הלכות תפילה וברכת כהנים פרק ב

Laws of Prayer and Priestly Blessing, Chapter 2 – The Enactment of Birkat HaMinim

Introduction: The Sponsor of the Shiur

Speaker 1: Okay, we are learning Laws of Prayer and Priestly Blessing, Chapter 2. Yes, tell us about our sponsors.

Speaker 2: What came in? Yes, our shiur has been sponsored by our dear friend, the pious rabbi, the generous rabbi, Yoel Wertzberger, who stands with us and he has made the yeshiva a success, and it’s a tremendous merit for him, and whoever wants to emulate him should reach out.

Review: What We Learned in Chapter 1

Speaker 1: Very good. So we learned in the first chapter the foundations of the laws of prayer, yes? That is, prayer here primarily means the Shemoneh Esrei?

Speaker 2: Not just primarily, but, right? We didn’t learn… perhaps later we’ll learn about the compensatory prayers and such things.

Speaker 1: Yes, perhaps soon we can learn later about other blessings and things, but for now. I mean, we already learned the laws of Kriat Shema about the blessings of Kriat Shema. So, now we’re learning about Shemoneh Esrei. We learned about the rabbinic [ordinance], rabbinic, it was actually eighteen blessings, and so on.

The Structure of Chapter 2: Changes in the Blessings

Now we’re going to learn certain additional details about the blessings. I saw that Rabbi Rabinowitz says very nicely, one can see that the entire chapter is essentially changes that were made in the blessings. Here are changes, the first change that we’re going to learn is a change that Rabban Gamliel made forever, he added one blessing. Afterwards there are changes that are made from time to time according to the situation, which we’ll see.

Law 1: The Enactment of Birkat HaMinim – The Historical Background

The Words of the Rambam

The Rambam says, “In the days of Rabban Gamliel, the heretics multiplied in Israel”. The Rambam begins like, for example, in the laws of idolatry he began that way, he goes into the historical, he tells us the historical reality that explains laws, that gives context for laws. He says, they did indeed say eighteen blessings, but he’s going to tell us here that it’s actually nineteen.

He says thus, “In the days of Rabban Gamliel”, the Nasi Rabban Gamliel, “the heretics multiplied in Israel”, heretics multiplied.

Who Are the Heretics/Minim?

Speaker 2: Whom specifically does he mean here? Does he mean the disciples of Tzadok and Baitus who were around in the time of the disciples of Rabban Gamliel?

Speaker 1: No, in the time of Rabban Gamliel was that man. The simple meaning is that. So says Rabbeinu Manoach. He knows Rabban Gamliel, that was part of the story. So, simply, Rabbi Shimon ben Shetach doesn’t fit historically. Rabban Gamliel is historically when it was. And for those who Tosafot says that there were two Yeshu HaNotzris, whether Rabbi Shimon ben Shetach was in the range time, I don’t remember.

Speaker 2: Too early in time.

Speaker 1: Too early or too late, I don’t remember. In any case, Rabban Gamliel was in his time, and it appears that the Rambam understood that it means him. So says Rabbi Noach that it means him.

We see the word “minim” used for the Christians. In most of Chazal one finds the word “minim”, it never says exactly whom he’s talking about. So, simply, the Rambam understood it that way. Let’s read the…

The Meaning of “Minim”

“The minim multiplied in Israel” – that is, heretics. More types of Jews. That is, truly there is only one type of Jew, but here is another type. “Minim” simply means types, literally. Another type.

Speaker 2: No, the other is from the language of agreement, informing, heresy is from the language… is another… the the the… heresy.

Speaker 1: I mean that “min” is literal, that is, they are Jews, but you are a type of Jew, you’re not a normal Jew, understand? Gentiles are other nations, you’re just a type unto yourself, you’re not a Jew and you’re not a gentile. No, you’re a min, you’re a type of Jew. A gentile is a gentile, a Jew is a Jew, a Yisrael. And you’re a type of Yisrael, you’re a… how do you say it… you’re a min.

“Metzarim L’Yisrael U’Mesitim” – Physical and Spiritual

“And they were metzarim to Israel” – they caused trouble. “Kol hametzar l’Yisrael na’aseh rosh” seems to hint that the… the main metzarim to Israel are a certain type of form. It’s not clear to… I mean that the… let’s read. “U’mesitim otam lasur me’acharei Hashem” – they incite the Jews to turn away from the One Creator. So, it’s not clear whether “metzarim” means they made troubles physically, and besides that they made troubles spiritually, or perhaps he means this is the very thing.

Proof from Yerushalmi Rosh Hashanah

So, I learned last night in Yerushalmi Rosh Hashanah about… and there they discuss… I mean roughly we’re standing in the Mishnah in Rosh Hashanah, but in the Yerushalmi it’s a bit more elaborate about the minim, where there also it’s not clear, apparently it means the Sadducees who don’t believe in the Oral Torah, they hired false witnesses, they tried to sabotage the sanctification of the new month, and also that they lit, initially they would light signal fires, but they began lighting fires on a different night.

So it’s actually, I looked at it, apparently it even looks like a bit of a rebellion, yes? They hacked into the system that announces that a rocket is coming, yes? They lit fires when it wasn’t Rosh Chodesh, they literally sabotaged the thing. So there was a reality, there was such a bit of an uprising.

Discussion: Uprising or Belief Problem?

Speaker 2: True, but it could be that the main thing, that is, certainly it’s true that an uprising was made, and therefore he’s called the zealot, because he wants to be the, he wants to lead the thing. He’s an opposition. But why does his opposition exist? He has some system, his system is that one should believe thus and so, one must do thus and so.

Speaker 1: But they didn’t just incite their people and they went further, they also tried to gain control. The king was a Sadducee, and they tried to install in the Temple, and one remembers all those stories. Here we’re even talking about the Christians, they initially tried, they tried to take over things. But to take over in order to be able to implement their deeds and actions that were not proper.

But what I mean to say is, it’s not simple that there’s a small group of Jews who think interesting thoughts, they get together once a week, they have meetings, and we’re going to unmask them and make a prayer for them. This was a war, it was a kind of war. They sabotaged the Sanhedrin, they… it was a… the Sadducees that you’re talking about from the Mishnah, the minim that are discussed here, the enemies of Israel.

So the Rambam wants to give you a picture that they’re not, and they were concerned that they have holy knowledge, and that’s also, that’s also enough to say. But they added the two things, they added the two things. But they were also a bit of a war. They added the two things, they added the two things. It’s not just, for example when two rabbis, two brothers, fight over who should be Kohen Gadol, whatever, it’s actually a war, a bit of a civil war, but that’s not the problem, understand? Not for that do we make a blessing. Even the second side is not a thing today, we make a blessing. He’s the second side. But what does his position consist of? It consists of some other belief, of some weakness in “acharei Hashem”. Very good. It’s both things together. This is a great problem.

“Gadol Mikol Tzorchei Bnei Adam” – Connection to Chapter 1

“When they saw that this is greater than all the needs of people” – that the thing, to be free or that there should be unity among Jews, or the thing that all Jews should conduct themselves according to the Torah, is more important than all things. Because the Rambam says elsewhere, as you already said, that when one lives among upright Jews the Torah comes easier, and so forth.

Speaker 2: No, wait, stop. “Tzorchei bnei adam” is certainly a reference to what he said earlier, right? What was the language there? By the prayer?

Speaker 1: There was a language that the… “they ask for all the things for the needs of the entire community”.

Speaker 2: Very good. There is, he said that the eighteen blessings are for all the needs of people. Now they found that there is a greater need. It’s a great communal need at once.

Speaker 1: Very good. Not just some problem, it’s the greatest need. I mean the greatest is about the language “v’acharei Hashem”, because the purpose of everything is to know the Almighty. If one will know it falsely, then the whole thing is over.

And consequently, that the world should remain with a clear faith is “greater than all the needs of people”. But “needs of people” he puts it into Shemoneh Esrei, because there belongs the needs of people, that’s prayer.

The Enactment of Rabban Gamliel

“He and his court stood and enacted one blessing” – that is, once prayer is for the needs of people, once we understand that this is one of the greatest needs of people, we must make a prayer for this. “And they enacted one blessing that should contain a request before Hashem to destroy the wicked” – he with his court made a new prayer, to ask the Almighty “to destroy the wicked”. “And he fixed it in the prayer so that it would be arranged in everyone’s mouth” – he inserted it into the prayer, so that it would be arranged in everyone’s mouth.

“Arucha B’fi Hakol” – Connection to Anshei Knesset HaGedolah

Speaker 2: Very good. This is further the language that he said earlier about the Anshei Knesset HaGedolah, that they made the text of the prayer so they would know the important things that one must pray for, and one should say it well.

Speaker 1: Very good. The principle can be learned both ways. It could be that it’s actually as you said, essentially every Jew had to pray for this, but there was no text, so he made a text. The other way, one must think, it could be, let’s say there’s a person who has a new need. Yes, we spoke in the previous shiurim, let’s say someone needs a match for the children, perhaps he should make his own blessing, “Baruch Atah Hashem…”. One should say such a thing.

Speaker 2: Very good. But here he made a separate blessing. Because this is a need of people, it’s a very clear thing.

Discussion: Can We Today Make a New Blessing for a Communal Need?

Speaker 1: But I was thinking, what happens for example, and I know that people in Lakewood say that today we need to make a blessing that we should be able to accept the children into institutions. It’s also a need of people.

Speaker 2: It’s also a need of people, but one must pray. It’s the power of vows or what. It’s the same blessing of the informers, I’m not saying that…

Speaker 1: No, and… it could be. No, I saw later it says by fast…

Speaker 2: No, but you say very well. First of all they said that this is a need that one must pray for. Once we say that one of the prayers we know that we make a text so that people shouldn’t request it in singular language. When not, it would have been enough just to hang a note “except those who pray against the wicked”. But I want that one should also do the manner how they made prayers that it should be arranged in everyone’s mouth.

The Purposeful Aspect of Birkat HaMinim

It can also certainly be, I mean Rabbi Binyamin says this, I’m going to say another piece that he says in a minute, but he also says this, that it could be that the prayer is also purpose-driven. The simple meaning is, how, one of the ways to clarify the minim, they said a clear blessing, everyone who eats, you say the opposite, you show not to become a min. It filters out from the synagogue the wicked who will grind their teeth at Birkat HaMinim. There’s such a story in the Mishna Yuchsin, if someone errs, there’s a suspicion that perhaps he’s a min, therefore he doesn’t say Birkat HaMinim. There’s such a thing. But there’s also that we publicize that people understand how there shouldn’t be a min.

Comparison to Birkat Aneinu by Fast Days

I was thinking, later it says that on a fast day an individual says he inserts into Shema Koleinu the Aneinu, and on a fast day the prayer leader says it as an extra blessing. It appears that for a communal need one can make an extra blessing. An individual inserts his problems into another blessing, but if this is a communal need there can come an extra blessing.

Speaker 2: He asks a question, I don’t remember… Aneinu is a matter of a blessing, and this goes in the category like the festivals that have a specific prayer.

Speaker 1: Simply, no, perhaps it has a specific prayer of… No, but I connected it. Apparently I think, usually fasts are made for a trouble, therefore one decrees a fast. The prayer of Aneinu is “Master of the Universe, help us”. One says that on a fast the reason that one fasts is now a bit of a plea, this is just a remembrance of the trouble, whatever. The great trouble is that we’re in exile, whatever we fast Tisha B’Av and the like. But apparently this is a new blessing for the trouble that is now. If rain, whatever the claim is. We’ll still see.

Question from Rabbeinu Manoach: “Yitamu Chata’im V’Lo Chot’im”

He asks a question, Rabbeinu Manoach, that there is, everyone knows that it says that one must say “Yitamu chata’im v’lo chot’im” (let sins cease, not sinners). If someone…

Speaker 2: Very good. If someone will say that there’s a distinction that this is only on the wicked, not on minim, says Rabbeinu Manoach, no.

Speaker 1: He asks from an explicit Gemara that Rava said even on minim.

Birkat HaMinim, the Count of Blessings, and Laws of HaBinenu

Law 1 (Continued): Questions and Explanations in Birkat HaMinim

Question: Aneinu — Is This a Separate Blessing?

Speaker 1: He asks a question, I don’t remember if I said it there. Aneinu is a blessing, because it goes in the category like the festivals that have a specific prayer. Simply, no. Perhaps the fast has a specific prayer of Aneinu.

No, but apparently, I think, usually fasts are made for a trouble. Actually therefore there is the fast. The prayer of Aneinu is that the Almighty should help us. When one says this on a communal fast that one is now, this is a bit of a problem. This is just on the remembrance of troubles, or the great troubles that we are in exile, or when one fasts Tisha B’Av and the like. But apparently this is a new blessing for the trouble that is now, a fast for rain or which fast it is. We’ll have to see.

Question: “Yitamu Chata’im V’Lo Chot’im” — How Does This Fit with Birkat HaMinim?

Speaker 1: He asks a question, Rabbi Noach, that there is, everyone knows that it says that one must say “Yitamu chata’im v’lo chot’im”. And if someone says that there’s a distinction that this is only on the wicked and not on minim, says Rabbi Elimelech, no, he asks from an explicit Gemara that Rava said even on minim “a person should not pray for the wicked that they should die”. One shouldn’t strike.

Answer 1: “Metzarim L’Yisrael” — Repentance, Not Death

Speaker 1: Says Rabbi Elimelech a simple answer. He says, that’s actually what is meant. The Rambam says “metzarim l’Yisrael”. Let the minim who are metzarim cease, let them be nullified, and let them do teshuvah. That’s certainly the greatest nullification. It doesn’t mean that they should specifically die, but do teshuvah. Doing teshuvah is becoming a breaker of evil and subduer of the arrogant.

Okay, the text of the prayer is a matter of calling and encouragement, and other such things. It could be sermons. The first thing can be calling and encouragement.

Answer 2: “Al Tehi Tikva” — Announcement, Not Prayer

Speaker 1: He explains, as I saw someone explain, why the simple meaning that one says “v’lamalshinim al tehi tikva”? Why does this come in? This is Rabbi Elimelech here. He says that this is essentially… this is also, this is a second answer that he asks on the question. No, not a second answer, he asks why one says this in other versions. He says that “al tehi tikva” means that they shouldn’t have any survival of the soul. This is simply an announcement that one says to the world that “lamalshinim lo tehi tikva”. It’s more a warning than a prayer.

Answer 3: The Distinction Between Wicked and Minim

Speaker 1: But I mean that it’s not a question at all, because first of all, it begins that there were neighbors who committed transgressions, as it says by Rabbi Meir. He had some neighbors, hooligans there. Here we’re talking about wicked people.

Speaker 2: No, what I mean to say God forbid, there it clearly says the word minim.

Translation

Speaker 1: Yes. But there was a family, he goes to his prophet, who was a heretic, he prayed with truth and righteousness, if only his children. Here one speaks more clearly, “le’abed a minim” (to destroy the heretics), it doesn’t mean to say that the end should be male, every child should die. “Le’abed a minim,” it could be he thought about one great wicked person, that he must die. This isn’t that he’s only praying about the neighbor here, he has some bad neighbor, he’s asking the Almighty that He should wipe him out.

Okay, he says a distinction. “Le’abed a minim” doesn’t mean to kill every person, he means the… The Rabbis say afterwards, that it’s much more simple, when one says “ve’lamalshinim al tehi tikvah” (and for the informers let there be no hope), he doesn’t mean to say that every male child, like by Amalek, everyone should die. No, they’re Jews, yes? It means to say, uprooted should be their yoke, their will for evil, give them the heart, I know the “ve’hazeidim ve’haresha’im” (and the insolent and the wicked), what the wicked must lose.

Digression: The Munkatcher Rav’s Approach

Speaker 1: Okay. Okay. Yes, it could be, the Munkatcher Rav I remember with great zealousness, he has a whole lengthy discussion somewhere that the halacha is not like Rabbi Meir. No, he says that it appears that in the conversation, Bruriah said, a woman said, one shouldn’t follow her, one should indeed curse the wicked. But it appears that Rabban Gamliel thought differently, Rabban Gamliel thought that no, it’s actually meant literally, but this was given for the needs of the community.

Why Is It Called “Eighteen Blessings” When There Are Nineteen?

Speaker 1: Okay, back to the main point of Tosafot, a blessing which is essentially the eighteen blessings. Ah, about this the word “eighteen” remained. So that it should be remembered that the true name is eighteen. This is something extra there. It could be also “Boneh Yerushalayim” (Builder of Jerusalem), okay, one can change the text. Perhaps to say, the Almighty who dwells there, one should already build it, something like that. The Rambam mentioned somewhere this thing, that one should not change from the language of the Sages, from the formula that the Sages established.

Question: How Could Shimon HaPakuli Add a Blessing?

Speaker 1: First of all, regarding the blessings of Kriat Shema we saw it. But Shimon HaPakuli didn’t… he did differently. Adding a whole blessing is a different thing. Or he was able to because he was… what?

Speaker 2: No, he was the sage, I don’t understand.

Speaker 1: I don’t understand what you’re saying against the Sages. He was the Sages themselves, I don’t understand. He was here a few generations let’s say after they made the eighteen blessings, yes, I don’t know how long.

Speaker 2: From the Men of the Great Assembly.

Speaker 1: From the Men of the Great Assembly. So when one says one may not add, that means an individual may not, but here a beit din assembled. But it could be that inserting a whole blessing doesn’t mean adding. Adding and changing means changing the language, saying the same thing with different language.

The Rambam’s Presentation: Response to a Crisis

Speaker 1: But apparently the answer is the first thing, that he says that this was… The Rambam says, the Rambam inserts, in the Gemara it doesn’t say this that there was an abundance of heretics. The Rambam imagined, the Rambam says what’s the explanation that Shimon… It doesn’t even say in the Gemara about Gamliel, Rabban Gamliel asked the beit din to establish it, not that he made it himself. But the Rambam wants to bring out that it was a… how should we say, it was a response to a crisis. He says indeed, he brings that he gives the credit to Rabban Gamliel, he doesn’t say “Shmuel stood up” as the Gemara says. He says this, but the Rambam wants to bring out that… ah, it could be because Rabban Gamliel was the Nasi, he was the beit din, he was the one who led the beit din, he was the scepter.

Speaker 2: He was the scepter, it’s not a scepter.

Speaker 1: It’s a well-known saying that in Avot it says “Shimon HaPakuli said before Rabban Gamliel,” Shimon HaKatan, “Shimon HaKatan said before Rabban Gamliel,” and it says further “when they ate and were satisfied.” One says that because he was the one who always said this, he was able, they knew that him they could trust with the blessing against the heretics.

Summary: The Nineteenth Blessing

Speaker 1: Anyway, already. This is the nineteenth blessing that was added at the time… to a problem that existed. The truth is that the Ramban speaks about this in a place when he speaks about the blessings. Therefore I would also want to say that at the time of the destruction of the Temple they added blessings to Jerusalem more, or one would have said that there was also a blessing about Jerusalem in a different text. But the Rambam doesn’t speak about this. But in any case this is the reason why it’s called eighteen blessings, one must understand why it’s called nineteen, why there are nineteen.

Halacha 2: When One Can Say “Havineinu” (Abridged Eighteen)

The Rambam’s Language

Speaker 1: Already, so now comes this. Now we’re going to learn whether one must actually say all nineteen. This is a question whether a poor person could have said that they are something that is yehareg ve’al ya’avor (better to die than transgress), they are informers, apparently one cannot skip. Other blessings are what the Sages established to say this way. He told him that he lives in a city where only pious Jews live. He says, he should quickly bring a gentile, he should be able to fulfill the mitzvah of fighting with the gentiles. So even if there’s another holy opinion, one must make it so it should be confirmed. Just so, okay.

The Rambam says thus, “In every prayer of the three prayers that one prays every day, a person must pray these nineteen blessings in order.” Let’s say in the order that they gave us.

“When does this apply?” says the Rambam, “When his mind is settled upon him and focused, and he sits calmly, and his tongue is quick to read.” When he is calm, his mind is settled. “Focused” means settled, “settled” for a goal, goal-oriented. “And his tongue is quick to read” – and he is diligent, he is in the mood, and it works for him, and his tongue goes to say it quickly, it won’t take very long.

“But if he was troubled and pressed, or his tongue was too short to pray the nineteen blessings in order,” if he is strained and… the opposite of “his mind is settled upon him and focused.” “Troubled” means like in action apparently, he is busy doing things. “Pressed” means he is squeezed, he sits in bed in the dark. Yes, he does nothing, he sits, but he is unfortunately pressed. Or, “or his tongue was too short” – what is this, I catch myself speculating, the opposite of “his tongue is quick to read.” What is this? Is this physical?

Speaker 2: No, I mean that it’s… it’s not physical.

Explanation of “His Tongue Was Too Short”

Speaker 1: A person cannot say eighteen blessings. It’s very long, the nineteen blessings, it’s many words. Even to be in the right situation, he cannot say the words, to say a long blessing. Don’t you see people today who don’t follow the Rambam, and they say, “Okay, you see he is tired, he doesn’t have strength to say such a long thing, let him make it short, he has strength.” It’s not lack of mind, it’s actually strong mind, but it’s still strong mind. One needs both things, and we want that he should say it and he should have intention. If he can only have one of the two, that is, either he can have intention, or he can say… he can say a shorter thing, or he will say “Havineinu” when his tongue is too short. I mean the “his tongue is too short” doesn’t mean, because apparently the Rambam learns that there is a text, the “his tongue is too short” doesn’t mean like before “his tongue is too short” that one cannot make a text, it means… no, but it’s implied that it appears here like if you can pray the whole prayer without mind, or a small prayer with mind, you should pray a small one with mind.

Or perhaps one can say his tongue is impure, he doesn’t have desire, focused mind for the whole long language. But I mean the main focused mind means, he speaks here ideally perhaps like, this we will see later in the Gemara, I mean that what one needs to have small intention, one cannot be focused. The Rambam doesn’t speak that he has no intention, he speaks more like you are in a situation where you can say a longer prayer, it’s more a strong person and mind, and they can say.

The Law: Three First, One Blessing Summarizing the Middle Ones, and Three Last

Speaker 1: It’s like this, if he is troubled and pressed for time, he prays the three first ones, the first three, the praise, he should say the whole thing, and then he should say one blessing summarizing all the middle ones, then he should make one blessing from all the middle nine, he should make one… the twelve or thirteen.

Speaker 2: Yes, ah, I’m sorry, yes.

Speaker 1: He should only say a summary of them, that is he should mention them, but he doesn’t need to say the whole long text, and then he should indeed say the whole last three, the three last ones.

Why Must One Say the Three Last Ones Completely?

Speaker 1: It’s interesting that by praise and thanksgiving they don’t let us, there it’s even more important that one should say it with the beautiful texts. But one must remember what the Rambam apparently holds that there is a text, but the Rishonim don’t hold so. But when it says here that he lengthens, he must say all three blessings, the word isn’t here that he must say the longer text, the word is he must make three blessings, that’s already the longer one. He must say “Baruch Atah Hashem” extra, “Baruch Atah Hashem.” The one blessing summarizing all the middle ones doesn’t have “Baruch” for all the blessings, one makes from them all one blessing.

Speaker 2: No, it’s one long blessing.

Speaker 1: Besides that it’s a bit shorter, even in the text not. It could be that the text one can say on each piece “Baruch Atah Hashem” it becomes twelve blessings. No, but it could be that the Rambam would have been perhaps, I don’t know, I’m trying.

Laws of “Havineinu” — When One Makes One Blessing from the Middle Blessings

The Distinction Between Three Blessings and One Blessing

But when it says here that he must say all three blessings, the word isn’t here that he must say the longer text. The word is he must make three blessings. That’s already the longer one. He must say “Baruch Atah Hashem” extra “Baruch Atah Hashem.” The one blessing summarizing all the middle ones doesn’t have a blessing for all the blessings. One has made from them all one blessing.

Right, it’s one long blessing. Besides that it’s a bit shorter even in the text, it’s not… It could be that the text one can say on each piece “Baruch Atah Hashem,” and it will be twelve blessings. Anyway, but it could be that the Rambam would have been, perhaps, I don’t know, I think, that one should be precise by praise and thanksgiving is more important than one should be precise by the words of prayer. Because praise and thanksgiving you speak to yourself. The Gemara was with total sensitivity to this, saying too many praises, too few praises. Prayer is mainly that you should mention things that are lacking. It’s enough that you hint at the thing, healing, you are already asking for healing, you have already said healing.

The main prayer is the needs. It’s not just so that it was framed made in the Rambam. The length is only in that it’s three blessings. But one should say the specific all praises, he doesn’t say about all praises. He doesn’t say one should say all praises, he says one should say three blessings. The three blessings that you know how, that are in the machzor. He doesn’t say that one should just say three blessings. It’s not clear that it’s indispensable will the words that are in the machzor on each blessing. And this should be the distinction between the first and the second and the third, if not with elevated vaults. He tells you, one makes “Baruch Atah Hashem,” it’s a blessing! Certainly! This is the main law! He makes three blessings!

Because this you don’t say by the first “Magen Avraham,” by the second you don’t say “Mechayeh Meitim,” by the third you don’t say “HaKel HaKadosh,” rather you say three times “Baruch Atah Hashem” with your own words of praise. You have only made one blessing! This is exactly what the matter does! He makes one blessing from the whole thing! It’s not necessarily shorter! The word isn’t that it’s shorter! The word is that it’s one big blessing! And it’s from twelve others!

Why Three Blessings at the Beginning and at the End?

So why indeed by the first… how does one take the first separately? What that it must be three at the beginning and three at the end? Yes! It makes sense! Because these are three different subjects! One should understand precisely what is the distinction. From the subjects. But the three different subjects, all the needs, are all needs, you can make a long list and say at once. And there’s nothing here about making short the whole thing. This is still only one level of abbreviation.

Yes, there is still a short prayer that is even shorter than this. Yes, the Rambam says it thus, and this is the blessing, this is the blessing that the Sages established that is an establishment summarizing all the middle blessings, which includes all the important subjects from the middle blessings.

The Text of “Havineinu” — Analysis

He makes it thus, he says it thus, very nicely, Rabbi Yitzchak was very nicely organized. You grant, he says with the language, Havineinu Hashem Elokeinu to know Your ways, give us the understanding to know Your ways, to know the way of Hashem. And circumcise our hearts to fear You, instead of “return us,” and circumcise our hearts to fear You. Here he has removed the foreskin of the heart. I feel here is more poetic. Yes, yes, I feel here is more poetic. The main thing isn’t that it becomes shorter. “Havineinu” with “Choneinu,” is not much longer than “Choneinu Hashem Elokeinu knowledge from You.”

The Connection Between the Subjects

The main thing is, he makes from the whole thing one long sentence so to speak. Did you notice? He connects. He makes from it like one long poem, or however you want. When you say “Choneinu da’at,” then you say “Baruch Atah Hashem chonen hada’at,” then you say “Hashiveinu Avinu leToratecha.” Here you have made, also you see that the subjects flow into one another, because “Havineinu” he added “to know Your ways,” so it should connect with “and circumcise our hearts.” It even rhymes a bit. Not only does it rhyme, it becomes like, I don’t know how I should explain myself, each subject he has connected with the second. When we say twelve blessings, he makes it chopped one into the other.

And he says, and forgive us to be redeemed, yes, so he makes it in one sentence. And forgive us, forgive us, and if we will be forgiven, we will be able to merit redemption, for Israel is only redeemed through repentance, to be redeemed, to be released. You have here inserted in one sentence the two blessings.

And distance us from our pains, distance us from pain, this is the prayer for healing.

And fatten us in the pastures of Your land, what does “fatten us” mean? Yes, from the language of fat, yes, like the earth should be good. Fat, yes, fertilize the earth. Because the “enrich us” means the field should grow well, and place us in the best part of the Land of Israel, in a nice place of the pasture. The word is indeed in there, we should have what to have. We should live in a good place where there is abundance. No, not that we should live in a good place, rather there should be abundance. Like one says by “Barech Aleinu,” that it should be blessed, the abundance of the land should have us, we should receive the abundance of the land. This is the meaning. It’s one subject with goodness, yes, a bit it’s one subject with goodness.

“And Gather from the Four Corners” and Further

And gather from the four corners, You should gather those who have spread to the four corners of the earth. He doesn’t say here “corners,” he says “from the four,” meeting themselves which four.

And those who err in Your knowledge You shall judge, there is a subject of erring, but those who wander in their knowledge should receive their judgment. The Kesef Mishneh with all have brought a whole discussion from Rashi in the Gemara what is the meaning of “and those who err in Your knowledge You shall judge,” this is indeed forbidden relations and bloodshed. This is indeed more than a negative commandment derived from a positive one. He says that today we are erring, we have the youth who wait. What does it say here? Restore our judges as at first, yes, give us good rabbis, and take away what we have now. And the erring ones, the sorrow and sighing, should one say that this is our rabbi. Should one say that the sorrow and sighing is our rabbi? One should take away the sorrow and sighing, this is the erring one. The simple meaning, as he brings from Rashi, “those who err in Your knowledge You shall judge,” the judges should become, the judges who are now erring should tomorrow already rule well, should be good judges, “doing righteousness and justice.”

“And Humble the Wicked” and “And the Righteous Shall Rejoice”

The Concept of Tzaddikim in the Days of Awe

“And the wicked You shall subdue with Your hand”, You shall punish, You shall raise a strong hand against the wicked. “And the hand of the righteous shall rejoice”, and with this the righteous will be gladdened. But it’s joyful, simply that’s how a good general principle goes. But here the Rambam also, he incorporated two blessings into one blessing. But here they received an even broader blessing than in the original. In the original it didn’t say that they should live to see Mashiach. Here it says that they should live to see Mashiach. The wicked should be uprooted. There it says, yes, everything is good, but here you say much more, that the rabbis should live to see Mashiach. “And the building of Your city and the establishment of Your sanctuary”, and the service is not the tzaddikim, “and uproot the arrogance of all Your enemies, and all who seek evil shall be cut off”. And it goes further, “and uproot the arrogance of all Your enemies”, this is the blessing that the Rebbe gave us. They receive long life. And especially the supporters of the righteous with these things.

But I think that when all these connections are there, it may be that truly when one says it extra it also means the ideas. There is indeed an order. The Gemara in Megillah has an entire exposition about what is the connection from one blessing to the next. This is basically their connection. It’s normal lately, each thing extra becomes an extra thing.

The Matter of Tzaddikim in the Days of Awe

But according to halacha, according to halacha, the prayer of the Days of Awe appears that the supporters of the righteous is a very important part of the entire reason for, God forbid, not the wicked, it’s for the supporters of the righteous. The wicked as if, not corrupted, is all one great thing. Why do we want to enter the Beit HaMikdash? Not because of the building, because of the people. We want the people to be joyful and able to serve the Almighty. Tzaddikim means the righteous, yes, not tzaddikim who take kvitlach. Tzaddikim means the righteous, the Jews. Not the opposite of “for the wicked let there be no hope.”

“Before We Call, You Answer”

Afterwards one says “Before we call, You answer”. This fits in very well, because I’ve barely asked. “Before we call, You answer, before we speak, You hear”. This is already saying the same thing twice.

“For You are”… no, that “before we speak, You hear” is too late to ask now. No, but I think it’s correct, that it says very well that… I’ll say it before I say it at length, I’ll say it at length, I’m only a person, but the… the nusach says it in pure prayers. I think that this is the same meaning, because simply a person many times, if one has short words… but if one talks, one cannot ask in an orderly way. But if I ask, I ask well, but I don’t have… “before” is the reason why I say it long. “Before we call” is the point. I can pray, I don’t have to pray, I do pray.

The answer is, not always does one fulfill, not always perhaps one prays and it comes out wrong. Therefore one says the statements that give order to the Creator. The Almighty makes you pray, you say all these… He takes the entire alef-beis and makes from it the correct nusach. Yes.

“For You are He who answers in every time of trouble, redeems and saves in every distress, blessed are You, Hashem, who hears prayer”. Now, if this is “who hears prayer,” afterwards one goes further to Retzeh, right? This is the blessing of the service.

Halacha: When Does One Say “Havineinu”?

The Rambam ruled… one moment. Yes. So I would have said, in the Gemara there was a bit of a dispute whether one says “Havineinu,” whether one may say “Havineinu” the entire day in a general manner or not.

Speaker 2: But only in a time of pressing need?

Speaker 1: One moment. So in general, whether one says… I think there’s a dispute already in the Mishnah. And the Rambam ruled like Rabbi Akiva in the Mishnah, that if one has doubt whether his mind is focused and the like. And the Gemara is also here that Abaye scolded whoever says “Havineinu.” But the Rambam brings that it appears that the Rambam understood that it’s all included. That is, if one determines that it depends on whether one’s mind is focused, we will say that the simple meaning is that…

Speaker 2: If it’s not, one should say a short prayer.

Speaker 1: If it’s not, one should say… no, now we’re talking about “Havineinu.” A short prayer is another level. If one’s mind is not focused, what it says in the Gemara that one may not say “Havineinu,” that’s talking about when he does have his mind focused. The Rambam rules that it’s obligatory. That is, if one has strength, if one has his mind focused and his tongue pure, he must say the entire thing. But if he doesn’t have it, then he is obligated, that is, the halacha is he should say “Havineinu.” And so too he ruled in the Shulchan Aruch, which is followed in the Rema, that if one doesn’t have strength, one doesn’t have a focused mind, one says “Havineinu.”

And we’ll see in siman dalet the problem of the rainy season in a moment, but so is apparently the halacha decided, there’s no one who disputes this. The fact that today’s siddurim haven’t printed it…

Speaker 2: The problem with it, one moment, will be that it’s apparently only that one is changing from the formula that the Sages established, because a person can himself pray for all these things. It’s only a formula.

Speaker 1: Yes, yes. But here we’re talking about the Rabbanan. The Rabbanan indeed wanted one to make eighteen blessings. They didn’t… after the fact they were indeed… one general blessing. But the Rambam says that “Havineinu” is an enactment, yes? It’s not that you make your own. It’s an enactment of the Sages.

But until this day, except for the rainy season which we’ll see in a moment, or Motzaei Shabbat, the halacha is decided that if one doesn’t have strength to say the entire Shemoneh Esrei, one must say “Havineinu.” I don’t understand why most of today’s siddurim haven’t printed it at all, and ignore it. There’s no reason at all why one must say all the blessings. A person doesn’t have time or is weary, according to halacha he must review the nusach or find a siddur where it’s written, and say it. Yes. Now we’ll see that there are times when one cannot do it, one cannot make the “Havineinu.”

Speaker 2: Yes, so one must mention “grant dew and rain.”

Speaker 1: Yes, that’s in the summer season. But the time when one can say the nusach “Havineinu” is in the summer season in the summer.

Laws of Prayer: Laws of Havineinu, Seven Blessings on Shabbat and Yom Tov

Halacha 4: Havineinu in the Rainy Season — Why One Cannot Say It

There’s no reason at all why one must say all the blessings. A person who doesn’t have time or is weary, according to halacha must say it, and must obtain the nusach, or find a siddur where it’s written and say it.

Yes. Ah, now one can see that there’s a time when one cannot do it, one cannot make the Havineinu in the Havineinu tradition. Yes, what one can say the nusach Havineinu is in the summer season in the summer, but in the rainy season one cannot say Havineinu. An interesting reason, “because one needs to say the request in the blessing of the years”. It’s not enough that one says in general, make it so we should live in a good place, that doesn’t cut it for “grant dew and rain for blessing.” One must say “grant blessing,” “grant dew and rain for blessing.” Can one already for the same money say all twelve blessings, can one more easily say all twelve blessings without forgetting than this, if one starts to calculate…

The Distinction Between Requesting Rain and Other Blessings

But this is only if the person himself would have to add the request, but if the Sages who said we should say Havineinu could have added another word, “grant dew and rain for blessing,” they could have inserted a word. But it doesn’t come that way, it comes without it. Rather what? The blessing is a blessing that one says quickly, and they insert in the blessing that comes quickly, and one goes through it like this, it takes thirty seconds, and in thirty seconds one won’t keep in mind that one wouldn’t have remembered that on Motzaei Shabbat they have here another verse that they need to insert.

The Position of Rabbeinu Menachem: If One Has a Siddur One Can Say It

The Beit Menachem says indeed, the Beit Menachem says here right on the side that he holds that the Gemara speaks if one cannot, and he compares the Gemara to Birkat Kohanim, it says that the shaliach tzibbur, “if he is confident that he won’t go back, he is not permitted,” he says that certainly there’s the same halacha here that if a person knows that he has indeed thought, or one can say differently, if a person prays with a siddur, and in the siddur it already says that by “who brings down the dew” one says “for blessing,” apparently he can indeed say it even if he’ll make a mistake.

The Fundamental Question: Why Is Requesting Rain Different?

But the question is much more fundamental: why regarding all other blessings is it enough that one mentions the subject of the blessing, and what happened by “who brings down the rain” that one doesn’t mention the subject of the blessing? That one should have a good, it should be good? One needs here an obligation to ask for dew, for rain, and this is more than the obligation on the other… the obligation that you ask for the redemption… the redemption means, by the way, according to Rashi a list of redemption.

Why doesn’t one need to mention that it should be for all rain by saying that it should be “on the face of the earth”? Why doesn’t one need to? Why on all other prayers is it enough that you mention it in an interesting way even? “Foundation of the houses of the righteous,” “in the building of Jerusalem,” and here it’s not enough to say I want You to give us rain, that we should live in tranquility? I think that rain is a prayer. But what is the distinction between bringing down dew and bringing down rain? I don’t understand, here there’s a halacha…

Answer: Requesting Rain Is a Special Request

In the regular Shemoneh Esrei you’re right, because there one is particular about the exact words. But once one goes away from the exact words, one mentions each subject so the person should remember that for this I am praying. That one is not fulfilled with the words, the words don’t bring out enough the entire subject.

By the Shemoneh Esrei, Chazal enacted for us a long Shemoneh Esrei. You are not obligated specifically to say the words in the blessing. They made twelve blessings. The words are also not specifically different from the words that one says in the twelve blessings. Yes different. Just like that one says. They made it so it should be much shorter. They made it in a way that it should be shorter and it should be easier to remember all as one instead of the twelve. I can give you the nusach, you can look on the internet, there’s a nusach that is very long, but you’ll see that there’s not one blessing there that is different in the content of the request than in the twelve blessings. There isn’t. You ask for knowledge, you ask for repentance, you ask for all these things. More piyutim, fewer piyutim, that’s already a question that one doesn’t discuss here, how one says it, one is not particular about all these things.

But here, the request is a part of having the opportune time. Everything is a part of everything. This is not that one inserted it into a blessing, one didn’t make a new blessing of making a blessing on rain. No, fine, but it’s a special request. It’s not the same request as just saying good. It’s a special request. It should rain… it should rain doesn’t say in the nusach of ‘bless us,’ here you can insert it, but it doesn’t say. I don’t know what he made ‘return us,’ I don’t know what he meant. It would… it wouldn’t fit, there’s no such word. It would look funny.

The Ritz Geonim and the Beit Yosef

The ‘Ritz Geonim’ is apparently certainly right, that if one can, if one has a siddur where it says anyway, one can say it like ‘Mussaf Chol HaMoed,’ the ‘Beit Yosef’ doesn’t agree because he is stringent. Can one complete by you? He says that ‘Rabbeinu Menachem’ is stringent, he says that he should yes, try to say it. I don’t know, the ‘Rambam’ doesn’t say ‘he doesn’t pray Aneinu’ as an obligation to say a long thing, he says ‘he is silent,’ he shouldn’t be distracted, the ‘Rambam’ says it also at the beginning of the halacha. Afterwards later he’ll say things that prevent, he can say… he can say. ‘Rabbeinu Menachem’ is stringent, he says that he should yes, try to say it. I don’t know, the ‘Rambam’ doesn’t say ‘he doesn’t pray Aneinu’ as an obligation. Yes, yes, the Gemara is certain that that’s what it means. Simply it means that he doesn’t understand the words that he can yes. And he doesn’t have, he can’t say ‘Aneinu’ according to Rashi, he must say ‘who distinguishes between holy and profane,’ I don’t know exactly how. He won’t remember that, but it’s the same halacha.

The ‘Beit Yosef’ says on this ‘Rabbeinu Menachem,’ I haven’t found a friend, I haven’t found anyone who should say the same reasoning, that therefore the ruling is that he doesn’t say it, but it’s very funny, that this is the way of the ‘Beit Yosef,’ which everyone must simply say. So the simple reasoning is that it’s talking about a manner that one won’t remember.

Halacha L’maaseh: Practical Rulings

The Mishnah Berurah and the Chayei Adam

Anyway, I say halacha l’maaseh, and I must say another important halacha, the ‘Mishnah Berurah’ also rules this way, I don’t know why the world can’t ‘Laws of Fasts,’ one must teach the children the halacha. The ‘Mishnah Berurah’ says that even the… the ‘Shulchan Aruch’ says, or the ‘Mishnah Berurah’ at least says, that one shouldn’t say ‘Aneinu’ regularly, on this one indeed doesn’t have knowledge, but the ‘Chayei Adam’ says that this is specifically what I said, to say ‘Aneinu’ exactly the nusach, but if someone says yes all twelve blessings, but he says it very briefly. And the Chayei Adam printed a nusach of abbreviating all twelve blessings. This is l’chatchilah, or really l’chatchilah. Anyway, when one doesn’t have strength, one must say the nusach of Chayei Adam. This must also be printed in all siddurim. I have no idea why all siddurim don’t write all the blessings.

Why the Short Nusach Isn’t Printed in Siddurim

I’ll tell you why. It bothered me, just like by honor I explained in this, that people don’t know that when one doesn’t have a mikveh, there is in the Rambam and in halacha printed from other options of nine kabin, and one can apparently with a shower, according to most poskim, with a shower or nine kabin. And there’s such a thing that because one seeks to be stringent, one doesn’t say the intermediate position. So it comes out someone who doesn’t go to the mikveh, also doesn’t do nine kabin. Yes, everyone takes a shower, but if he knows that when he takes a shower he purifies himself, and he would feel that he did a purification, intention goes a lot, let him do it, let him know that with a shower at least he does nine kabin, which is a valid way of purification for prayer, minimum, when one doesn’t have a mikveh, which we’ll see later in the Rambam.

I think it’s the same reason here too. Because one certainly wants from us to always pray the entire Shemoneh Esrei when one has strength, so one doesn’t tell us the middle way. But it’s not after the fact. A job where one must work most of the day, is weary every day. This is not… what it says in the Gemara that it can’t be every day, is talking about someone who does have time, or Shabbat, I don’t know what Shabbat. Anyway, one doesn’t say eighteen blessings. But if someone… what you say that one wants to be also better, that’s not what happens. What happens is that one skips the entire thing, and says not one blessing. It’s a shame. One must say the nusach Havineinu. One fulfills according to all opinions, there’s no doubt at all. Except in the summer, in the winter one must rely on Rabbeinu Menachem. Only Rabbeinu Menachem is a great Jew, one can rely on him. Or the Chayei Adam…

When One Should Say Havineinu

The Jew, that by Shemoneh Esrei he already doesn’t have the strength, he said the prayer before Rabbi R’ Elimelech includes everything. He already prayed so much. I’m talking about Minchah, I’m talking about Yotzer, Yotzer Or u’Vorei Choshech, and he goes until Yotzer HaMeorot. But he prays anyway, he prays there longer, Shemoneh Esrei is only another three minutes, so let him already. There he’s gotten a bit used to it.

But you’re right, that when a person is in a train station and he’s nervous, and he stands to pray the entire long prayer, instead he should pray the short one, the Havineinu. Which takes thirty seconds, with less stress. The Chachamim (Sages) wanted this. This is not a chumra (stringency). The Chacham – in all old siddurim, until a few years ago, Havineinu was printed after Shemoneh Esrei. It’s a new thing that it’s not there. I don’t know why. I don’t know why, maybe because some posek (halachic authority) said a chumra. What kind of chumra? This is a kula (leniency). It’s not a chumra, it’s a kula.

We’ve become accustomed that davening means opening a page and grabbing a whole pasuk (verse) underneath. It’s not any halacha. Okay, I’ve already chopped enough. Let’s go back to Shemoneh Esrei.

Halacha 5: Shabbos and Yom Tov — Seven Blessings

So, until now we’ve learned the main halachos of Krias Shema and of Shemoneh Esrei. Now we’re going to learn what one does on Shabbos and Yom Tov, and so on, what is the order that one does.

On Shabbos and Yom Tov one prays seven blessings in each and every prayer of the four prayers of that day. Shabbos has four prayers, because there’s also Musaf. All four prayers are seven blessings. What are the seven? The three first ones, the three last ones, and the middle blessing appropriate to that day.

It’s interesting, because Havineinu is also one blessing, so most prayers are seven. Perhaps Chazal (our Sages) meant to say that this is about… there is that seven is also a secret, it’s a concept of seven, seven is a concept number. Perhaps it’s really about this, that it should be seven. Shabbos, the seventh day, has seven blessings.

The Conclusion of the Middle Blessing — Shabbos versus Yom Tov

On Shabbos one concludes, okay, what is the middle one, what is the middle blessing? The middle blessing is what one ends with Mekadesh HaShabbos. But on Regalim and Yamim Tovim one concludes Mekadesh Yisrael VeHazmanim.

Shabbos and Yamim Tovim, what is the difference between Shabbos and Yom Tov? First is Shabbos, “Mekadesh HaShabbos”, and afterwards comes “VeYisrael VeHazmanim”. Yes, the reason is, this is stated in the Gemara, the Creator Himself sanctifies Shabbos, and He sanctifies Yisrael, and we Yisrael sanctify the times. Yes, because Jews make Kiddush HaChodesh (sanctification of the new month), through this the times become. And I also think that because Shabbos was essentially from the six days of Creation, before there were Jews, before there were Jews who received the mitzvah of Shabbos.

Conclusions of Shabbos and Yom Tov Blessings, Prayers of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, and Opening and Closing of Prayer

Conclusions of Shabbos and Yom Tov Blessings – “Mekadesh HaShabbos” vs. “Mekadesh Yisrael VeHazmanim”

Speaker 1:

Now there’s a big question. First is Shabbos, “Mekadesh HaShabbos”, and afterwards “VeYisrael VeHazmanim”.

Yes, the reason is, this is stated in the Gemara, the Creator Himself sanctifies Shabbos, and He sanctifies Yisrael, and Yisrael sanctify the times. Yes, because the Jews make Kiddush HaChodesh, through this becomes… I also think that by Shabbos it was essentially from the six days of Creation, it already was before the Torah, before there were Jews who received the Torah. People were Friday, but yes. No, I mean but the Jews, yes, before the Torah, before the people.

Speaker 2:

It’s a good Rosh Hashanah.

Speaker 1:

No, Yisrael, yes, what Yisrael means, the nation that received the Torah. But it’s still not understandable why on Yom Tov one needs to decide to say “Mekadesh Yisrael VeHazmanim”. Something is missing an explanation for me. Why does one need to mention it at all? That’s also a question I’m asking. At least that one mentions it on Shabbos one doesn’t do it, that I understand. But why at all? Why shouldn’t one say “Mekadesh Hazmanim”, “Mekadesh HaYom Tov”? What’s missing the Yisrael at all? Something Yom Tov has to do with the holiness of Yisrael, not just with the holiness of Yom Tov. The holiness of Shabbos doesn’t have to do with the holiness of Yisrael, and the holiness of Yom Tov has to do with the holiness of Yisrael, something stands here.

Soon there will be a Yom Tov, we’ll think about this. On Rosh Hashanah, what does one say? Ah, one says something of a Yom Tov. On Rosh Hashanah one says…

Speaker 2:

But again, if you take the Gemara’s answer, Shabbos is the seventh day of nature, it has nothing to do with any month, with Kiddush HaChodesh.

Speaker 1:

That’s what I’m saying, but that’s not an answer initially why one must, it’s true, Yisrael sanctify times, okay, why does one need to mention it? I feel that… You see that on Yom Tov one also says “Atah Bechartanu” at the beginning of the blessing, a whole list one would have said on Shabbos also not.

Speaker 2:

No, I’m saying that Shabbos is a creation of the Almighty as it were, which has to do with nature, with days, this is “yom valayla lo yishbotu”. And what is Yom Tov?

Speaker 1:

But Yom Tov has to do with Jews, it’s not a gift from the Almighty? It’s a gift from the Almighty, the Almighty gave a gift to Jews that they should be able to make times.

Speaker 2:

Yes, but apparently this is a side thing, that Kiddush HaChodesh the Beis Din makes. Okay, it doesn’t look like that’s the essence of Yom Tov, it looks like it’s yes.

Speaker 1:

Okay. When Motzaei Shabbos is Yom Tov one says both, Mekadesh HaShabbos Yisrael VeHazmanim. On Rosh Hashanah one doesn’t say Mekadesh Yisrael VeHazmanim.

Speaker 2:

It’s interesting, I knew that Rosh Hashanah isn’t as strongly dependent on Kiddush HaChodesh the same way as the other Yamim Tovim.

Speaker 1:

No, it’s not dependent, yes dependent, it’s Rosh Chodesh. Why?

Speaker 2:

No, one says yes, one just doesn’t say VeHazmanim, one says Mekadesh Yisrael.

Speaker 1:

Two things, one adds “Melech Al Kol HaAretz” because of the theme of Malchus (Kingship). Yes, there’s a reason, such a question, why doesn’t one say the Yom Tov extra conclusion? Why shouldn’t one say Chag HaMatzos, Chag HaSukkos? Why must one say “VeHazmanim”? It’s a wonder.

Speaker 2:

In the Rishonim one did make it extra.

Speaker 1:

Okay, Rosh Hashanah is not from the three Regalim, it’s not the times. There are even those who argued, but it’s apparently not correct, there were some proofreaders who argued that “VeHazmanim” is an abbreviation, to say each time… Yes, but that’s not the truth. One must say “VeHazmanim”, but one must understand why.

When Motzaei Shabbos, one concludes Mekadesh HaShabbos VeYisrael VeYom HaZikaron. It’s the same order.

Musaf Prayer of Rosh Hashanah – Nine Blessings (Halacha 6)

Speaker 1:

Says the Rambam, that these are the seven blessings, the prayers of Maariv, Shacharis and Mincha. The Tefilat HaMusafin of Rosh Hashanah, ah, of Rosh Hashanah, he says that Rosh Hashanah is one Yom Tov where the Tefilat HaMusafin has a different amount of blessings, because the middle one is composed of three blessings: Malchiyos, Zichronos, Shofros. Says the Rambam, therefore it comes out nine blessings. He says which nine blessings? The three first and three last of every day, the Magen Avraham, Mechayeh Meisim, HaKel HaKadosh, and the further Hoda’ah. And in the middle there are three. Which three? The three first and appropriate to the matters of the subject, the subjects of what one requests, the verses are composed of the things that one speaks about, Malchiyos, second Zichronos, and third Shofros. So the middle blessing is composed of three, of Malchiyos, Zichronos, Shofros, therefore it’s a prayer of nine. One concludes each one according to its subject, also the conclusion of each blessing is not just the subject, subject means the text of the prayer and the verses that one brings. The conclusion is “Melech Al Kol HaAretz” is the first, and “Zocher HaBris”, and so on, “Shomea Kol Shofar”.

Prayers of Yom Kippur (Halacha 7)

Speaker 2:

What about Yom Kippur?

Speaker 1:

One prays weekday prayer, five prayers, five prayers, seven blessings. Yom Kippur has five, because it also has Neilah. Yes. Which we already learned in a previous chapter.

There’s a special prayer, three first, three last, middle appropriate to the day. The middle one, Yom Kippur has one long middle. One concludes with Melech Al Kol HaAretz Mekadesh Yisrael VeYom HaKippurim. Also here Melech Al Kol HaAretz, Yom Kippur, interesting.

Speaker 2:

Ah, just as one says HaMelech HaMishpat throughout the ten days of Teshuva, we’ll see soon.

Speaker 1:

If it’s Shabbos, wait, one says Mekadesh HaShabbos VeYisrael VeYom HaKippurim. Ah, Melech Al Kol HaAretz Mekadesh HaShabbos VeYisrael VeYom HaKippurim. A very long conclusion, I think this is the longest. We even make it a tune, we even say Melech Al Kol HaAretz, one even makes a tune on this, right? How does one say Yom Kippur, one even makes a tune on the conclusion? Melech Al Kol HaAretz. Yes.

Yom Kippur Prayer of the Jubilee Year (Halacha 8)

Speaker 1:

So this is all every year Yom Kippur. But one must know that once in fifty years there’s a different kind of prayer. Also year to year to the Jubilee year, which we already learned earlier in the mitzvos, that there’s a fiftieth year which is Yovel, one prays prayers of nine blessings. Here it says seven blessings, here it says nine blessings. Just as one prays in the Musaf of Rosh Hashanah, so the Jubilee year on Yom Kippur. The prayer of Yom Kippur of the Jubilee year also has Malchiyos Zichronos and Shofros. One prays a prayer of nine blessings in the Musaf of Rosh Hashanah, and so one does in the blessings themselves, no less and no more. One says the same, exactly the same text of Malchiyos Zichronos and Shofros one says on Yom Kippur of the Yovel prayer.

Discussion: Why Malchiyos Zichronos and Shofros on Yom Kippur of Yovel?

Speaker 2:

Yes, why does one say it so? What comes in? What is the meaning of this? I don’t know, maybe we learned once about this? About Yovel? I know why one must say Malchiyos Zichronos and Shofros on Yom Kippur of Yovel?

Speaker 1:

Yes, I know, because it has a connection to, it’s similar to Rosh Hashanah that the blowing of the shofar is from the Torah. Okay.

Speaker 2:

Ah, ah, very good, very good. That’s the blasts. So apparently Malchiyos Zichronos and Shofros one has blasts. That’s the kind. That’s an explanation of the blasts.

Speaker 1:

Ah, it’s an explanation of the blasts. Ah, that’s what Malchiyos Zichronos are also explanations in the shofar. So, that’s the answer. That’s the meaning. What is the meaning?

Speaker 2:

The Zichronos with mercy, yes? Ah, the Zichronos. The Rambam told us. One reminds the Almighty, he brings… Yes. Very good.

Speaker 1:

What is the meaning we’ll think? But on Yovel one blows shofar. When does one blow it? On Yom Kippur one blows it. “VeHa’avarta shofar teruah bachodesh hashevi’i be’asor lachodesh”. Yes. This one only needs when it’s Yovel. That is, when there’s the blowing of the shofar of Yovel. Very good.

Speaker 2:

Yes, and the first Mishnah states “Yovel and Rosh Hashanah are equal regarding blasts before the blessings”. Very good. It’s blasts with the blessings. That’s the Mishnah. It’s one set, as I learned.

Speaker 1:

Apparently, when one learns in the laws of Rosh Hashanah, in the sugya we didn’t learn, but it came out for me there that the main blasts come truly according to the order of the blessings. Yes, the seated blasts are really an innovation, one adds. We think that blasts from the Torah are an extra thing, but the enactment of the Sages was to make blasts according to the order of the blessings. It’s the same thing.

Okay. Further says the Rambam: “In every prayer of the prayers”. The Rambam is very cute that in the laws of prayer he barely thought that one needs to write in laws of Yom Kippur of Yovel. It’s a thing that one needs to do. One asks you perhaps, no, the Rambam says everything.

“Hashem Sefasai Tiftach” – Opening to Prayer (Halacha 9)

Speaker 1:

Says the Rambam further: “In every prayer of the prayers”, a new interesting halacha which I didn’t know, “every prayer of the three prayers, one says before the first blessing while standing, this is an opening to them, and it is that one says ‘Hashem sefasai tiftach ufi yagid tehilasecha'”. It’s stated in the Gemara, it’s a verse in Tehillim. The Gemara says that the Sages, said Rabbi Yochanan, so one should do. Yes. Interesting. It’s essentially a prayer for prayer, one asks the Almighty that one should be able to pray well. This is the first prayer before a prayer.

Discussion: The Concept of “Sefasai Tiftach” After the Enactment of the Sages

Speaker 1:

It’s interesting, because before the Sages made a fixed text of blessings of the Sages, the prayer makes a lot of sense, because it can be stammering, one asks the Almighty that it should succeed. Once the Sages made it, what’s relevant? It can be that one can even say the prayer of the Sages in a stammering manner, without intention.

And I want to mention that there’s a dispute, that is, it’s not stated explicitly. There’s a great dispute of Rishonim, the Rashba and the Ramban, I think both of them say explicitly, that when it says that the Sages enacted blessings, doesn’t mean that they made the entire text. It means that they made certain laws, how it should be eighteen blessings, that one must speak about what one must speak about, the text of the conclusion perhaps, but it’s not… The Ramban says it’s from Midrash. The Ramban brings the proof, because not only later, but even until today we don’t see such a law. The Ramban says it’s a tradition.

Speaker 2:

No, because not all.

Speaker 1:

The Rambam says how can it be that in the time of the Temple one didn’t say the first nine? One said the two services of Yisrael and Yerushalayim, something like that he has a text. It must be that it changed, so there’s no concept. How can one say that the Anshei Knesses HaGedolah already enacted the text? Rather what, they enacted that one should speak about this subject. But from the Rambam it’s implied the whole time that they enacted a text. Although, he’s really not particular about the text, one can’t insert. But about this, it can be that even Rabbi Yochanan still, yes, he conducted himself as he said his own text a bit on this.

And Hashem sefasai tiftach, the Rambam says, I say, even when there’s a text of prayer, I should say it well, I should have intention in the words, I should have learned to read properly, but it’s a bit forced. Forget the transgression.

Speaker 2:

No, I say this is more like the Chassidic saying, that Chanenu Hashem that when it comes to my mind to pray, I should be able to pray. That’s the meaning. But to be able to pray, it can mean, granted, make that my prayer should be fluent in the mouth of Your servant. Right, but fluent in the mouth apparently also means this. One should pray well. I should have a good word. But truly, every thing has several levels, it can be more.

Speaker 1:

Rebbe Reb Elimelech really put it in beautiful words, he said, “and if I don’t know, You will teach me”, if I don’t know what to pray, make that I should pray well. A good prayer from Rebbe Reb Elimelech.

“Yihyu LeRatzon” – Conclusion After Prayer

Speaker 1:

But yes, when he finishes. When he finishes he says a prayer, Yihyu leratzon imrei fi vehegyon libi lefanecha, that what I said and what I thought should be accepted. Many times I think that one only needs to say imrei fi, because I have a matter further to hear what was the hegyon libi throughout Shemoneh Esrei. Well well, He hears anyway, it’s just a prayer. Yihyu leratzon is simply like, I don’t know, I don’t know You so well Almighty, I don’t know exactly when, maybe it wasn’t a favorable time, but it should be Yihyu leratzon imrei fi, it should be accepted. Whatever I did should be accepted.

Speaker 2:

Ah, very good. Afterwards he goes back, steps back.

Speaker 1:

Here says the Rambam, what is the law of approaching prayer and leaving prayer? We’ll go learn it, I think. He says, he brings that it’s before the face of the Ruler, he’ll say more about the stepping back. I don’t see it at the moment, but reading…

Speaker 2:

Yes, perhaps standing before the King. Yes, it will be, it will be. Yes.

Speaker 1:

It will be, it will be. Yes. The trembling isn’t stated yet, but enthusiasm is stated.

And he means to say when, I thought he means to say when one says the Yehi Ratzon, and the before stepping back, there’s a piece of a book, and one says what other things one adds.

Laws of Prayer – Rosh Chodesh, Chol HaMoed, Shabbos, and Havdalah

Halacha 10: Prayer of Rosh Chodesh and Chol HaMoed – Maariv, Shacharis and Mincha

Speaker 1: I don’t see at the moment, but when one finishes the prayer, properly. We’ll see, we’ll see, yes.

When else, what other things does one add in prayer? Says the Rambam, on Rosh Chodesh and on Chol HaMoed one prays Maariv Shacharis and Mincha nineteen blessings like other days. Very specific, he only adds that one doesn’t add in another prayer except… I… unlike Musaf. Maariv Shacharis and Mincha, the regular prayers, one adds, except that one adds in the blessing of the Service… He says the same thing, he says one only says Ya’aleh VeYavo in the Service.

Question: Why Does One Say Ya’aleh VeYavo in Birkas Retzeh?

I never… Look later in my prayer text which I’ll be able to say the text. I never understand, one question that I never understood, why does one say Ya’aleh VeYavo in Birkas Retzeh? What does it come in there?

I know, I don’t hold this answer, but I saw here that he brings that in the Yerushalmi it says that everything that is a request for the future, one says in Avodah. Everything that is about the past and thanksgiving, one says in Hoda’ah. That means Chanukah and Purim, where we also say additions in Al HaNissim, we say it in Hoda’ah, because it’s to thank and praise for what was. Communal matters one says in Avodah, and individual matters one says in Shome’a Tefillah. That means, when Chazal wanted to add, they didn’t also put it by Shome’a Tefillah.

It seems, I think there’s a bit of a division. Shome’a Tefillah is, by definition, “Shema Koleinu,” hear my voice, there one adds one’s own text. I don’t know. But when it has to do with Avodah, which has to do with “Retzeh Hashem Elokeinu b’amcha Yisrael u’vitfilatam she’eh,” which has to do with Avodah, “v’yihiyu l’ratzon tamid avodat Yisrael amecha,” but “Rachem na Hashem Elokeinu,” “Shema Koleinu,” and “Retzeh Hashem Elokeinu b’amcha Yisrael u’vitfilatam she’eh,” are very similar, yes? “U’vitfilatam she’eh” is exactly the same thing as “Shema Koleinu.” Just as “Shema Koleinu” says, hear my voice, and when he says “tefilat Yisrael” he means the tefilat Yisrael that is said publicly. The connection is why the last three is Hoda’ah. And therefore it makes a lot of sense that private needs should be said by Shome’a Tefillah, and the needs of the Temple like Ya’aleh V’yavo, we say that we’re speaking there about the Temple service.

Question: Retzeh is a request, not thanksgiving

It’s on the agenda, in other words, there is a question that’s asked, and we say that the last three is Hoda’ah, that we say praise. The Rambam said it in the first chapter, but it doesn’t look like it. Here it looks like only from Hoda’ah does Hoda’ah begin.

Retzeh is a request. Why does it fall in? Why does the Rambam say at all in the first chapter that the last three blessings are giving praise, giving… how does he say it? Giving thanks. Modim I understand. Modim begins and ends with “HaTov shimcha u’lecha na’eh l’hodot.” But you’re saying it already one before, Retzeh should already be praise. That’s what it says in the Rambam in the first chapter, right? So he said that the first is… that’s not, it’s a request. Here you see clearly that when there’s a request, one actually adds it there. Perhaps as you say, the request is communal, one adds it there.

Speaker 2: I don’t understand why… “Three first are praise, three last are thanksgiving for the good.”

Speaker 1: Yes, that’s what the Rambam says, and that’s what the Rambam says “they established… they established…” I don’t understand the language that the last three is that.

Speaker 2: Yes, “three first and three last” he says many times. Where, where?

Speaker 1: Ah, “three last are thanksgiving.” Yes, what is that? What something? What does it say here? It’s very unclear what comes in thanksgiving with Retzeh. Retzeh is a request for acceptance of prayer, acceptance of service, or acceptance of prayer. Not clear. Something is missing very basically.

We have actually a lot of prayer. Ah, that we should… can one tell me, can we finish here. Where, Pinchas, hasn’t Torat Chaim been given yet.

Speaker 2: No, not so here, it’s not exactly so here, it’s “nosein shalom l’rabim,” one puts it in.

Speaker 1: That one can go through, but Retzeh is even harder. Retzeh is really a request.

I don’t know, perhaps there was a different text once that was more thanksgiving in it. Something must be a simple answer to such a question. It can’t be so funny.

Halacha 10 (continued): Mussaf Prayer – Chol HaMoed and Rosh Chodesh

In any case, this is the summary of Rosh Chodesh and part of the festival. And by Mussaf? Ah, Mussaf however, on Chol HaMoed one adds Mussaf, one prays the Mussaf prayer as one prays on Yom Tov. This means one prays seven blessings by Mussaf, not nineteen blessings with Me’ein HaMeora, but seven blessings. On Rosh Chodesh one prays seven blessings, and he says the same thing as Rosh Chodesh. Ah, he says after that “completion,” “Mekadesh Yisrael v’Roshei Chadashim.” And what is the middle one of… yes, the middle one of the Mussaf of Rosh Chodesh.

Discussion: Clear reading of the Rambam’s structure

Speaker 2: Ah, the word “b’Mussaf” do like this, after the word “b’Mussaf” start like this: “b’Mussaf” is like this, “b’cholo shel moed”… no, Mussaf Yom Tov and Mussaf Chol HaMoed. That’s basically what he does, right?

Speaker 1: No, he says after the word “b’Mussaf” here, chop off, and “b’Mussaf,” and now it’s like this, “b’cholo shel moed” is like this, and on Roshei Chadashim is like this. Right, so Mussaf Yom Tov, and Mussaf Chol HaMoed, right? Or b’cholo shel moed and Mussaf… right? Right? That’s what you mean to say? Something like that.

Speaker 2: No, what I meant to say is that it should be, put the word “b’Mussaf” from the Rambam here.

Speaker 1: Yes, but which Mussaf? B’cholo shel moed is like this the Mussaf? He makes Rosh Chodesh, Chol HaMoed and Rosh Chodesh. The word “b’Roshei Chadashim” goes up to the word “b’Mussaf.” He says “b’Mussaf,” and then he says… ah, ah, ah, like this. B’Roshei Chadashim, yes. That means Arvit, Shacharit and Mincha is the same Rosh Chodesh… one can take out here and write “Mussaf Yom Tov Rosh Chodesh.”

Speaker 2: Ah, okay, very good. Okay, yes, yes. But the point is… no, that’s a sentence, I understand. Very good.

Speaker 1: So in other words, Arvit, Shacharit and Mincha is the same Rosh Chodesh and Chol HaMoed. Mussaf is different. There is a Mussaf b’cholo shel moed and a Mussaf b’Rosh Chodesh.

Speaker 2: Yes, it’s the same, because here we’re talking about Chol HaMoed Rosh Chodesh, and there we’re talking about the sacrifices of the festival.

Speaker 1: Yes. Very good.

Question: Shabbat that falls on Chol HaMoed

Speaker 2: What about Shabbat that falls on Chol HaMoed?

Speaker 1: Ah, that’s what you said, the Maharid. The Maharid says it doesn’t make sense to say “Shabbat Chol HaMoed.” What is chol? It’s not Shabbat. What is not chol? And actually in the Mishnah it doesn’t say, in the Mishnah it always says “Shabbat she’b’toch haMoed.” It says “she’chal lihiyot,” which fell in the… in the Chol HaMoed. But that… right. It doesn’t mean there are two kinds of weeks. There’s the week regarding Yom Tov, the week regarding Shabbat. Regarding Shabbat it’s Shabbat. But when you want regarding the Yom Tov what is the week, the week is Cholo shel Moed.

Regarding Rosh Chodesh it’s Cholo shel Shabbat. We are now Motzaei Shabbat, it’s Cholo shel Shabbat, not Cholo shel Moed. It’s two different chols. Cholo shel… regarding the festival it’s chol, and regarding Shabbat it’s a regular Shabbat.

Halacha 11: Shabbat that falls on Rosh Chodesh or on Chol HaMoed

Speaker 2: Rosh Chodesh that falls on Shabbat, yes, what does he do?

Speaker 1: Yes, that’s the question. In the Torah there isn’t the word Cholo shel Moed, it’s a language of Chazal, right? It says moed and… Mikra Kodesh means Yom Tov, right? Or Atzeret, Mikra Kodesh, Shabbaton, and other words that the Torah calls.

And what does one do when it’s Shabbat? Rosh Chodesh that falls on Shabbat, one prays Arvit, Shacharit and Mincha seven blessings like the order of Shabbatot, and says Ya’aleh V’yavo in Avodah. He prays full Shabbat, also Ya’aleh V’yavo, which is also put in the Shabbat prayer. Right.

Mussaf Prayer – Shabbat Rosh Chodesh

U’Mussaf begins in the middle blessing like Shabbat, and completes like Shabbat, and says the sanctity of the day in the middle of the blessing. So this is an interesting language from the Rambam. He says, one begins from Shabbat, one ends from Shabbat, and one says in the middle Kedushat HaYom. But when he says “completes,” he doesn’t mean to say the closing, because the closing he’s going to say that one says both. Rather “completes” he means to say that one says “Yismechu b’malchutcha” later, or something like that. The commentators say here that this is the Rambam’s interpretation of the Gemara. Simply the Gemara meant to say the closing, but the Rambam learned something like this that one speaks mainly about Shabbat, but also…

Discussion: The Rambam’s text of “Atah Yatzarta”

But by us we have a special “Atah Yatzarta” that we say yes completely a matter of Chol HaMoed also.

Speaker 2: You mean that the Rambam would by Rosh Chodesh Shabbat Chol HaMoed only say “Mekadesh HaShabbat” and not “v’Roshei Chadashim”?

Speaker 1: No, you’re talking about all other Shabbat Rosh Chodesh. Only by our text it fits, that when one begins with Shabbat, begins with “Atah Yatzarta,” it also ends “Retzeh b’menuchateinu,” and in the middle I speak about it from…

Speaker 2: Yes, yes, I say, but the last piece “v’choteim b’Roshei Chadashim,” that means that the Rambam had by Rosh Chodesh the same text of prayer from Shabbat and just didn’t change the whole middle text. We have the “Atah Yatzarta,” which we only say by Rosh Chodesh.

Speaker 1: Yes, has yes, the piyyut is different. We also have, we also have, we also have “Atah Yatzarta.” Shabbat Rosh Chodesh, one begins regarding Shabbat, one ends regarding Shabbat, he doesn’t say it’s not the same text. He doesn’t say one begins the text of Shabbat, whatever the text of Shabbat is, “Yismach Moshe,” I don’t know what.

Speaker 2: What is the meaning? “Completes” means he’s talking about Rosh Chodesh, or he’s talking about Shabbat?

Speaker 1: He says that one says the Shabbat part, and it’s Shabbat. What is Shabbat? Shabbat is a prayer of today, which the forms of Shabbat. All Mussafs are not different Shabbat prayers. All Shabbat prayers are the same, only there’s a problem that Shabbat is also Rosh Chodesh. What does one do? Because Rosh Chodesh has Mussaf, and Shabbat also has Mussaf. So the answer is that one does both.

Speaker 2: Aha, aha. Somehow both. But mainly Shabbat.

Speaker 1: But here completes is the law of halachot Atah Yatzarta, Atah Chonantanu. Atah Yatzarta goes like this. One must see in the… I thought he would go into detail and say that the Mussaf of Shabbat is usually regarding Shabbat, and Shabbat Rosh Chodesh is regarding Rosh Chodesh.

Speaker 2: No, no. Kedushat HaYom means Rosh Chodesh now. Also in the middle of the blessing one mentions the whole Rosh Chodesh. Kedushat HaYom doesn’t mean Shabbat here. Kedushat HaYom means Rosh Chodesh or Chol HaMoed.

Speaker 1: That when it’s Rosh Chodesh also in the middle, and the end one mentions Rosh Chodesh at the end. One combines the prayer of the festival, one combines with both. Shabbat Yisrael v’Rosh Chodesh, just like Shabbat which is Yom Tov, the same idea. Shabbat Yisrael v’Rosh Chodesh, just like Shabbat Yisrael v’Zemanim, just like Shabbat Yisrael v’Yom HaKippurim.

Beginning of Havdalah discussion

Now we’re going to learn about Havdalah. What happens Havdalah? Have we already talked about Havdalah? Have we already said about Havdalah in Chonen HaDa’at a whole week? We haven’t mentioned not. We haven’t said yet, true? We haven’t said yet. He’s going to say later. But now he’s talking, for some reason he’s already talked about Yom Tov, he says about how one says Havdalah when it’s Shabbat. He hasn’t even said that Motzaei Shabbat is a short prayer, one can’t. But he hasn’t said yet the essence of Motzaei Shabbat. Is he going to say that later in the next chapter?

He says it Motzaei Shabbat only.

Speaker 2: No, no, not Motzaei Shabbat. He means Havdalah only. It’s certainly here.

Speaker 1: Ah, it’s true that he says Havdalah Motzaei Shabbat, he’s going to say. But I’m almost certain it says here somewhere. It can’t be yet.

Laws of Additions in the Eighteen: Havdalah, Al HaNissim, Anenu, Nachem, and Morid HaGeshem

Halacha 10: Yom Tov that falls on Sunday — Havdalah in prayer

Speaker 1: Okay, let’s go further. What does one do on Yom Tov that falls on Sunday? It’s weird that he would have to say this. Perhaps he’s going to say soon?

Speaker 2: He’s going to say questions and answers next in this chapter. I don’t see that he says… perhaps it says yes brought what you mentioned earlier, he’s going to tell me that one must say the prayer in order.

Speaker 1: But for now he says that he holds that this comes in Laws of Shabbat, because the law of Havdalah is perhaps a law in Shabbat, not a law in prayer.

Speaker 2: He reminded me afterwards in the middle… but it actually says the Havdalah by wine, but I don’t believe it’s required there. I need to see that it says here later.

Speaker 1: Okay.

Text of Havdalah in prayer

Speaker 1: Okay, he says, Yom Tov that falls on Sunday one must make Havdalah on the night of Yom Tov. So the text of Havdalah one puts in like this. He doesn’t say how in the fourth blessing one says it.

Speaker 2: No, one prays not how, that’s the fourth blessing.

Speaker 1: One prays which fourth blessing?

Speaker 2: On the night of Yom Tov. That means, he begins…

Speaker 1: And the Rambam says he begins like this. But we begin “Atah Bechartanu.” What does one see…

Speaker 2: No, I agree. That’s the “v’todieinu mishpatei tzidkecha.”

Speaker 1: I think the Rambam is also like this, v’todieinu somewhere.

Speaker 2: V’todieinu mishpatei tzidkecha, v’titenu lanu.

Speaker 1: No, v’titenu lanu.

Speaker 2: V’todieinu mishpatei tzidkecha, v’talamdeinu la’asot chukei retzonecha.

Speaker 1: Why did he leave that out, and not a distinction?

Speaker 2: No, there’s l’ma’an yede’u means learned, and l’ma’an yede’u means accustomed. I think it’s double language.

Three types of holiness: Shabbat, Yom Tov, and Festival

Speaker 1: “V’titein lanu Hashem Elokeinu kedushat Shabbat, kevod Yom Tov, v’chagigat haRegel.” Shabbat is holy, Yom Tov is honored, and Regel is festive. It’s a different manner.

Speaker 2: Chagigah means apparently a celebration, apparently. But you know, it comes in. In short, the main thing is the main thing.

Speaker 1: But the Shabbat, the Yom Tov, you’ve made a Havdalah. In Chonen HaDa’at it’s all about making distinctions, making extra categories, that the world is not one-dimensional. That we’ve been given da’at to know between an important day, a less important day, another important day.

But here one doesn’t say first a da’at, here there’s no blessing of da’at. It’s just like this the blessing of “Atah Chonantanu” from what you remember this.

Speaker 2: True, true, but it’s not…

Speaker 1: And I’m just saying, the same thing, and here the Havdalah is even more a nuance, because it’s two types of holiness, and there’s a distinction between them.

Speaker 2: “Et yom hashevi’i hagadol v’hakadosh kidashta.” “V’titein lanu Hashem Elokeinu b’ahavah u’v’simchah,” and one goes further.

Discussion: Why is the Rambam’s order “backwards”?

Speaker 1: Ah, here he says, Motzaei Shabbat. Why does he go backwards? I don’t get it.

Speaker 2: Just. He says Motzaei Shabbat, he says the language, “Atah Chonantanu,” and he says the language, “Mavdil bein kodesh l’chol,” and afterwards he says, “Mavdil bein kodesh l’kodesh.”

Speaker 1: He says “kedushat Shabbat, kevod Yom Tov, v’chagigat haRegel.” It’s three very important distinctions, because he says there are distinctions in the holinesses.

Speaker 2: Yes, yes, but chagigat haRegel is a different type of holiness.

Speaker 1: Chagigat haRegel means Chol HaMoed? What does chagigat haRegel mean?

Speaker 2: It could be that the days of Chol HaMoed, when one can then bring the voluntary sacrifices? Chagigah? Could be.

Speaker 1: Who also brings? It’s then not there any commandment of honor, not there any commandment of holiness, but there is a commandment of chagigah. And therefore there’s the prayer. It fits very well.

One says “kedushat Shabbat” is a tremendous holiness, every Yom Tov has its own general rules and categories of holiness. And Shabbat is completely holy, “et yom hashevi’i hagadol v’hakadosh kidashta” more than all others.

Speaker 2: Motzaei Shabbat, Motzaei Yom Tov, he says the language, ah, here he’s going to say, “mavdil bein kodesh l’chol.” Ah, here he says it.

Speaker 1: Yes, yes, I already know why it’s backwards. He says first the virtue, and afterwards he says the Havdalah. The language he should have said later.

In the Pardes it only says the languages of interesting things. The main languages in prayer one will see in the Siddur later.

Let’s go further.

Halacha 13: Al HaNissim — Chanukah and Purim

Speaker 1: “On Chanukah and Purim one says Al HaNissim.” Until now we’ve learned what one adds in honor of Rosh Chodesh or Chol HaMoed, or in honor of Motzaei Shabbat. Now we’re going to learn what one adds in honor of Chanukah and Purim.

What does one add on Chanukah and Purim? One adds in Hoda’ah. By the blessing of Hoda’ah one adds “Al HaNissim.”

There are those who say one puts by Hoda’ah, others say one puts by Retzeh. No, by Hoda’ah it says that one puts a matter of thanksgiving, “Al HaNissim.”

But there’s a question, by the requests.

Discussion: Shabbat that falls on Chanukah — does one say “Al HaNissim” in Mussaf?

Speaker 1: Shabbat that falls on Chanukah and Purim, what does one do when it’s Shabbat? There’s a question, there’s an inquiry in the Gemara whether one must say “Al HaNissim” in Mussaf.

Because Chanukah doesn’t come with Mussaf, Shabbat is Chanukah is not Mussaf. Mussaf is a Shabbat prayer, not a Chanukah prayer. There’s no extra Mussaf sacrifice for Chanukah.

So, for one reason one shouldn’t need to say “Al HaNissim” in Mussaf, because there’s no Chanukah in Mussaf.

But it’s implied in the Gemara that yes, the Gemara calls it “a day that is obligated in all prayers,” today one must say in all prayers. Or one will be able to say that today is yes a Shabbat Chanukah, it’s a Chanukah Shabbat, or just like that, that’s the day.

Halacha 14: Anenu — Fast day

What Does One Do on a Fast Day?

Speaker 1: What does one do on a fast day? Even an individual who fasts, ah, you see, even an individual fast, someone who fasts because of a tzara (trouble), a person has a tzara, one adds in Shomei’a Tefillah “Aneinu”. And further he doesn’t say the nusach (formula).

There is a nusach where one requests a special blessing, and I think as I said earlier, this is a blessing, one usually fasts for some great matter, for some tzara, one asks the Almighty to help us from this tzara, how He should help us.

Discussion: The Connection Between “Ta’anis” and “Aneinu”

Speaker 1: There is the word “ta’anis” with the word “aneinu” is somehow connected. In ta’anis there is the word, one requests “aneinu” that the Almighty should answer us. It’s true they’re completely different roots, but a kabbalistic leap.

Speaker 2: It’s not from the same root?

Speaker 1: Simply not. This is “aneinu”, and one is “ta’anis”. It’s not “iniyus” and “ta’aniyus”.

Speaker 2: Yes yes, certainly certainly.

Speaker 1: No, but I’m saying the nusach of the prayer of aneinu is specifically for a ta’anis.

Speaker 2: Ah, aneinu is only said on a ta’anis?

Speaker 1: Also Mi She’ana, yes, that’s a ta’anis. Mi She’ana and aneinu.

Speaker 2: Yes, but the answer is simple, because ta’anis, the main meaning of ta’anis is, we have a complaint, we have a serious complaint.

Speaker 1: No, I mean usually when the Almighty gives you abundance, He hasn’t answered. When He holds back, and now it begins to rain, when you say the prayer, He answers you. It’s a relationship, it’s a kind of answering. Therefore we have a complaint. One can already say that ta’anis is from the language of complaint. We have a complaint, He should answer us.

Individual vs. Shaliach Tzibur — Twenty Blessings

Speaker 1: Okay, the shaliach tzibur (prayer leader) says it as its own blessing, the aneinu that an individual says in Shomei’a Tefillah, and he concludes Baruch Atah Hashem Shomei’a Tefillah. But a shaliach tzibur says it more as a complete separate blessing, with a completely different ending.

How does he say it? Between Go’el and Rofei. So, there is a blessing, the Almighty should save us from our troubles now, and it seems that belongs there. And he also concludes with the same ending, “Oneh le’amo Yisrael be’eis tzara” (Who answers His people Israel in time of trouble). Meaning a separate chatima (conclusion).

In Shomei’a Tefillah one concludes Shomei’a Tefillah, as you say. And if one makes it an extra blessing, comes Baruch Atah Hashem Ha’oneh be’eis tzara.

It comes out that there are twenty blessings. Yes?

Speaker 2: Yes.

Speaker 1: It comes out that on a communal fast one says twenty blessings. And seemingly, as I said earlier, I took it from earlier, that essentially for a new need one would have to make another blessing, but an individual cannot make his own blessing, so he says it together with Shomei’a Tefillah. But a community can, so they make an extra blessing.

Law 14 (Continued): Nachem — Tisha B’Av

Speaker 1: Another thing, Tisha B’Av. Tisha B’Av it’s forbidden to fast. But one adds in the blessing of Boneh Yerushalayim, which is me’ein hame’ora (related to the event), one adds “Rachem Hashem Elokeinu al Yisrael amecha… ve’al Yerushalayim ircha hachareva hashomema vehamevusha vehahareisa” (Have mercy, Hashem our God, on Israel Your people… and on Jerusalem Your city that is destroyed, desolate, shamed and ruined).

Yes, it’s interesting, why on all other fasts… it seems that it wasn’t added there. It was said in Boneh Yerushalayim, because it concludes similar to Boneh Yerushalayim. Boneh Yerushalayim is the blessing about this.

“Nachem Hashem Elokeinu es avelei Tzion ve’es avelei Yerushalayim” (Console, Hashem our God, the mourners of Zion and the mourners of Jerusalem).

This is not clear. Yes.

Discussion: Custom vs. Rambam — When Does One Say “Nachem”?

Speaker 1: The custom is that one says it only at Mincha of Tisha B’Av. The Rambam doesn’t say, the Rambam says seemingly all prayers.

Also it’s not agreed that it’s only an ending of a blessing, one can say it whenever one wants. There were people who said it every day. The Jews who say everything that’s written in the siddur.

Speaker 2: Ah, you mean those who say “Elokai Elokai ve’Elokei avosai”?

Speaker 1: Ah, “Ata berachamecha harabim tachtor boros veshichin” (You in Your great mercy will dig wells and pits).

Question: Why Not on Other Fasts?

Speaker 1: Ah, another thing. I want to know why on Asara B’Teves shouldn’t one say Rachem? One should also remember the destruction of Jerusalem. What specifically Tisha B’Av? All the fasts are basically about this.

Speaker 2: Okay.

Laws 15-16: Morid HaGeshem and Morid HaTal — Mention and Request

Speaker 1: Now we’re going to learn an important law, it just changed, yes? Another thing that one needs to add. Interesting that the Rambam puts it in this category. There are things that one adds in the blessings of Shemoneh Esrei, when one is going to add an important thing.

The Rambam says, from when does one say in the blessings “Morid HaGeshem” (Who causes the rain to fall)?

Yes, the Rambam says, “All the days of the rainy season one says in the second blessing ‘Morid HaGeshem'”.

First, we thank the Almighty.

Speaker 2: We praise.

Speaker 1: We praise, not we thank. We praise the Almighty for “Morid HaGeshem”. We praise, yes. We are praising that this is “Morid HaGeshem”.

In the summer season one says “Morid HaTal” (Who causes the dew to fall), because in the summer season it rains less. It doesn’t rain at all, even sometimes.

Speaker 2: By us it rains.

Digression: Places Where It Rains All Year

Speaker 1: My principal once asked me that in Birkas HaChodesh (Blessing of the New Month) in the siddur it says for “winter months” one says “lechaim tovim uleshalom” (for good life and peace), and in his siddur it said that in places where it always rains, one always says “lechaim tovim uleshalom”.

Who wrote this in the siddur? I don’t remember the source. Probably there was a Jew who thought this way.

Okay. No, what I mean to say, if there is a matter that in the region it rains all year, it’s obvious that it’s good for the nature there.

Speaker 2: Well, well.

Speaker 1: Yes, we’ll see.

Time to Begin Morid HaGeshem

Speaker 1: And therefore, from when does one begin “Morid HaGeshem”? So, from when does winter become?

The Rambam says thus: Winter becomes Musaf of Shemini Atzeres. The Gemara has a calculation why, yes, because one slaughtered on Chag HaSukkos, and one must wait until the last one travels home.

When does winter end? Shacharis of the first day of Pesach.

The Rambam is one of the truly great tzaddikim, and he goes into a question from Motzaei Simchas Torah until Erev Pesach. So it says in the Gemara, that then is Musaf Shemini Atzeres, because then is the weather. Understand? This is the halachic side. Yes.

And from the Musaf prayer of the first day of Pesach one says “Morid HaTal”. We make a whole piyut (liturgical poem), Tefilas Tal, Tefilas Geshem.

Distinction Between Mention and Request

Speaker 1: Now it’s like this, from when does one make the request? But the request is not the same. Yes, this is only a mention that one mentions in the second blessing.

Now we’re going to learn that one is also… there is also a matter of request. Request is “geshamim livracha hashanah” (rain for blessing this year). From when does one begin it?

From the seventh day of Cheshvan. Then… From the seventh of Cheshvan one requests “geshamim livracha hashanah”, “ve’sen tal umatar” (and give dew and rain). And this is specifically in Eretz Yisrael.

Request for Rain and Changes in Prayer During the Ten Days of Repentance

Request for Rain – From When One Begins

Speaker 1:

Now it’s like this, from when does one make the request? But the request is not the same, yes? This is only a mention, that one makes in the second blessing. Now, but we’re going to learn that one is also, there is also a request. Request is rain during the year. From when does one begin it?

“From seven days in Marcheshvan one requests rain in Birkas HaShanim, all the time that one mentions rain. When are these words said? In Eretz Yisrael, but in Shinar and Syria and Egypt, and places adjacent to these and similar to them, one requests rain on the sixtieth day after the tekufa (season) of Tishrei.”

From the seventh day of Cheshvan, then, from seven days in Cheshvan one requests rain during the year, that is simply dew and rain. And this is specifically in Eretz Yisrael, where there they need rain from the seventh of Cheshvan. But in Shinar, Babylonia, Syria, Egypt, or others, all the time that one mentions rain one requests for rain.

Speaker 2:

Not the same time?

Speaker 1:

No, from when seven days in Cheshvan until all the time that one mentions rain.

Speaker 2:

Ah, yes yes, right. When does one stop?

Speaker 1:

One stops at until the first day of Yom Tov arrives. Exactly.

Speaker 2:

They’re speaking about the dead.

Speaker 1:

The beginning is different, but the ending ends at the same time.

Speaker 2:

Why is it different? Because Yom Tov isn’t…

Speaker 1:

Again, again. The seventh of Cheshvan is only because one must wait for the Jews to return, and one doesn’t want it to rain. One requests from the High One that it should rain immediately. So that the festival pilgrims shouldn’t have any trouble. It’s the seventh of Cheshvan. But this is something that is specifically in Eretz Yisrael. In other places… in Eretz Yisrael it happens to rain from the seventh of Cheshvan, immediately. But in Shinar, Babylonia, Syria, Egypt, “and places adjacent to them and similar to them, one requests rain on the sixtieth day after the tekufa of Tishrei.”

The custom of Babylonia was, in Babylonia they held that they don’t need rain immediately, they only need rain sixty days after the tekufa. Therefore in Babylonia, and the Rambam adds not only Babylonia, but other places, Egypt, where the Rambam lived, similar to them. This is interesting, not only adjacent, similar to them, meaning the climate must have that month. They need to have it from sixty days after the tekufa.

In Europe or in America there is no reason at all to follow the custom of Babylonia, but the custom from the times of the Rishonim was, since we follow the Babylonian Talmud, to follow the custom of Babylonia, and therefore one requests from sixty days before the tekufa. The Rosh said that he asked his rabbi, he asked all people why to do so, no one knew to say the answer. When then? When one needs, I don’t know, when one needs… find out when one needs to have rain in Beis Elul. But the Rosh says that as one is accustomed to do so, the custom is a good thing.

Places That Need Rain in the Summer

Speaker 1:

Okay, further, what happens in places that need to have rain in the summer? Actually so it’s good there for those climates, there can be a dispute, should they say rain, “and they request their needs in Shomei’a Tefillah”. But they don’t say in Birkas HaShanim, why? Because Birkas HaShanim goes with the order of the normal places, not of the individuals. It’s not “lo sisgodedu” (you shall not cut yourselves), no separate groups, all Jews should pray the same prayer. To what? They should request in Shomei’a Tefillah.

Discussion: The Bach’s Position

Speaker 1:

But in places that don’t observe Yom Tov, one moment… so says the… it’s interesting, one may do differently than Eretz Yisrael, because “they didn’t change the order of Egypt” they did. But here he goes further…

Speaker 2:

No, but it’s different.

Speaker 1:

Well, “they didn’t change the order of Egypt”, the thing that one pushes off a bit the beginning. The beginning was…

Speaker 2:

But as you said, the whole year is already not.

Speaker 1:

But you need in the summer rain, the summer is already a different thing.

He brings up an interesting thing, that the Bach says that one shouldn’t, why should one trouble Heaven to make changes for the sake of individuals. I don’t understand what this means. What does it mean the whole Eretz Yisrael, the whole eleven days one must request for the one Jew? One doesn’t request for the one Jew, one requests for that region. I don’t understand what the Bach says. So he brings, one must look into the Bach.

The Toras Zeev says actually like us, he says he doesn’t understand what the Bach wanted. But the Toras Zeev asked… I’m not yet saying what it says below. The Toras Zeev actually doesn’t understand. He says, first of all, what is the power of the individual? And second, is the Almighty angry that one requests something that one needs? What does “troubling” mean? This is service.

The Bach speaks of one thing. The Bach speaks of Europe. There was once a need that there should be rain in the summer month, and he tells a story, that two great scholars said “ve’sen tal umatar” in Shomei’a Tefillah in the summer month, and they died. He says, why did they die? Because they said “ve’sen tal umatar”? They troubled entirely. It’s a trouble. This is prayer, one must pray for what one needs. I have no idea what he means. Something, something, something errors in the Torah, in this case I don’t understand. And the answer to this I don’t understand, I’m not the one who doesn’t understand. Usually, when there’s a difficult thing… okay.

Second Day of Yom Tov in the Diaspora – Morid HaGeshem

Speaker 1:

Let’s go further. Why am I saying all these things? Simply, I’m trying to look at the sides that the Rema says. The Rema says thus: “Now we will say about the second day of Yom Tov in the Diaspora. Musaf of the first day of Shemini Atzeres, and we pray it all the days of the festival.” It comes out an important practical difference, that in the siddur, if one has a Yom Tov machzor for the three festivals, if it’s an Eretz Yisrael machzor, one almost doesn’t need to print there “ve’sen… Morid HaGeshem”, except in Musaf. That is, at Shacharis one can make Shacharis of… what’s it called, Shacharis of the first day of Pesach one still says Morid HaGeshem, but from Musaf and on one doesn’t need to print Morid HaGeshem at all, except…

Speaker 2:

Sorry, what did I say? In Eretz Yisrael, only in chutz la’aretz.

Speaker 1:

No, in chutz la’aretz one needs to. Because in chutz la’aretz one already says Morid HaGeshem on Simchas Torah.

Speaker 2:

Very good.

The Ten Days of Repentance – HaMelech HaKadosh and HaMelech HaMishpat

Speaker 1:

The Rema says more specific dates that have specific doubts. The Rema says thus: “All year long one concludes in the third blessing ‘Ha’El HaKadosh'” (The Holy God). In the third blessing the conclusion of the blessing is “Ha’El HaKadosh”. And in the eleventh blessing is “Melech ohev tzedaka umishpat” (King who loves righteousness and justice). But this changes on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, when one concludes in the third “HaMelech HaKadosh” (The Holy King), and in the eleventh “HaMelech HaMishpat” (The King of Justice).

Discussion: Meaning of “HaMelech HaMishpat”

Speaker 2:

Yes, the difference between “Ha’El HaKadosh” and “HaMelech HaKadosh” I understand. The difference between “Melech ohev tzedaka umishpat” and “HaMelech HaMishpat” I’ve never understood, and I still don’t understand it. I saw Rabbeinu Yonah said an answer to say a meaning for this, I didn’t understand his meaning. Can you tell me a meaning?

Speaker 1:

All year the Almighty loves righteousness and justice. And He wants people to do righteousness and justice, and He wants us to choose His justice.

Speaker 2:

And on Rosh Hashanah what?

Speaker 1:

On Rosh Hashanah He Himself does justice.

Speaker 2:

What does “HaMelech HaMishpat” mean?

Speaker 1:

A judge must say. The King who Himself does justice. So says Rabbeinu Menachem, as you said. But I didn’t know what the meaning is. “HaMelech HaMishpat”? A king a judge?

Speaker 2:

No. A king who conducts justice.

Speaker 1:

Okay.

I think the simple meaning of this is that there were two versions, and the Sages made a decision that all year one does so. And “HaMelech HaKadosh” one says for ten days, “HaMelech HaMishpat” one says only seven of the ten days. The Rambam says in the laws of the Ten Days of Repentance…

Speaker 2:

Ah, he says it’s in the weekdays. Because Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur one doesn’t say it.

Speaker 1:

Ah, it’s not in the weekdays, it’s true.

Additions in the Ten Days of Repentance – Zachreinu, Mi Chamocha, Uchsov, Uvesefer Chaim

Speaker 1:

The Rambam says further: “There are places that had the custom during these ten days to add in the first blessing” – to add the prayer of “Zachreinu lechaim” (Remember us for life), “and in the second ‘Mi chamocha av harachamim’ (Who is like You, Father of mercy)”, “and in the eighteenth ‘Uchsov lechaim’ (And write for life)”.

Discussion: Contradiction with the Rambam’s Principle

Speaker 2:

Wait, the Rambam said earlier that one shouldn’t change from the nusach of the prayer that Chazal said, but here he says that in these places they permitted themselves. I don’t understand it.

Speaker 1:

It could also be that additions all year one may not, but a certain time when one adds a few words. It could also be that in an organized way, but in a temporary way it’s okay. It could be that initially changing means that you come and you make your own nusach, but if the community accepts it and it becomes a new custom there’s no problem.

Speaker 2:

Very good.

Where Does One Say “Uchsov Lechaim”