"Cheder" three hundred and seven in the palace of Hayom Yom.
Thursday, 1 Tishrei, first day of Rosh Hashanah, 5704.
Shiurim: Chumash, Haazinu, fifth aliyah with the commentary of Rashi.
Tehillim, on the first of the month, is recited from chapter 1 through chapter 9 inclusive, and the three chapters that are added — 88, 89, and 90.
Tanya: on this day one begins Iggeret 20, from the beginning of the letter with the word "Yihyu". The portion concludes on page 258 with the words "bilshon hakodesh".
The daily teaching includes several customs connected to Rosh Hashanah. We will go through them in order, each custom on its own.
The first thing the Rebbe writes: "The blessing over the kindling of the candles: of the Day of Remembrance." What is the emphasis in this custom? Throughout the world it is customary that on all the festivals, and also on the eve of Rosh Hashanah, one recites over the kindling of the candles the blessing "to kindle the light of the festival"; but here the Rebbe points out that our custom on the eve of Rosh Hashanah is to recite a blessing unique to Rosh Hashanah — "to kindle the light of the Day of Remembrance." This is how our Rebbeim, our leaders, conducted themselves from generation to generation, and it is also an explicit directive of the Rebbe Rashab that one should conduct oneself in this way.
What is the reason for the difference — that among us on Rosh Hashanah it is customary to recite a blessing different from that of the entire world, and we say specifically the wording "of the Day of Remembrance"? In one of his letters the Rebbe addresses this and explains: When one studies in the Shulchan Aruch the reason for lighting candles on Shabbat eve, one finds two reasons — the first, on account of the honor of Shabbat or the honor of the festival; and the second, on account of shalom bayit (household peace), so that one not stumble over wood and stone. According to the reason of the honor of Shabbat or the honor of the festival, it is understood that the wording of the blessing for each Shabbat or festival must be clarified and precise in accordance with the holiness and honor of that particular day. Therefore, since Rosh Hashanah is a special day in its uniqueness, it deserves to receive a unique blessing — the wording we mentioned, "of the Day of Remembrance."
The next matter — "Shehecheyanu". On every Yom Tov, on every new festival, the blessing "Shehecheyanu" is recited at the lighting of the candles, and the women recite this blessing, and this is what the Rebbe points out here as well.
The following custom pertains to Kaddish. The Rebbe writes: "One does not double 'le'eila' in Kaddish — except at Ne'ilah." In Kaddish, as also appears in the Shulchan Aruch of the Alter Rebbe, some have the custom to say throughout the Ten Days of Teshuvah, from Rosh Hashanah until Yom Kippur, "le'eila ule'eila," and this is the practice throughout the entire world — to add "le'eila ule'eila." But in practice, on the siddur of the Tzemach Tzedek it is written in his own hand that during the Ten Days of Teshuvah one does not double "le'eila ule'eila," but rather says both during the Ten Days of Teshuvah and on Rosh Hashanah "le'eila" only once. The only time it is our custom to double "le'eila ule'eila" is on Yom Kippur, and even on Yom Kippur itself — only in the Ne'ilah prayer. Such was the directive of the Rebbe Rayatz on how to conduct oneself. There is also a maamar of the Rebbe Maharash that explains the reason for doubling "le'eila ule'eila" only in the Ne'ilah prayer of Yom Kippur, and when we come, be"H, to the teaching of Yom Kippur, we will speak about this point.
Let us continue. The next custom: "L'David etc. ha'aretz umelo'ah etc. — before Aleinu." What is the point being emphasized here? There is a psalm in Tehillim that begins with the words "L'David mizmor, laHashem ha'aretz umelo'ah," which it is customary to recite on the night of Rosh Hashanah after the Shemoneh Esreh prayer. The question is precisely when to say it — whether before the Kaddish "Tiskabel," the full Kaddish, or after the Kaddish but before "Aleinu." Here in the teaching the Rebbe brings the custom that it is said "before Aleinu," that is, after the Kaddish "Tiskabel" and before reciting "Aleinu l'shabe'ach." But it is worth noting that this is a directive known as the "first version" — an initial directive of the Rebbe Rayatz, and this is what the Rebbe entered here into the calendar; however, in the "final version," at a later stage, the Rebbe Rayatz changed the directive, and in practice said that the psalm should be recited before the Kaddish. And indeed this is how it is printed in our machzorim — that the psalm "L'David" appears not, as written here, "before Aleinu," but rather even before the full Kaddish.
The following custom pertains to the text of the Kiddush for the day of Rosh Hashanah. The wording is: "In the Kiddush of the day: Tik'u, ki chok. And we do not say Eleh mo'adei or Va'atkin." What is the Kiddush recited on the day of Rosh Hashanah? One who studies the sefer "Sha'ar HaKollel" (by Rav Chaim Naeh) finds that he writes that, since the Alter Rebbe did not include in his siddur a text for the Kiddush of Rosh Hashanah, and in the Kiddush of the day there is also no heading indicating that it is specifically the Kiddush for the Shalosh Regalim, but only a general text of Kiddush — apparently, according to the Alter Rebbe's view, on Rosh Hashanah by day one recites the same text of Kiddush that is said on Yom Tov by day, in which the verse "Eleh mo'adei Hashem" is recited beforehand.
Here in the teaching the Rebbe reveals something new: at the daytime Kiddush of Rosh Hashanah one does not recite the same verse that is said on every festival by day. Instead, one recites the two verses whose source is chapter 81 in Tehillim: "Tiku vachodesh shofar bakese leyom chageinu, ki chok leYisrael hu mishpat leElokei Yaakov" ("Blow the shofar on the New Moon, at the appointed time for our festive day, for it is a statute for Israel, a judgment for the God of Yaakov") — these are the two verses said at the daytime Kiddush of Rosh Hashanah. "And one does not say Eleh Moadei" — one does not recite that verse said on all the festivals. And he adds: "And Atkinu" — a passage from the Zohar that is usually recited on Shabbatot or festivals, but on Rosh Hashanah one does not say it.
The following custom: "For Tashlich: one shakes out the corners of the tallis katan." What is the point of this custom? As the Rebbe writes, and as it appears in Sefer HaMinhagim, it is stated in Kabbalah, in the sefer "Pri Etz Chaim," that when one says the words "vetashlich bimtzulot yam" — the verse recited in the middle of the Tashlich text — one shakes out the corners of the garments. In contrast, in the Siddur of the Arizal it is written that one specifically shakes out the tzitzis garment, relating to it as the garment of the Shechinah, a holy garment. Here the Rebbe notes that our custom is as written in the Siddur of the Arizal — that one shakes out the tallis katan and not the corners of the garments. And there is a further difference here: in "Pri Etz Chaim" it is written that one shakes out when saying "vetashlich bimtzulot yam"; but here the emphasis — even though it is not written explicitly here, but rather as the Rebbe writes in Sefer HaMinhagim — is that the shaking out of the tallis katan takes place at the conclusion of the recital of Tashlich, when one finishes all the words, and not at a particular passage.
The next matter the Rebbe writes: "The 'Yehi Ratzon' over the apple: after the blessing and before eating". On the night of Rosh Hashanah it is customary to eat various foods as reminders of good omens, and one of them is the apple, over which a special "Yehi Ratzon" is recited — that the Holy One, blessed be He, renew for us a good and sweet year. When exactly should it be recited? One who examines the Shulchan Aruch of the Alter Rebbe finds that he writes to recite the blessing "Borei pri ha'etz" over the apple, and after having begun to eat and already eaten a little of the apple — to recite the "Yehi Ratzon". And the reason, as he writes in the Shulchan Aruch, is because it is forbidden to make an interruption between the blessing and the eating; therefore, you should make the blessing, eat, and then recite the "Yehi Ratzon".
The novel point recorded here in the "Hayom Yom" is that the "Yehi Ratzon" on the night of Rosh Hashanah is indeed said after the blessing of "borei pri ha'etz," yet before eating the apple. What is the reason for this, and what of the Alter Rebbe's view that this constitutes an interruption? The Rebbe addresses this in one of his letters. First — why we do not know the reason: this was the practice of the Rebbe Rayatz, and it was likewise the practice of his father, the Rebbe Rashab. When the Rebbe saw the Rebbe Rayatz conducting himself thus, he asked him whether this was his personal conduct or a directive for the public, and the Rebbe Rayatz told him that he could publicize it as a directive for the public. Therefore, even though he did not explain the reason to him, the Rebbe included it here among the customs in the "Hayom Yom."
Nevertheless, in that same letter the Rebbe offers what seems to him to be the reason for the matter. First — it is written in the Magen Avraham, and so too rules the Alter Rebbe, that lechatchilah one should recite the "Yehi Ratzon" after beginning to eat, so that there be no interruption; but the Magen Avraham adds that if bedieved one recited the "Yehi Ratzon" between the blessing and the eating, this is not considered an interruption.
Now the Rebbe says as follows: First, it is proven that the Alter Rebbe, even though he ruled in the Shulchan Aruch as he ruled, apparently retracted — for the Alter Rebbe retracted many times in his later years from things he had written in the Shulchan Aruch and ruled otherwise; and since this was the custom in Rabbeinu's household, apparently he retracted. But what is the reason for this? The Rebbe says that regarding that "b'dieved" which the Magen Avraham writes — that b'dieved this is not the ruling — we conduct ourselves according to it because we have no choice. Why? Because we have a goal: we want that the "yehi ratzon" which we request should have the force of a blessing. And in order that the force of the blessing should apply to it, we are interested in connecting it to the blessing as much as possible, so that the blessing should apply also to the "yehi ratzon."
To recite the "Yehi Ratzon" first and then the blessing — even though in that case it too would be close together — is not fitting, for then a person would put his request for his needs before praising the Creator of the world. And it is clear that first of all one must praise the Holy One, blessed be He, and recite the blessing "Borei pri ha'etz," and only afterward state his request for his needs: "Yehi ratzon shetechadesh aleinu shanah tovah" ("May it be Your will to renew for us a good year"). Since on Rosh Hashanah every action and every word has significance, and we wish to give force to the request, we conduct ourselves in this manner and rely on the words of the Magen Avraham that after the fact the matter is proper. For we are in a situation of after the fact and we have no choice — this is the only way to give force to the "Yehi Ratzon," and therefore in practice we are accustomed to reciting it between the blessing and the beginning of the eating.
The final custom that the Rebbe notes here: "We eat the head of a ram — but we do not recite a yehi ratzon except over the apple." It is customary on the night of Rosh Hashanah to eat a head, and there are customs — recorded also in the Shulchan Aruch, and practiced by many communities — to say "yehi ratzon, may it be Your will that we be as a head and not as a tail." And what is the Rebbe pointing out here? First, that we are accustomed to eat the head of a ram, yet we do not recite any "yehi ratzon" over it at all. And what is the novelty in this? Even though in the Shulchan Aruch the Alter Rebbe mentions that there is a "yehi ratzon" for all the simanim that are customarily eaten on the night of Rosh Hashanah, the Rebbe notes that in practice we recite a "yehi ratzon" only over the apple — that He grant us a good and sweet year. It is known that in the Sefer Haminhagim it is written that we also eat a pomegranate, and so we do, but in practice one recites "yehi ratzon" solely over the eating of the apple, and one does not recite any "yehi ratzon" over any other thing customarily eaten on the night of Rosh Hashanah.