The bracha of Hallel on Rosh Chodesh
[A] (halacha 355)
Question: What is our minhag regarding reciting the bracha over Hallel on Rosh Chodesh?
Answer: The Gemara in Tractate Taanis1 states: 'Rava said: This proves that the Hallel of Rosh Chodesh is not of Torah origin. For Rabbi Yochanan said in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Yehotzadak: There are eighteen days in the year on which an individual completes the Hallel, and they are: the eight days of the Festival [Sukkos], the eight days of Chanukah, the first Yom Tov of Pesach, and the (first) Yom Tov of Atzeres. And in the Diaspora, twenty-one days, and they are: the nine days of the Festival, the eight days of Chanukah, the first two days of Pesach, and the two Yamim Tovim of Atzeres. Rav happened to come to Bavel; he saw them reciting Hallel on Rosh Chodesh. He thought to stop them. When he saw that they were skipping portions, he said: Learn from this that they hold the minhag of their fathers in their hands. It was taught: An individual should not begin, but if he began - he completes it'.
And the Geonim and Rishonim2 disagreed in the interpretation of the Gemara and in the law of recitation and the bracha over Hallel on Rosh Chodesh and on the other days on which the Hallel is not completed.
As Tosafos wrote in Tractate Brachos3: '..and so it is implied in the last chapter of Taanis (p. 28b): Rav happened to come to Bavel; he saw that they were reciting [Hallel] on Rosh Chodesh; he thought to stop them. The explanation is that he thought they were completing it; when he saw that they were skipping portions, he said: Learn from this that they hold the minhag of their fathers in their hands. This shows that on the days on which the Hallel is not completed there is no obligation to recite it, and that what we recite it is due to minhag. And it is written in Machzor Vitry that since it is merely a minhag we do not recite a bracha over it, as is stated in the chapter "Lulav v'Aravah" (Sukkah 44b): One does not recite a bracha over something that is a minhag. However, Rabbeinu Tam says that this is no proof, for over the carrying [of the willow] we certainly do not recite a bracha, but over a mitzvah it is obvious that we do recite a bracha, for behold we see that every second Yom Tov [of the Diaspora] is only a minhag and yet we recite a bracha; and here too it implies that we recite a bracha, for if we did not recite a bracha, what "stopping" would be relevant to it? And another proof that we recite a bracha over a minhag is from that case of Rav, [who] entered a beis knesses etc., and if they had not recited the bracha at the beginning, why did Rav not notice4 that it was a minhag until they skipped portions; rather, they certainly recited a bracha, because one properly recites a bracha over a minhag, and for that reason he did not notice until the skipping .. And there are those who wish to say that an individual who recites Hallel on the days when it is not completed should not recite a bracha; however, the Sar of Coucy used to say that since he wished to obligate himself, he recites a bracha, and this is not a bracha in vain, just as is the case with lulav and tefillin, for these women recite a bracha even though they are not obligated ..'.
And so wrote Rabbeinu Yonah5: 'And it appears from here according to this that even on the days on which the Hallel is not completed the individual recites a bracha over it, since it states that only in the middle of a chapter does one stop out of fear and out of honor, but not for other conversation, which implies that even the individual recites a bracha over it; for if it were so that he does not recite a bracha, since it is merely a recitation, why would he not stop for anything? But explicitly it appears in Tractate Shabbos [in the Rif] that the individual does not recite a bracha, from what we say there (Taanis 21): It was taught: An individual should not begin, but if he began he completes it - certainly this means he should not begin with a bracha, and if he began with a bracha he completes with a bracha and concludes with "Baruch Atah Hashem, King praised with praises"; for if it were without a bracha, why should he not begin, and do we prevent him from reciting the verses? Rather, certainly it means that an individual should not begin with a bracha; and what it says here, that he does not stop for mere conversation, is not because the individual recites a bracha over it, but rather even though he did not recite a bracha over it, since he began with the praise of the Omnipresent, he should not interrupt with idle conversation. And Rabbeinu Yaakov of blessed memory says that even on the days on which the Hallel is not completed the individual is obligated to recite a bracha, and he infers from this case here, that they forbade stopping for idle conversation; and what they said, that an individual should not begin, was not said regarding the Hallel of Rosh Chodesh and the like, but rather the matter is thus: that the essence of Hallel was instituted for every trouble that should not come upon the community'.
In this dispute the Rambam and the Raavad also disagreed, for the Rambam6 wrote: 'Anything that is a minhag, even though it is a minhag of the prophets, such as the taking of the willow on the seventh day of the Festival, and needless to say a minhag of the Sages, such as the reciting of Hallel on Rosh Chodesh and on Chol HaMoed of Pesach, one does not recite a bracha over it; and likewise, anything about which you have a doubt whether it requires a bracha or not, one does it without a bracha; and a person should always be careful regarding an unnecessary bracha and increase the necessary brochos, and so David said, "Every day I will bless You"'.
But the Raavad objected to him: 'Avraham said: It appears to me that they said this only regarding Chol HaMoed of Pesach alone, but regarding that of Rosh Chodesh they instituted it with a bracha in order to publicize that it is Rosh Chodesh, and our minhag is to recite a bracha on all of them, and we should not learn from the willow, since in its taking there is neither praise nor thanksgiving, so what need is there for a bracha; but the reciting of Hallel on the sanctified days and the mussaf offering on them - if they instituted the Hallel on them as a recognition of their sanctity, they did well, and it requires a bracha'. End quote.
The Ran7 cited the words of the Ramban, who distinguishes between Rosh Chodesh and Chol HaMoed of Pesach, but held the opposite of the words of the Raavad: '.. but the Ramban of blessed memory wrote in Sefer HaLikutim that the two days of Pesach and Rosh Chodesh do not have one law, because the two days of Pesach, since they are called a festival, obligate the reciting of Hallel with skipping … but on Rosh Chodesh they recite it from minhag, and they do not recite a bracha, for one does not recite a bracha over a minhag; and so he wrote in the name of Rashi of blessed memory, that since the matter depends solely on minhag, one does not recite a bracha over it ... but others say that it is specifically over the beating of the willow, which is merely a beating, that one does not recite a bracha, but over the Hallel of Rosh Chodesh one does recite a bracha; and regarding a case like this they stated a great principle in the Yerushalmi: If a halacha is shaky in your hand, see how the community conducts itself, and conduct yourself accordingly; and the minhag is that one recites a bracha over the Hallel'.
And so wrote the Rosh8: 'And furthermore, as we say in the Yerushalmi: If a halacha is shaky in your hand, see how the community conducts itself, and they have already adopted the minhag to recite a bracha over it'.
If so, we have seen that the Rishonim disagreed regarding reciting a bracha over Hallel on Rosh Chodesh; tomorrow we will learn, with Hashem's help, what the halacha is in practice and the minhogim in this matter.
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Footnotes:
1 כח, ב ↩
2 נסמנו באנציקלופדיה תלמודית ח"ט, ערך הלל, הערות 426, 430 ועוד, לקמן יובאו חלק מדברי הראשונים בנידון ↩
3 יד, א ↩
4 וכתב הרא"ש בברכות פ"ב סי' ה: 'ודוחק הוא לומר שלא היה בבית הכנסת בתחלת ההלל', וראה במעדני יו"ט ↩
5 ברכות ז, ב ↩
6 הל' ברכות פי"א הט"ז וראה גם הל' מגילה וחנוכה פ"ג ה"ז ↩
7 על הרי"ף שבת יא, ב ↩
8 ברכות פ"ב סי' ה ↩
[C] (halacha 357)
Question: We learned about the differences of opinion regarding the bracha over Hallel when an individual prays; what is our minhag?
Answer: In several of the Arizal-nusach siddurim that the Alter Rebbe arranged, which were printed after his passing, a phrase in parentheses was added as an instruction for the days on which the Hallel is not completed: '(And the individual does not recite a bracha, neither at the beginning nor at the end - so I heard from his holy mouth)'.
A great discussion was held regarding the authenticity of the tradition and consequently what is the view of the Alter Rebbe, as follows:
The Shaar HaKollel1 wrote: 'And regarding how the individual should conduct himself on the days on which the Hallel is not completed, the Rebbe did not write a fixed halacha in the siddur. And in the Tur, siman 422, and in the Beis Yosef, they cited opinions on this. And in practice the Beis Yosef wrote in the name of the Rosh and the Ran that regarding a case like this they said: If a halacha is shaky in your hand, see how the community conducts itself, and conduct yourself accordingly. And likewise in the Shulchan Aruch the author wrote the minhag of his country and the Rema wrote the minhag of his country, that in these countries the minhag is that the individual recites a bracha at the beginning and at the end. And as for the fact that in the siddurim printed afterward they added in the parenthetical clause (and the individual does not recite a bracha, neither at the beginning nor at the end - so I heard from his holy mouth), behold, from the approbation of the Rebbe's brother, the author of the Sheiris Yehudah of blessed memory, it is understood that this addition is from the printer of Kopust in the year 55832 and one should not establish foundations from traditions, and in any case the Rebbe did not instruct him to add this in the siddur as a fixed halacha against the minhag of our country. And also in the Slavita siddur in which the Rebbe the author of the Tzemach Tzedek of blessed memory prayed, this addition is not found, and from the oral tradition we have learned that he did not have the reading of this addition and that he was accustomed to recite a bracha when he would pray as an individual. And although this too is only a tradition, in any case this is like the minhag of our country to which the Rema of blessed memory testified, and so it is written in Tanya Rabbasi siman 32 in the name of the Behag, and so it is written in Sefer HaManhig, that the individual should recite a bracha over the Hallel of Rosh Chodesh. End quote .. Rather, certainly the view of the Rebbe in the siddur is that regarding the obligation of the bracha one should not distinguish between a complete Hallel and one that is not complete. And this is what he was precise in his wording, "and on the days on which the Hallel is not completed" (even though regarding the bracha they are by law equal to the days on which it is completed, only because the poskim wrote in this matter, follow the minhag), "one should conduct oneself etc." and "they fulfill it with his bracha" (like Shehecheyanu of Yom Kippur and the like), but if he has no chazzan he is obligated to fulfill it with his own bracha. And this is why he added the words "one should conduct oneself" and also the words "they fulfill it with his bracha"'.
If so, according to the words of the Shaar HaKollel one should not rely on the tradition that was printed in the siddur in the name of the Alter Rebbe that the individual does not recite a bracha, and on the other hand one should rely on the tradition in the name of the Tzemach Tzedek that he did recite a bracha even as an individual.
But the Gaon Rav Chaim Naeh3 objected to him: 'Behold, regarding what he wrote that one should not establish foundations from traditions .. but all this is regarding a mere tradition that is not from person to person; but a clear tradition from person to person - behold, the entire Torah was thus transmitted to us, Moshe received the Torah from Sinai and transmitted it to Yehoshua, and if the printer of Kopust wrote and testified "so I heard from his holy mouth," meaning that he himself heard from the mouth of the Rebbe that the individual does not recite a bracha, behold one must not cast any doubt on this, and heaven forbid that we should suspect the printer of Kopust of saying things that are not so; however, regarding what the Shaar HaKollel wrote afterward, that from the oral tradition we have learned that the Rebbe the Tzemach Tzedek was accustomed to recite a bracha when he would pray as an individual - regarding such a case it may be said that one should not rely on the traditions, since it is not from person to person .. but what is known to us as a clear matter is what the Rebbe Maharash... [as] the Rebbe Maharshab of blessed memory wrote in his glosses on the siddur, and these are his words: I asked my holy father, master and teacher (the Maharash), may the memory of the holy and righteous be a blessing for the life of the World to Come, whether to recite a bracha at the beginning and at the end as an individual, and he said to me that he had asked this of my holy grandfather, master and teacher, may the memory of the holy and righteous be a blessing for the life of the World to Come [the Tzemach Tzedek], and he answered him that one may do as one wishes. End quote. And when the famous Gaon and Chassid Rav Dovid Tzvi Chen of blessed memory, the Rav of Chernigov, was here in the holy city, may it be rebuilt and established, in the year 5685, I heard from him that he himself had the experience that he personally asked the Rebbe Maharash of blessed memory how to conduct oneself with the bracha of Hallel as an individual, and he answered him that he had asked his father [the Rebbe the Tzemach Tzedek of blessed memory] whether he recites a bracha over the Hallel as an individual, and he [the Tzemach Tzedek] answered him, "When it calls for Hallel, I make a bracha4," and from this it is understood that he did not always recite a bracha'.
If so, according to the words of the Gaon Rav Chaim Naeh one should rely on the printer's tradition in the name of the Alter Rebbe, and that the Tzemach Tzedek did not always recite a bracha as an individual.
And to note that in the gloss of the Rebbe the Rashab it is written: In the siddur (Or HaMeir of Vilna) in which my holy father, master and teacher, of saintly memory, prayed before his passing, the following was noted on this in his holy handwriting, and these are his words: I heard from my holy father, master and teacher, of saintly memory, that it seems to him that the printer's intention is regarding our uncle Maharil of saintly memory of Yanovitch, and at the bottom of the page in the aforementioned siman it is noted in his holy handwriting: it was printed for the first time in Warsaw, it seems by Reb Zalman the son of Reb Yaakov Zelver, peace be upon him. End quote5'.
But the Rebbe wrote6 that he heard from the Rebbe Rayatz regarding the Rebbe the Maharash: 'My holy grandfather of saintly memory said: The Father [the Tzemach Tzedek] was afraid of the bracha [= the Father was afraid to recite the bracha of Hallel on the days on which the Hallel is not completed], I take this upon myself [= I accept this upon myself]'. And the Rebbe further wrote7 regarding the conduct of the Rebbe the Rashab 'he always recited Hallel with a bracha'.
And in practice, thus it is written in the Hayom Yom8: 'The minhag is that the individual recites a bracha - over the Hallel - at the beginning and at the end, even on the days on which the Hallel is not completed'.
The Rebbe writes in Igros Kodesh9: 'In response to his letter of the 14th of Mar-Cheshvan, regarding his question concerning the bracha of Hallel, that in the Hayom Yom it is printed differently than in the siddur10, behold the rule in matters such as this is known, that one conducts oneself according to the latest nusach; and this is understood and simple, for behold at the time of the editing of the Hayom Yom, they knew and considered what is written in the siddur, and one should not wonder that in practice one conducts oneself differently, for in several matters there are cases such as this, and for several reasons there certainly are such changes; and Chazal have already informed us regarding such changes (Bava Basra 166b) that it must be specifically in practice, see there. And regarding the aforementioned in particular - see the Shaar HaKollel there, and in the Sefer Piskei HaSiddur - by Rav Naeh - at its beginning'.
If so, according to our minhag even an individual who recites Hallel on Rosh Chodesh should recite a bracha before it and after it.
Footnotes:
1 דיני לולב וסדר הלל אות ה ↩
2 הרה"ח ר' ישראל יפה. ראה אודותיו בבית רבי ח"א ע' עה ↩
3 בתחילת ספרו פסקי הסידור ↩
4 ראה היכל הבעש"ט שם ע' נג הערה 21 - 22 ↩
5 ויל"ע שהרי פיסקה זו נדפסה כבר בתקפ"ג - וראה היכל הבעש"ט גליון כט ע' מז הערות 11 - 12 ↩
6 סה"ש תש"ו ע' 11 אות יד ↩
7 סה"ש תרצ"א ע' 242 ↩
8 א טבת הובא בספר המנהגים עמ' 36 ↩
9 חט"ז ע' פד ↩
10 יתכן שהכותב ראה את המשפט הנ"ל (על אי אמירת הברכה ביחיד) באחד מהסידורים בהם צויין הנהגה זו, שכאמור היא נדפסה בכמה סידורים החל מהסידור משנת תקפ"ג, ובסידור שהוציא ר"ז בר"י זעלווער בשנת ת"ר. וכן בסידור טשערנאוויץ תרכה (היכל הבעש"ט שם הערה 12), ובת"א שנת תש"י, (ראה ספר הסידור עמ' פד). ואכמ"ל ↩
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[א] (halacha 356)
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Bracha on Hallel on Rosh Chodesh [ב]
Question: What is the halacha ruled regarding reciting the bracha on Hallel on Rosh Chodesh?
Answer: In the previous halacha we saw that the Rishonim were divided regarding the bracha on Hallel on Rosh Chodesh. And as the halacha, the Mechaber wrote1: 'And we recite Hallel with omissions, both an individual and a congregation. And some say that the congregation recites a bracha over it at the beginning, "to read the Hallel," [and the Rema wrote — and if one recited "to complete," one need not repeat it] and at the end, "Yehallelucha." And the individual does not recite a bracha over it. And some say that even the congregation does not recite a bracha over it, neither at the beginning nor at the end, and this is the opinion of the Rambam, and so is the custom throughout the Land of Israel and its surroundings.
And the Rema wrote in a gloss: And some say that even an individual recites a bracha over it. And so is the custom in these lands. And in any case a person should be careful to read it with a congregation in order to recite the bracha over it with the congregation. And some say that when an individual reads, he tells two others to recite with him the beginnings of the chapters, for then it is like a multitude. And so they were accustomed in Hodu but not in Ana'.
If so, we have seen that the Mechaber rules that the individual should not recite a bracha. And regarding a congregation he brings a dispute, "some say" and "some say," and writes that the custom in the kingdom of the Land of Israel is not to recite a bracha. But the Rema added that some say that even the individual recites a bracha, and that such is the custom.
[The Alter Rebbe in the Siddur did not write what the law of the individual is, and regarding a congregation he wrote, 'It is proper to follow the practice that the chazzan alone recites the bracha at the beginning and at the end, and the congregation answers Amen and fulfills its obligation with his bracha,' and see further below].
Question: When Hallel is recited with a congregation and a bracha is to be recited, does each member of the congregation recite the bracha, or only the chazzan?
Answer: The Alter Rebbe wrote2: 'In every case where one exempts his fellow in the brochos of benefit because of their being settled together or because they benefit together, it is a mitzvah that one recite the bracha for all of them, and not each one for himself, as it is said, "B'rov am hadras melech" ("In a multitude of people is the King's glory"). But in the brochos of the mitzvos, if each one performs a mitzvah by himself, even though they are all one mitzvah — such as each one wrapping himself in tzitzis or donning tefillin — the choice is theirs: if they wish, one recites the bracha for all of them, in order to fulfill "B'rov am hadras melech," and if they wish, each one recites the bracha for himself .. And the same applies to the brochos of the mitzvos when they all perform the mitzvah together, such as hearing the sound of the shofar or the Megillah — it is a mitzvah that one recite the bracha for all of them, whether the one who blows or the one who reads, or one of the listeners; and likewise if they sit in one sukkah. But if they wish to fulfill the mitzvah each one by himself and to recite the bracha for himself, the choice is theirs, such as that each one reads the Megillah for himself if there are not ten there, or that each one blows for himself; and in any case it is good that one read for all of them, to fulfill "B'rov am hadras melech," even though there is no obligation in the matter, for one should not obligate a person to fulfill the mitzvah incumbent upon him through an agent when he is able to fulfill it himself; and so too in Kiddush and Havdalah and all similar cases.'
And ostensibly we learn that if each one fulfills the mitzvah by himself, there is no obligation that one recite the bracha for all of them; but despite this, one may recite the bracha for all of them.
And as the Alter Rebbe wrote concerning the counting of the Omer3: 'But the bracha he may hear from the chazzan even initially, even if he knows how to recite the bracha himself, for ten who perform a mitzvah at one time — one of them may recite the bracha on behalf of all of them, as was explained in Siman 8 — and after he has heard the bracha he should count immediately.'
But the Magen Avraham wrote4 concerning the bracha of Shehecheyanu on Yom Kippur: 'The Kol Bo wrote, and so it is proper that each one recite the bracha for himself, until here; and we do not practice so, but rather all rely on the chazzan (Darchei Moshe). And the Shelah wrote that it is permitted to rely on the chazzan, as it is written in Siman 298:14, and the same applies to the bracha of Hallel and lulav, end of quote. And it seems to me that nowadays, for the most part, the chazzan does not intend to discharge others; therefore one should recite the bracha for himself, and so we practice with Hallel and lulav.'
And so wrote the Alter Rebbe5: 'And by the strict law it would have been proper for the entire congregation to fulfill their obligation with the bracha of the chazzan and for each one not to recite the bracha by himself, because "B'rov am hadras melech," as is written in Siman 298; except that nowadays, for the most part, the chazzan does not intend at all to discharge others; therefore each one should recite the bracha for himself in an undertone, and should be careful to finish before the chazzan finishes, so that he can answer Amen after the bracha of the chazzan. And such is the law regarding the bracha of Hallel, and such is the law regarding the bracha of the lulav in the synagogue.'
And based on this they were accustomed, in reciting the complete Hallel, that each one recites the bracha for himself.
However, regarding the recitation of half Hallel, the Alter Rebbe wrote in the Siddur: 'And on the days when one does not complete the Hallel, it is proper to follow the practice that the chazzan alone recites the bracha at the beginning and at the end, and the congregation answers Amen and fulfills its obligation with his bracha.'
And the Shaar HaKollel wrote on this6: 'In the Shulchan Aruch, Hilchos Rosh Chodesh, Siman 422, the custom is not found; only in Hilchos Yom Kippur, Siman 619, concerning the bracha of Shehecheyanu, did the Magen Avraham bring this in the name of the Shelah, that such is the law regarding the bracha of Hallel. Even on the days when one completes the Hallel, by the strict law the chazzan alone should recite the bracha and the congregation answer Amen and fulfill their obligation with his bracha; and so did the Alter Rebbe write there in his Shulchan Aruch. Except that the Magen Avraham wrote, "And it seems to me that nowadays, since for the most part the chazzan does not intend to discharge the multitude, therefore each one should recite the bracha for himself," end of quote. Therefore the Alter Rebbe wrote here in the Siddur that this is so on the days when one completes the Hallel — each one should recite the bracha for himself; but on the days when one does not complete it, where there are poskim who hold that even with a congregation they should not recite a bracha, even the chazzan, and there are poskim who hold that the individuals should not recite a bracha, and further differences of opinion, therefore it is proper to follow the practice that the chazzan alone recites the bracha and the congregation answers Amen and fulfills its obligation with his bracha. And concerning the concern that perhaps the chazzan will not intend to discharge them, I have seen men of deeds who are accustomed to remind the chazzan to intend to discharge them with his bracha. Also in the Mishnas Chassidim it is written, according to Kabbalah, intentions for the bracha of the chazzan — from which it is inferred that they hold that the chazzan alone recites the bracha and the congregation fulfills its obligation with his bracha.'
But the Rebbe said in a sicha from the year 57417 that the custom of Chassidim is that even on Rosh Chodesh they "grab" and recite the bracha quietly.
If so, we have learned the various opinions8, and the words of the Alter Rebbe who ruled that on Rosh Chodesh, when Hallel is recited with a congregation, only the chazzan should recite the bracha and the congregation should hear the bracha from him. But the Rebbe noted that the custom of Chassidim is indeed to recite the bracha.
In the next halacha, with G-d's help, we will learn the opinion of the Alter Rebbe and the Chabad minhag regarding the bracha on Hallel when one prays as an individual.
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Notes:
1 סי' תכב ס"ב ↩
2 סי' ריג ס"ו ↩
3 סי' תפט ס"א ↩
4 סי' תריט ס"ק ג ↩
5 סי' תריט ס"ח ↩
6 דיני לולב וסדר הלל אות ד ↩
7 שיחות קודש ח"ד עמ' 322 ↩
8 Note that also among the Sephardic minhag there are differences of custom, and not all follow the minhag cited by the Mechaber of not reciting a bracha, as explained in Responsa Yechaveh Da'as, vol. 4, siman 31, and ibid. ↩