Shehechiyanu: When D'Orysa Does Not Mean D'Orysa — Eruvin 40b
תלמוד בבלי מסכת עירובין דף מ/ב
והלכתא אומר זמן בראש השנה וביום הכפורים
Teshuvos Ri MiGash (§203) writes that the recitation of the berachah of Shehechiyanu on Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur is only D'Rabbanan — but that on Sukkos it is D'orysa!
R' Yosef Engel (Gilyonei HaShas here) notes that this clearly cannot be taken literally. The only berachah which may be D'Orysa is Birchas HaTorah. Rather, states R' Yosef Engel, Ri MiGash must mean that the Shehechiyanu of Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur is optional; while the Shehechiyanu of Sukkos is obligatory — but, ultimately, both are D'Rabbanan. Other instances of such usage, cited by Gilyonei HaShas, are in Teshuvos Ri MiGash §89; Teshuvos Tashbetz 2:182.
Nevertheless, writes R' Yosef Engel, even taken non-literally, Ri MiGash's ruling seems at odds with our sugya, which seems to conclude that the Shehechiyanu of Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur is obligatory. In resolution of this contradiction, he cites Tanya Rabasi, Hil. Rosh HaShanah §73 (in the name of Yerushalmi) that the Shehechiyanu of Kiddush is D'Rabbanan while the Shehechiyanu of Shofar is D'Orysa. Similarly, Maharil, Hil. Rosh HaShanah, writes that the Shehechiyanu of Kiddush does not cover the Shehechiyanu of Shofar because Kiddush is D'Rabbanan while Shofar is D'Orysa.
But, asks R' Yosef Engel, why do we not recite Shehechiyanu on Rosh Chodesh? Perhaps, he suggests, Kiddush Levanah is in lieu of Shehechiyanu.
Lefi R' Tzadok in Risisei Lyla #8, that all yomim tovim commemorate the past, but Rosch Chodesh commemorates the future, it is very easy to understand why there is no Shehechiyanu on RC.
ReplyDeleteDo you say shehechiyanu on monthly occurances? I thought for new fruit we only say shechiyanu if it's once a year or at least once a season. Rosh Chodesh is every month so wouldn't it make sense that we don't say shehechiyanu? Why don't you ask also why we don't say it on Shabbos?
ReplyDeleteI think that this is precisely the issue: We should say Shehechiyanu on any hischadshus, why don't we?
ReplyDeleteSo why does he only ask about Rosh Chodesh? Why not Shabbos also? You're right that we should say shehechiyanu on any hischadshus but is it really new if it just happened last month? We only say on a new fruit once a year. If you just ate it last month then you don't make a shehechiyanu. Why doesn't he ask about that?
ReplyDeleteI also don't understand his answer what kiddush levana has to do with shehechiyanu. Even if somehow it has something do with it why would we say it a week later.
I assume that since thirty days in Halacha has many ramifications, that therefore RYE considers it a minimum period of hischadshus. That's not unreasonable , is it?
ReplyDeleteFrom a "Daf Digest" subscriber:
ReplyDeleteIn your Daf Yomi sheet for Eiruvin 40, you bring R Yosef Engel's shittah that Shehechiyonu can't be a d'orayso.
However, please see the Tzalach Brochos 40b and R Akiva Eiger Brochos 15, both of which support the idea that of all brochos, shehechiyonu is most likely to be a d'orayso.
If you're still in the mood, you can also check out Rashi in the parshoh of vidui maisros, in Ki Sovo, Dvorim 26:13, on Lo ovarti mimitzvosecho velo shochochti, and the Metzudas Dovid there, and the Mishnah in Ma’aser Sheni 5:11 (“Velo shochochti milivorechecho umilihazkir shimcho olov,”), and the Rambam and the Mahari Kurkus at the very end of hilchos Trumos, and Rashi in Brochos 40b. Also the Vayoeil Moshe by the parshoh of Maisros, who says the same thing as the Tzalach but doesn't bring it in his name. I wonder why. And the Yerushalmi in the beginning of the sixth perek of Brochos that has a hekesh (es luchos ho’even ve’hatorah ve’hamitzvos”) that teaches that we learn the chiyuv brocho from Torah (as learned from “ki sheim Hashem ekroh”) to all mitzvos.
Also, I saw tonight that the Rogatchover discusses why we don't make Shehecheyanu on the moon. It's cited in the Mefa'anei'ach Tzefunos 3:19 from Teshuvos (Dvinsk)2:2. Among other things he says:
ReplyDeleteגם הזמן גדר צירוף לא נקודה לא שייך בזה זמן [שהחיינו] כלל