Before this Yom Tov passes I want to share a “shtikel Torah”. That is not the standard for this Torah blog, but I don’t have confidence that my yeshivah styled derech halimud would qualify my Aschkenaz oriented pieces to the pages of the revered Torah journal that is devoted to this (Yerushaseinu). So, part of my reason for creating this space is to have a podium for my thoughts, which are more informal than well-researched and carefully vetted pieces you will find there.
In the linked piece I address the comments of the Aruch LaNer in the “Bikurei Yakov” to OC 651. There he draws attention to the instructions given in the Roedelheim Machzorim of his time, but not in recent Roedelheim Machzorim, it does appear in the Siddurim still)
Where we are instructed to turn the Esrog upright (it had been inverted during the Bracha as is common practice) after the bracha on the Lulav and BEFORE the Bracha of Shehecheyanu. He attributes these directions to the siddur of R’ Yakov Emden (These instructions are found on page 354 -שנד).
Bikurei Yakov disagrees with these instructions and advises holding the Esrog inverted until after both Berachos are made. The reason being that it is never considered an interruption when we say the Shehecheyanu after a Bircas Hamitzvos and before the performance of the Mitzvah. We do this by Megilla, Shofar, etc. etc.
The notes to the Bikurei Yakov, as well as the modern-day sefer “Piskei Teshuvos” bith point out that the minhag as directed in the Roedelheim is defended in Sefer Elya Rabba et al as the “Minahg Posna”.
In the attached divrei Torah I make the claim that this is supported by the Rambam in his description of his teachers’ practice regarding the Berachos in the Sukkah on the first noght of Yom Tov, and as brought in ShuA; 643;2. Ultimately I boil it down to a large machlokes there 9643;1 and in M.a. re: the reading of the Bach. Enjoy!
p.s. The Baer Siddur advises against the Yehi Ratzon before lulav brought in the “Machzorim”. his admonishment is in the name of R’ Yakov Emden. The Roedelheim has it and the Yavetz siddur,on page354-שנד mentions that theYavetz did not say it….Many years ago Rabbi Hamburger told me that the Machzorim of Roedelheim- since they had a wide distribution- made accommodations for generally accepted minhogim. This explains things like the switch to ‘Veyanuchu bah yisrael mikadshei shimecha” vs. the all-year-round “Veyismichu…” in the shabbos tefilos. This probably also accounts for the large letters of “Yitzchak/Rivkah” in “Shochen Ad’ and the appearance of the “Yehi Ratzon” at lulav.
P.P.S. – In the recently posted video on Moritz oppenheim’s Sukah painting I learned that the Rabbis featured there and in many of his paintings are not fictional but are in fact Rabbi Nathan Sondheimer and Moshe Tuvia Sondheimer ZTL, Rabbis of Hanau, Germany. Anyone know more about these men?
