Since Rosh Chodesh falls on motza’ei Shabbos, I thought it appropriate to again share our discussion about:
Is it Shabbos versus Rosh Chodesh?
“When Rosh Chodesh begins on motza’ei Shabbos, do I say Ya’aleh Veyavo in bensching at seudah shelishis when I finish it after it is dark?”
Introduction
When we recite Birkas Hamazon on Shabbos, Yom Tov, Chol Hamoed, Rosh Chodesh, Chanukah and Purim, we include special prayers to commemorate the holiday. On Shabbos, we recite a passage beginning with the word Retzei; on Yom Tov, Chol Hamoed and Rosh Chodesh, the opening words are Ya’aleh Veyavo; and on Chanukah and Purim, Al Hanissim.
In a different article, I discussed whether one recites these additions when one’s meal started on Shabbos or a holiday and finished on a weekday, or vice versa – i.e., one began the meal on a weekday and completed it on the holiday. Does one recite the special addition to commemorate the holiday when this happens, or does one omit it? We discovered that there are several opinions as to what to do. These are the earliest opinions that I found:
1. When one bensches
The Rosh rules that one recites the version of Birkas Hamazon appropriate to when one bensches, regardless as to when one ate the meal. In his opinion, one who finished seudah shelishis after nightfall does not recite Retzei. Similarly, one whose Purim seudah ends after Purim does not recite Al Hanissim. The Rosh also holds that someone who completed a meal before Rosh Chodesh and bensches after it is dark should recite Ya’aleh Veyavo.
2. The beginning of the meal
The Maharam, as understood by the Bach and the Aruch Hashulchan, maintains that the text of the bensching is established according to what was correct when the meal began. Therefore, one who finished seudah shelishis after nightfall recites Retzei, since his meal began on Shabbos. Similarly, if he finished his Purim seudah after Purim he recites Al Hanissim.
There is an exception – if he did something to declare that Shabbos is over, such as he recited havdalah, davened maariv, or even simply answered borchu to maariv, he does not recite Retzei any more, as it is therefore inconsistent to mention Shabbos in bensching.
3. All of the above
The Maharam, as understood by the Taz, contends that one adds the special prayer if either the meal began on the holiday or one is bensching on the holiday. Thus, one who finished seudah shelishis after nightfall recites Retzei, and someone who completed a meal before Rosh Chodesh and bensches after it is dark should recite Ya’aleh Veyavo.
The halachic conclusion
The halachic consensus regarding someone who began his meal on Shabbos or Purim and continued it into the night is that one recites Retzei or Al Hanissim, following the position of the Maharam and not the Rosh.
Conflicting prayers
The topic of our current article adds a new aspect to this question – what to do when Rosh Chodesh or Chanukah begins on motza’ei Shabbos, and seudah shelishis started on Shabbos and was completed on Rosh Chodesh or on Chanukah. According to the Rosh, one should recite Ya’aleh Veyavo or Al Hanissim. However, the consensus of halachic later authorities follows the opinion of the Maharam. Those who understand that the Maharam ruled that one should always recite the text of Birkas Hamazon appropriate to the beginning of the meal, one should recite Retzei. Yet, many authorities follow the second interpretation of the Maharam mentioned above, that one adds the special prayer if either the meal began on the holiday or one is bensching on the holiday. What complicates our question is that there may be a requirement to recite both Retzei and either Ya’aleh Veyavo or Al Hanissim, yet mentioning both in the same bensching might be contradictory in this instance, since, technically speaking, the holiday begins after Shabbos ends. As we will soon see, whether or not this is a problem is debated by the authorities.
The earliest authority that I found who discusses this predicament is the Bach (end of Orach Chayim, 188). Regarding what to recite when seudah shelishis continues into Rosh Chodesh, he concludes that one should say Retzei and not Ya’aleh Veyavo, because the beginning of a meal determines the exact text of its Birkas Hamazon. As I mentioned above, this is the way the Bach understands the Maharam’s position – that the proper bensching is always determined by the beginning of the meal. Since the halacha follows the Maharam’s position, the Bach rules according to his understanding of the Maharam, that one recites Retzei and not Ya’aleh Veyavo.
The Magen Avraham (188:18; 419:1) analyzes the issue differently from the way the Bach does. First, he considers the possibility that one can recite both Retzei and Ya’aleh Veyavo. This is based on his understanding of the Maharam’s position that ending a meal on Rosh Chodesh or a different festival is reason to recite the holiday additions, even if the meal started on a weekday. However, the Magen Avraham concludes that one cannot recite both Retzei and Ya’aleh Veyavo in this instance, because this is an inherent contradiction: If it is already Rosh Chodesh, it is no longer Shabbos, and if it is still Shabbos, it is not yet Rosh Chodesh. Because of this conundrum, the Magen Avraham concludes that one should follow the Rosh’s opinion, that one recites whatever is appropriate to be said at this moment, which means to recite only Ya’aleh Veyavo.
The Magen Avraham contends that this is done only when one continued his meal into Rosh Chodesh and ate bread on Rosh Chodesh. If he did not eat bread on Rosh Chodesh, he should recite only Retzei, following the Maharam’s opinion that the special prayers are determined by the beginning of the meal.
Chanukah on motza’ei Shabbos
The Magen Avraham also rules that there is a difference in halacha between Rosh Chodesh and Chanukah. When Chanukah begins on motza’ei Shabbos and seudah shelishis extended into the beginning of Chanukah, he rules that one should recite only Retzei and not Al Hanissim, even if he ate bread on Chanukah.
Why is Chanukah different from all other nights?
The Magen Avraham explains that, whereas when bensching on Rosh Chodesh one is required to say Ya’aleh Veyavo (notwithstanding that forgetting Ya’aleh Veyavo does not require you to repeat the bensching, the Gemara (Shabbos 24a) states that Al Hanissim in bensching of Chanukah is optional and not required. Therefore, continuing the Shabbos meal into Chanukah does not annul the responsibility to recite Retzei.
More opinions
At this point, we have seen two opinions concerning what to do for the bensching of a seudah shelishis that extended into Rosh Chodesh:
(1) The Bach: Recite Retzei; ignore Ya’aleh Veyavo.
(2) The Magen Avraham: If he ate bread on motza’ei Shabbos, he should recite Ya’aleh Veyavo; otherwise he should recite Retzei.
A third position, that we have as yet not discussed, is that once it is Rosh Chodesh he should recite Ya’aleh Veyavo and not Retzei (Maharash of Lublin, quoted by Shelah and Taz 188:7). The Maharash maintains that since it is Rosh Chodesh at the time that he bensches, the requirement to recite Ya’aleh Veyavo is primary and preempts the requirement to recite Retzei, which he considers to be secondary, since it is no longer Shabbos.
Both!
A fourth position is that of the Taz (188:7), who challenges the assumption that one cannot recite both Retzei and Ya’aleh Veyavo in the same bensching. Although Rosh Chodesh falls only after Shabbos ends, the Taz concludes that since Retzei is recited first and Ya’aleh Veyavo afterward, it is not contradictory to first recite Retzei and then Ya’aleh Veyavo. Saying Ya’aleh Veyavo first would be a problem, because that would imply that Shabbos is over. Therefore, one who ate on Shabbos and is bensching on Rosh Chodesh should recite both additions. In this approach, the Taz disagrees with all the other early acharonim in his contention that there is nothing wrong with mentioning both additions.
To sum up, someone whose meal began on Shabbos and is bensching on Rosh Chodesh, should:
Recite Ya’aleh Veyavo, according to both the opinion of the Rosh and that of the Maharash.
Recite Retzei, according to the opinion shared by the Bach and the Aruch Hashulchan.
Recite both Retzei and Ya’aleh Veyavo, according to the conclusion of the Taz.
According to the ruling of the Magen Avraham, if he ate bread after Rosh Chodesh arrived, he should recite Ya’aleh Veyavo. If he did not, he should recite Retzei.
Rabbi, what should I do?
The Mishnah Berurah (188:33), when recording what to do, implies that one should follow the position of the Magen Avraham. He then mentions the Taz as an alternative approach – that one should say both Retzei and Ya’aleh Veyavo. This is consistent with the Mishnah Berurah’s general approach of following the Magen Avraham, except when the latter’s position is opposed by most later authorities.
The Aruch Hashulchan, on the other hand, concludes neither as the Magen Avraham nor the Taz, but that what one recites is always determined by the beginning of the meal. Therefore, in this situation, he rules to recite Retzei and omit Ya’aleh Veyavo, regardless of whether one ate on Rosh Chodesh.
Since there are many conflicting positions as to which additions to recite when Rosh Chodesh begins on motza’ei Shabbos, many people avoid eating bread after nightfall. They eat all the bread that they intend to eat towards the beginning of the meal, and upon completing the seudah, recite bensching including Retzei and omitting Ya’aleh Veyavo. This approach follows the majority of halachic authorities (Bach, Magen Avraham, Aruch Hashulchan, Mishnah Berurah [according to his primary approach]), although it runs counter to the opinions of the Maharash and the Taz. Those who want to avoid any question recite Birkas Hamazon before the arrival of Rosh Chodesh.
Conclusion
In our daily lives, our hearts should be full with thanks to Hashem for all He does for us. Birkas Hamazon provides a regular opportunity to elicit deep feelings of gratitude for what Hashem has done in the past and does in the present. All the more so should we should acknowledge Hashem’s help on special holidays.
