Tuesday, April 24, 2007

Daf Yomi - Chagigah 17 - RABBINIC MITZVAH OF SEFIRAS HAOMER

Tosfos states that after the counting of the omer, one should say the following tefillah: Is should be the will of Hashem that the Beis Hamikdosh should be rebuilt. This is recited because the mitzvah nowadays is rabbinic and serves to commemorate the biblical mitzvah in the times when the Beis Hamikdosh was in existence.

Tosfos asks: What is the difference between the mitzva of sefiras haomer and the mitzvos of sounding the shofar and taking a lulav which is also only rabbinic nowadays and this additional tefillah is not recited?

He answers: The mitzvah of sefiras haomer is merely a reminder of the Beis Hamikdosh and the other mitzvos involve an action. The distinction is extremely ambiguous and the commentators struggle to explain the difference.

The Gemora in Menochos (66a) says: Ameimar would count days and not weeks. He said: The mitzvah of counting the omer is only to commemorate the Beis Hamikdosh.

The Brisker Rov explains: The rabbinic mitzvah of sefiras haomer is different that other rabbinic mitzvos. A regular rabbinic mitzvah, such as eating marror on Pesach, is the identical mitzvah nowadays as was in the times of the Beis Hamikdosh. The only difference is that then it was biblical and now it is only rabbinic. Sefiras haomer is different. The purpose of the mitzvah mitzva of counting the omer nowadays was not for the counting, but rather it was established to commemorate the Beis Hamikdosh. The mitzvah nowadays is not the same mitzvah as it was then. This is why Ameimar maintains that in the times of the Beis Hamikdosh, they counted days and weeks and nowadays, we only count the days.

According to this, he explains the Ba’al Hamaor at the end of Pesachim. The Ba’al Hamaor says that we do not recite a shehechiyonu on sefiras haomer like we do by other mitzvos because it is only a mitzvah of remembering the Beis Hamikdosh. Shehechiyonu is recited at a time of joy and it would not be appropriate to recite it when we are recalling the tragedy of the destruction of the Beis Hamikdosh and the present exile. By other rabbinical mitzvos, a shehechiyonu is recited because the purpose of the mitzvah was for the sake of the mitzvah and not to remind us of the destruction of the Beis Hamikdosh.

This is the explanation of Tosfos. The special tefillah of requesting the building of the Beis Hamikdosh is exclusively reserved for the mitzvah of sefiras haomer, which was only instituted to commemorate the Beis Hamikdosh.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

The Beis halevi says counting weeks is a seprate mitzvah and hence every week you can make a bracha is that Halacha Lamasah?

Avromi said...

not sure exactly what you are referring to, but....

one who counted days and not the week on a day that the week ends should count again, some say he was yotzei.

if it was in middle of a week, he has fulfilled the mitzvah.

one who counted the weeks but not the days on a day that the week ends has not fulfilled the mitzvah - biur halacha is uncertain if he can count the other days with a brocha.

if it was in middle of a week, hje is yotzei.

Anonymous said...

WHAT I MEANT WAS I FORGOT TO COUNT THE DAY BUT THE BEIS HALEVI SAYS THE WEEK IS A SEPERATE MITZVAH HENCE CAN I MAKE A BRACHA ON THE WEEK AT THE BEGINING OF EVERY WEEK BECAUSE IT IS AN INDEPENDANT MITZVAH LIKE THE BEIS HALEVI SAYS YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TOO DO WE HOLD LIKE THAT LHALACHA

Avromi said...

ok beis halevi 1:39

check moadim uzmanim 3:289 at the end

it does seem that we do not pasken like that l'halacha

there are some side questions on his shitah,as well