The first known mention of the minhag is by the Maharil (early 15th century l'minyanam, Ashkenaz), towards the beginning of his discussion of Rosh Hashana. The rationale for the timing of the practice is based on the midrash (Yalkut Shimoni, Vayeira 99). Avraham and Yitzchak were walking on the way to Akeidat Yitzchak and were impeded by the Satan who formed a river. They continued into the water up to their mouths and turned to Hashem in request to allow them to complete their mitzva. Since that day was Rosh Hashana, we use the body of water, which conjures up memory of the merit of the forefathers, as an appropriate place to ask that our sins be "thrown into the depths of the sea". Others see a river as a sign of blessing because of how it flows or as the historic place for the coronation of kings (see Yechave Da'at I, 56). In any case, this minhag, which apparently has its origin in Ashkenaz, has spread through- out the Jewish world (in part, due to the Ari z"l), and the minhag of Israel is considered like Torah. There is nothing innate to the process of Tashlich that makes it halachically inappropriate on Shabbat (consensus of poskim). There is a difference of opinion as to whether it is proper from the perspective of Kabala, and we do not have what to add on that point. In fact, it can be clearly inferred from the Maharil that the practice was to do Tashlich on Shabbat as well. Yet, over the last few hundred years minhagim have devel- oped to restrict it on Shabbat. The main issue appears to be the possibility of being mechalel Shabbat by carrying to the riverside (Pri Megadim, Eshel Avraham 583:5; Mishna Berura 583:5). The question already arose in the Maharil. He objected to the minhag of some to throw bread to the fish during Tashlich. While his main concern is in regard to the laws of feeding animals on Yom Tov (beyond our present scope), he also objects to carrying the bread without an eiruv. This can be a problem on Yom Tov (see Maharil and Pri Megadim, ibid.) but is an even bigger problem on Shabbat. Of course, when the river is outside the eiruv, one cannot carry anything there on Shabbat, but that does not necessarily mean that one cannot go the riverside without carrying. Tracing the sources historically (see Yabia Omer IV, OC 47), the following theory seems likely. In the time of the Maharil, only the few p'sukim of "Mi kel kamocha..." were said, and it was probably not necessary for people to carry siddurim with them. So Tashlich went on without a hitch on Shabbat. But as additional tefillot were added to Tashlich, people started bringing siddurim with them. Thus, chilul Shabbat in places without an eiruv (or if it didn't extend to the river) became a real problem, and minhagim developed to stop Tashlich on Shabbat. According to this minhag, during years when Rosh Hashana falls on Shabbat, we do Tashlich on the second day of Rosh Hashana. Carrying the siddur is permitted, as it is done for the needs of Yom Tov. R. Ovadia Yosef (ibid.) rules as practical considerations seem to dictate. Communities that use an eiruv that reaches the body of water should do Tashlich on the first day, even on Shabbat. Places without such an eiruv should wait. The more common minhag is to always delay. As teenagers, some of our rabbeim reacted to the questionable atmosphere in some places at Tashlich by claiming we picked up more aveirot than we got rid of there. We can apply similar reasoning to this matter. It is legitimate for a rav to decide to go either way on this point. However, if the community minhag is to push off Tashlich or it is to go as a group on Shabbat, one should conform to the minhag and avoid machloket on a public matter on this holy day. Ask the Rabbi Q&A is part of Hemdat Yamim,
the weekly parsha sheet published by Eretz Hemdah. You can read this section
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Vebbe Rebbe is partially funded by the Jewish Agency for Israel HaShem, in our prayers today we say that You 'acquire Your servants (or slaves) through justice'. HaShem, permit me, Elimelech ben Eliezer Lipa, to remind You, with trembing, of the Gemara (Kiddushin 20A). Whoever acquires a Jewish servant acquires a master for himself, because the master has to ensure his servant's welfare in accordance with the verse (D'varim 15:16), 'for it is good for him with you'. This means that the master has to feed his slaves properly. Since we are Your servants, as it states in the Torah (Vayikra 25:42), 'for they are My slaves', You are required to have mercy on Your nation this Day of Judgment and to see to the provisions of Your people throughout the coming year." If you’ve enjoyed these stories, look for
Shmuel Himelstein's new book, "Wisdom and Wit", at your local Jewish
bookstore - an entirely new collection. In fact, we should use correct Hebrew
words whenever possible (especially if we are talking Hebrew), but we also
must be ready to meet with blank stares until more people learn these words
too. Do you know what a MARKO'A is? I would venture to guess that 99.44% of
all makolet and supermarket owners and clerks would not know what to give
you if you asked for MARKO'A. If that happens to you, it would be okay to
lapse into "sloppy Hebrew" and ask for BISCUITS, pronouncing it, of course,
BISKVITIM. Also, the candle lighting and havdala chart and the Rosh HaShana Pull-Out with Kiddush and the Y'HI RATZONs for the table were sent out in our Rosh HaShana mailing. We wanted readers of Torah Tidbits to have these two "pieces"; this resulted in a significant amount of duplica- tion. You can help alleviate that situation by passing on any doubles to a friend, relative, neighbor... Thank you. We would like to thank all of you who help distribute Torah Tidbits each week. This thank you includes our "major" distributors who handle hundreds of TTs and dozens of distribution points, people who pick up and deliver a batch or two of TTs to their shul, and individuals who pass on even a single copy of TT to someone who might not otherwise get it. Thank you for your time and energy... and concern. Of course, our thanks go to the team of
volunteers who fold (and also try to weed out the blank or defective pages),
without whom the distributors would not have what to distribute. We know that in order to hear a radio broadcast or watch a television show, we must first switch on the radio or the TV. Sounds and pictures are broadcast all the time all over the world, but in order for us to receive the signals, the radio or TV must be operating and tuned to the right frequency. God too is constantly sending out messages, but only those people who are "tuned in" to the right frequency are able to hear these messages. 55 years ago, G-d created the State of Israel, broadcasting a clear and simple message to the Jewish people all over the World: "Come Home." But apparently the antenna of the Jewish people was tuned to the wrong frequency, and so they failed to respond. In 1967, God sent out another major wake-up call to the Jewish people. Some of our people began to respond and headed home. But that message was soon lost among those Jews still living on the Diaspora frequency, and they did not return. And so, the messages continue, every day and in so many ways. When you hear the Shofar this Rosh
Hashana, will you hear the message, "Come Home," or the usual hundred blasts
that you have heard for so many years? The contrast in the types of T'shuva parallels the contrast in cosmic energies of the spring and fall seasons. Spring bring an explosion of life, greening of the earth, with plants and flowers covering the land. When this vital energy is still in balance, then K'dusha, holiness, has the potential to flourish. The extreme imbalance of physical energies, of high summer, only brings the negation of holiness. And then, the weakening of the physical energies, allowing the spirit to manifest, brings again the tendency toward holiness of the fall. Nature also helps us to do the physical T'shuva that accompanies the spiritual T'shuva. We can see this in the fruits and vegetables that appear in the spring and fall seasons in Eretz Yisrael. The spring produces mostly green grasses and vegetables, for connective tissue and liver cleansing, along with the varied flowers and herbs to provide concentrated foods to strengthen our immune, hormonal and nervous systems. The late summer and fall, in contrast, produces a variety of red and black fruits, full of iron to cleanse and strengthen the blood along with the liver. These include dark grapes, plums, figs, watermelon (native Malal species) and pomegranate. The cleansing of the blood, rather than connective tissue, is very appropriate for the T'shuva of Tishrei, in that "the blood is the soul (nefesh)" (D'varim 12:23) and that the liver is the seat of the soul (nefesh) (Vilna Gaon, Even Shleima). As we can see, nature provides the exact
ingredients to help us to become both physically and spiritually healthy.
<cont. next week> The mitzva is to hear the "kolot", the sounds of the shofar. Perhaps the most profound of reasons is that of the Rambam who wrote: "Awake you sleepers and ponder your deeds; remember your Creator and return to Him in penitence!" Before we hear the shofar on Rosh HaShana, the congregation reads Psalm 47 that proclaims: "All you nations… sound the shofar to G-d." And then, "G-d has ascended with a blast; Hashem with the sound of the shofar." The first sound of the shofar is the
trumpet call that acknowledges G-d as King (Malbim). The latter blast has
the striking effect of signifying repentance, causing Hashem, as it were, to
arise from the Throne of Judgment and ascend to the Throne of Mercy (Midrash
Rabba 29). And there, for those of us who are unworthy, the "Kolot" invoke
the memory of our ancestor Ya'akov whose piety serves as our defender. For,
as the Sefat Emet reminds us, the unfashioned sound is ultimately, "Hakol
Kol Ya'akov" (Bereishit 27:22). [The Rosh Hashana Homepage]
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