Q & A: An Unusual Shehecheyanu Practice (Conclusion)

Question: What is the reason for the unusual practice of the chazzan reciting Shehecheyanu on Yom Kippur night?

Elimelech Feldman

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Synopsis: In Orach Chayyim 225, the Mechaber lists situations that require the blessing of Shehecheyanu, including acquiring a new house or new garment and eating a new fruit. Also, the Mechaber requires Shehecheyanu for yearly obligations during the Festivals, such as shofar, sukkah, lulav, Chanukah candles, and Megillat Esther. The Talmud also discusses this obligation in various places (Eruvin, Pesachim, Sukkah, and Shabbos). One can see that these mitzvot center on an object, while Yom Kippur at first glance does not, despite the candles being lit. Reciting Kiddush in the synagogue is customary on Friday nights and Festivals, so reciting Shehecheyanu on Yom Kippur has merit, as confirmed by Mishna Berura (Orach Chayyim 619 sk3). The Tur and the Mechaber (Orach Chayyim 619) both note that, following Kol Nidrei, the chazzan recites the blessing of Shehecheyanu (without a cup of wine), which surely is unusual.

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Answer: The source for our practice of a special recitation of Kiddush with Shehecheyanu in the synagogue on all the Festivals is inferred by the Gemara (Eruvin 40b) from the following verse (Ecclesiastes 11:2): “Ten chelek l’shivah v’gam l’sh’monah...” – Distribute portions to seven or even to eight... The inference is that these are the days when we recite the blessing of Shehecheyanu – lit., [He] Who has sustained us – and this is usually done over a cup of wine. “Shivah” refers to the seven days of Passover (as the Gemara explains, if one did not recite this blessing on the first day, one may recite even until the last day), while “sh’monah” refers, similarly, to the eight days of Sukkot, and “v’gam” comes to include Shavuot, Rosh Hashanah, and Yom Kippur.

The Gemara finds difficulty with the inclusion of Yom Kippur. How is one to drink from the cup of wine at such a Kiddush recital, when one is Biblically required to fast? The Gemara offers a solution – that one makes the Kiddush earlier and then drink. The difficulty is that by reciting Kiddush, he will have already accepted the Yom Tov and all its restrictions. The Gemara then offers a simple solution: Let the cup be given to a young child to drink from. The Gemara rejects that solution because we fear that the child will be become accustomed to doing so and that this will bring him to other violations in the future.

Rashi (s.v. “d’asi l’misrach”) explains that our worry is not just a matter of chinuch during the child’s minor years, but also the fear that he will continue to drink on Yom Kippur even after he reaches adulthood. In truth, what is the concern here? Is he not aware that all adults must fast and the only reason he is requested to drink the wine is that he is still a minor? Rashba (novella, ad loc.) suggests that indeed he will understand that all adults fast on Yom Kippur, but he might come to assume that the Kiddush wine over which Shehecheyanu is recited is an exception.

While this logic seems strange, we see from Rashash (novella, ad loc.) that there is an obvious requirement for the one who recites the Kiddush to taste the wine; otherwise, why make the blessing in the first place? Thus, we may infer that the child, seeing that the adult recites the Kiddush with the Shehecheyanu,will assume that the adult must have tasted the wine as usual, even on Yom Kippur.

We see instances where we do give wine to a child to drink, as the Gemara infers clearly that if a child tastes the wine, that satisfies the requirement that the wine be tasted. An example is wine that is given to a child at Havdalah on Motza’ei Tisha b’Av, when adults are not allowed to drink wine. The wine of Kiddush recited in the synagogue at other times of the year, which are actually referenced by our Gemara, are yet further instances of giving the child wine to taste.

Tosafot (ad loc., s.v. “Dilma asi l’misrach”) note that our worry is only for regularly recurring situations, such as the case in our Gemara. However, if a brit falls on Tish’ab’Av or on Yom Kippur, when adults may not drink the wine, we would indeed give the cup to a child to taste following the recital of the blessings on the wine. Tosafot also note that it once happened that a chuppah took place on Asarab’Tevet and the wine was given to a child to taste. Included in that same Tosafot is the commentary of TosafotShantz, who report that once in the town where Rabbeinu Yaakov b. Yakar served as rav, a brit fell on Sunday, which was the tenthof Av, and thus all Tish’ab’Av restrictions were postponed to that day. He nevertheless instructed those involved to pray the Mincha early and to wash and eat because it was considered their Yom Tov celebration. Tosafot note as well that those participating did not recite Shehecheyanu (following the Ashkenaz tradition) because of the pain inflicted on the infant.

Rashba (ad loc.) disagrees with Tosafot’s view and holds that even when it is a non-recurring event such as a brit, we never ask a child to drink on our behalf on a fast day such as Yom Kippur or Tish’ab’Av (obviously the child is fed food in the course of the day, but that is for his own welfare). He offers another solution: In place of wine, let the blessing of Borei minei besamim be recited over hadassim or other fragrant spices.

Thus arises the dispute in ShulchanAruch (Orach Chayyim 621:3) in regard to a brit on Yom Kippur, with the Mechaber ruling like the Rashba that one should not bless over wine, and the Rema ruling like Tosafot (citing Kol Bo) that nevertheless, our custom is to bless over wine and give some of the wine to a child – in this case, to the newly circumcised infant. If this is the solution, what is Rashba’s objection? MagenAvraham (ad loc. 621:sk 3) explains that in Rashba’s view, the tasting by an infant is not sufficient since he has not reached the age of chinuch, rendering the blessing one that was uttered in vain. Rema obviously disagrees with this logic and would allow the practice.

It therefore remains clear that insofar as reciting Kiddush over wine on Yom Kippur, all agree that drinking it is forbidden, and thus the only solution is for the chazzan to recite just Shehecheyanu. But what about Kiddush – the sanctification of the day? For that, we have no other solution but to rely on the kedushat hayom as recited in the tefillah, and it is upon this that the chazzan bases his Shehecheyanu blessing.