Tachnun

Tachnun

I wanted to tell you what happened today in shul as a continuation of  this post here which is also about Tachnun.

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A Chosson In Shul

Today is Friday, yud gimel Sivan. In shul this morning we had a chosson in shul. Most of the congregation didn’t know this, but the chazan did, so when he finished chazaras ha’shatz, he went straight to Kaddish.

All of sudden everyone started yelling and screaming, “Hey Hey! This is yud gimel. It’s finished, six days not seven, back to tachnun …”

I felt bad for the chazan, but he didn’t seem upset because he knew that he was doing the right thing. A few were trying to raise their voices above the uproar that we have a chosson with us, and little by little order was restored, but still the fighting continued. I am not sure exactly who was fighting with whom, because nobody really disagreed with the other, but the noise went to the tune, “Yes, but what if there wasn’t a chosson …”.

It went on straight through until after Alainu. True, most of the congregation, well, those who were lifting their voices, were our dear brothers who daven nusach Ashkenaz who join us in a nusach Sefard shul, presumably because of the conveniences provided by the overall setup, but still, I never cease to be amazed at how emotional people can get over the percieved terrible sin of skipping Tachnun without acceptable justification.

Isru Chag

Anyway, since things were still brewing even after Alainu, I decided that I would throw in my two cents, I brought the Sha’arei Tshuva, on the place there in siman 131 that there is a minhag to skip Tachnun on yud gimel because of “sfaike de’yoma”, and that he who does so is not incorrect, and it goes after the chazan, if he skips it, then you don’t say. So they yelled at me back, “yeahhhh, but that is only in chutz la’aretz, you can’t say such a thing here in Israel.” Of course they were correct in that answer, indeed so it says there in the Sha’arei Tshuva itself, but I only meant it as a buildup to my next line. I said, “then if you understand that this can only be in Chutz le’aretz, then understand too that the dispute about whether to say lamnatzayach on isru chag also can only be in chutz la’aretz, but here, when on our isru chag, the majority of klal Yisroel are observing Yom Tov Sheni, and not only that, but here in this very shul, two flights up in the Ezras Nashim there is a chutz la’aretz minyan which is saying Hallel, how can you say here downstairs “ya’ancha Hashem be’yom tzoro”. This is point that I get particularly peeved about, what seems to me a certain lack of sensitivity about this argument, and I thought to use the opportunity to say my peace.

Anyway, I heard such a claim from a certain Rov, that even he who says to say lamnatzaiyach on isru chag was only talking about in chutz le’aretz. I would love to see a proof one way or the other, if you can help me with this, please leave a comment.

Boruch Rappaport