a sfeika d'yoma anyway.]

So Sukkah on the 8th day in the Golah is a "S'feik D'oraitta l'humra" while Lulav is a "S'feik Derabbana l'kulah"

Q: But Rabbi - why isn't this answer given?
A: Wolpoe's Rule #1 of Oral Law -

We often know the WHAT to Do, but we do not always know the WHY!

This model seems to me more straightforward than the various answers I have seen given over the years!

Shalom
RRW

Previously Published on NishmaBlog

Tuesday, 2 October, 2007

Kapparrot Comments

I was taught as a boy to use coins instead. of chickens The Mechaber attacks the practice as Darchei Emori based upon some teshuvos to be found in be'er hagolah - though the Rema does defend the practice.

There are numerous problems with this practice TODAY in a modern Urban society. Suffice it to say, that in the absence of Minhag Avot or a STRONG community minhag [Minhag Hamaqom] I would venture to say even the Rema would concede the mechabeir's point.

Objections include:

1. Darchie Emori as above
2. Tza'ar ba'alei Chaim
3. Hillu Hashem

Theis last point can be shown in Hilchot Aveilus that many practices that are specifc int he gemara - e.g. kefiyas hamitta and Atifat Harosh - were eliminated because "what would the Gentiles say?"

There are heterim to wear shoes to shul on Tsiha b'av for the same reason. Any public "shlugging of Kaparos" that does not respect the tza'ar balie chayim of the chickens is therefore really problematic since there is no halachic requirement to do so! And aderabba the damage could be great!

That said if individuals have a strong community of family custom and they seem to know how to handle the chicken and they are discreet, I would not object to preserving their legacy. Rather I simply oppose popularizing something that many in the previous generations thought was a good idea to switch to coins.

FWIW - there is a family "legend" that when one child witnessed kaporas live he became a vegetarian as a result.

Josh commented in 2007 ...

How can we reconcile the fact that we even have an option to do something so cruel to a chicken with Judaism's general immense respect for all life?

28 August, 2007 9:48 AM 

 

Rabbi Richard Wolpoe replied ...

To answer Josh's question: Either the old custom was less cruel OR People were less sensitive in those days and did not experience it as cruelty But I agree that if it is perceived as cruel NOW, it should be done away with or at least be modified to be as gentle as possible. Make Sense?

Shana Tova

 

RRW 

Previously Published 18 September, 2007 12:42 AM

Competing Images of Rosh Hashana - !

An earlier post

What imagery does"b'nei Maron" evoke?


Are we to be compared to sheep being reviewed by the shepherd?
OR
Are we better compared to a Ruler reviewing his loyal troops?


Are we to be "Bent over and subservient"?
Or
"Erect and dignified"?

=======================================================================

Here is the "more later":

Mishna RH 1:3 -
And on the 1st of Tishre all the comers of the world pass before Him Kivnei Maron

What does this term mean
The Bavli gives 3 explanations
The Yerushalmi 2 explanations.

The girsa as espoused by Hanoch Albeck is Kivnumeiron. This is related to the Latin Numerion. This suggests a Legion of Soldiers. See also Danby ad .loc. and footnote 12. This is also supported by a passage in the Tosefta.

The common understanding based upon the more popular reads in the Bavli and Yerushalmi are like sheep under the shepherd's rod. [Maron is apparently a Semitic word meaning sheep/flock.] What connotation is invoked by this metaphor? Are all of us helpless sheep under the protection of a pastor? How do we view ourselves?

On the other hand, what imagery does the concept of legions invoke? How do we NOW view ourselves? Do we see ourselves as loyal troopers in God's Legion?

The issue to me is one of dignity! The common, popular, albeit “source-text” challenged point of view, is that we should humble ourselves as sheep. Is this humbling or humiliating? What are the images of the Holocaust? Does not sheep invoke the image of passive victims?

Now soldiers in the Emperor's Legions are every bit as subject to massive slaughter as are sheep. Let's face it, the military is called upon to sacrifice humans just as often as sheep were sacrificed in days of yore. But THAT sacrifice invokes a DIGNIFIED image!

Meir Kahane was challenged just what did he mean by NEVER AGAIN? His retort was not that no further oppression or attacks could take place against Jews. That was impossible for Jews alone to prevent. What he sought to prevent was that Jews would NEVER AGAIN submit passively to oppression, that we would rise up and defend ourselves - much like our ancestors the Maccabbees did!

Now that God has revealed to us the original etymology by teaching us how this single word was in the time of the Mishnah and how it has been inadvertently distorted into 2 words, we should take this NEW lesson on the Old Torah to heart! We are now called upon to view ourselves as members of God's Legion and to abandon our self-imagery of the "sheep on the way to slaughter." Not only has history demanded such a paradigm shift in our thinking, but the newly revealed discoveries in text have confirmed that this has been God's desire all along, only we did not quite get HIS message!

Next Post on the Shape of the Shofar

 

Shanah Tova

RRW

Levush on Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur, and Hoshana Rabba

How did it come about that 
Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur, and Hoshana Rabba
are ALL Days of Judgment?

The Levush addresses this very question. He gives a very insightful answer that I would like to share.

Background

The Jewish calendar has a major Lunar component and a minor Solar component. Furthermore,when it comes to the flood of Noah, and perhaps OTHER pre-Sinai events the traditional solar 365 days make a full year


Let's say that in Year 1 [or is that Zero?] God created the Heaven and the earth on Tishre 1 What is the corresponding solar Date? Let's arbitrarily say September 30th.


In Year 2 Tishre 1 is the Lunar Rosh Hashana. let's say it is 10 days earlier and falls on Solar Sept. 20th. When is the SOLAR new year? Why it is again Sept. 30th. This is due to the usual loss of 11 days which has been rounded off to 10 days. Sept. 30th is Yom Kippur in year 2 and the Solar Rosh haShana


In Year 3 Tishre 1 is the Lunar Rosh Hashana. let's say it falls on Sept. 9th in the solar calendar. What then is Sept. 30th or Solar anniversary? Why, it is Hoshana Rabbah!


What about year 4? We get a 13th month and recycle the cycle.


Thus whilst 1 Tishre is ALWAYS the Lunar New Year, Yom Kippur and Hoshana Rabbah are pinch hit Solar New Years as needed. Thus, they also obtain the status as Days of Judgment!

KT

RRW

Tehillim: Elul Through 10 days of Teshuva

Posqim - inlcuding Mishnah Brura advocate reciting Tehillim twice during Elul. In fact by doing 10 kappitlach a day, one can finish Tehillim twice; and the total of 300 chapters represents the G'matriya of "kapper"


But 10 chapters a days is a tad unwieldly. Because they vary in size so much, any day that includes kappitel 119 would be onerous.


Tehillim is already divided into a 30-day plan. So the simple technique I have subscribed to is as follows:

1. Elul: do ONE cycle of Tehillim using the existing monthly cycle.
2. During the 10 Days of Teshuva, use the 7 days of non-YomTov and of the weekly cycle. Thus, e.g. this year, on Tzom Gedalyah you do the Yom Rishon section ending on Erev YK with the Yom Shevi'i section
3. If you have time you can divided RH & YK and do a 3rd cycle

Ketiva vaChatima Tova!

RRW

Previously post on 08/23/09 in NishmaBlog

Dividing Meals [Se'udah Hamfseket]

There are several interesting parallels in the Final Meal before the Fast of Tisha b’Av and Yom Kippur

1. The most obvious parallel is that both fasts are for a full day - actually about 25 hours - as opposed to other fasts which are from early morning until night.
2. Both Final Meals traditionally follow the Minchah Service.
3. Both Final Meals have several custsoms and rituals that are unique to these meals.

What makes these meals so special?  Nearly every Holiday has a special ritual at mealtime. The most obvious is the Passover Seder. At New Year, we eat special symbolic foods to start the year off right. At Sukkoss we eat in the Sukkah and even Shavuous we have the custom of eating dairy.

The problem with eating on Yom Kippur and Tisha b’Av is obvious since that they are both Fast Days. And since they are both FULL DAY fasts, we cannot possibly engineer a meal that would symbolize the day. That is where the final meal comes in. The reason it is eaten after Minchah is to connect as closely as possible it to the upcoming fast day. This explains perhaps why we specifcally recite the confession at Minchah BEFORE the meal on Yom Kippur eve.   Since Yom Kippur is after all a Yom Tov, this final meal is somewhat festive. We have Challah, some have honey and we eat meat - although it is wise to eat bland and easily digested foods to prepare for the fast.

On the other hand, Tisha b’Av is a day of mourning. Mourners coming back from the burial normally DO have a special Mourner’s Meal. Since we cannot eat on Tisha b’Av, this mourners meal takes place BEFORE the Fast.

Therefore, these Final Meals before Both fast, function as substitutes for the meals that should have been consumed on the days themselves, but could not due to the fasts.

The Talmud teaches us that whoever eats on Yom Kippur Eve for the sake of the Yom Kippur Fast Day is considered to have fasted Both Days.

KT
RRW

Preriously Published On NishmaBlog  - Thursday, September 6, 2007