Years ago I had a teacher who very adamantly urged all his students never to say a berakha on Hallel for Rosh Hodesh. His reasoning was based in the sugiya on this page, where Rosh Hodesh is not listed as one of the holidays that one recites Hallel. However there is a story about Rav who travels to Babylonia and witnessed the community there reciting a partial Hallel on Rosh Hodesh. He considered stopping them, but then figured that it must be an ancient minhag there and let it go.
Tosafot on this sugiya conclude that, since Rav decided not to stop them, there must be nothing wrong with saying a berakha on this minhag. For a long time I disagreed with this stance and did not say a berakha with Hallel on Rosh Hodesh. The simple formulation of the berakha, "v'tzivanu" seemed to contradict its recitation. If it wasn't commanded by the Torah or the Rabbis, how can we say "v'tzivanu"?
Recently, however, I have changed my position and have, at the great risk of reciting a berakha l'vatala, begun reciting the berakha with Hallel. Long-standing nearly universal minhagim, I believe, can take on the same status of rabbinic laws. But more personally, saying the berakha over Hallel on Rosh Hodesh also validates modern Judaism -- it recognizes the human contribution to mitzvot and holiness.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
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1 comment:
Welcome to the club of fools my friend. Admission is one bad bracha at the door, and one on the way out. We're crazy that way.
By the way: Hallel on Chanukah as always seemed more problematic to me than Rosh Chodesh. Rosh Chodesh at least, has some Biblical mandate. Hanukah, not so much.
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