by Rabbi Yair Hoffman
A reminder: This past December 5th – we started saying vesain tal umatar in the bracha of Baraich Aleinu. In Eretz Yisroel, it began on the 7th of Cheshvan.
Generally speaking, the actions of leaders of foreign religions do not affect what Orthodox Jews do, but here, one Pope’s actions did. It affected the secular date of when we do things. Read on for clarification.
In 1582, Pope Gregory XIII acted upon a suggestion of an Italian doctor named Aloysius Lilius. and initiated three changes to the calendar that did have some repercussions in our halachic observance, at least in the way we record the secular date as to when in the year we begin amending one line in the Shmoneh Esreh in Chutz La”aretz. In Israel itself, we began saying it at Maariv of the 7th of Cheshvan.
In Chutz la’aretz we say vesain tal umatar 60 days after the Tekufah, which was Sept 21st in the Julian calendar. That would have been Dec, 1st. .
The Pope made these three changes to the Julian Calendar, but at first, only the Catholic countries followed it. Most of what was to eventually become the United States of America did not adopt it, however, until the year 1752.
1] He fast-forwarded the calendar ten days. In 1582, there was no October 5th through October 14th.
2] He ruled that every 100 years there would not be a leap year. There was no February 29th in the year 1900, nor in the years 1700 or 1800.
3] He ruled that every 400 years there would be a leap year and that rule number two would not apply. Rule #3 has only be used twice in the year 1600 and in the year 2000.
What this boils down to is that in the year 1701 we said it on Dec. 2nd. In 1801 we said it on Dec. 3rd. In 1901 we said it on Dec. 4th.
Until the year 2100 we continue saying v’sain tal umatar on the night of December 4th and before a leap year we begin saying it on the night of December 5th.
In 2100 we will say it on December 5th and before a leap year on December 6th.
As an interesting note, if ArtScroll would have existed in the 1800’s it would have said to add in v’sain tal uMatar on December 3rd and before a leap year on December 4th.
IF ONE FORGOT
What happens if you forgot to add it in?
There are actually two major brachos of the 19 brachos in Shmoneh Esreh where it can be added in – Baraich Alainu and Shmah Kolainu. Ideally, we shoot for the first, but if not we can do it in the later one.
IN BARAICH ALEINU
So the answer to what you should do if you did forget, depends upon when you remembered that you did not add it in. If you remembered before saying Hashem’s name at the end of the bracha of Baraich Alaynu, then just go back to v’sain tal umatar and continue from there (MB 117:15).
IN THE NEXT OPPORTUNITY
If you remembered after saying Hashem’s Name, then you just continue on until the Bracha of Shma Koleinu and add the words, “v’sain tal umatar livracha” right after “vkabel berachamim veratzon es tfilasainu” and before “ki attah shomaya tfilas” (MB 117:16). If one still forgot and did not yet say Hashem’s name at the end of the bracha, then just say “v’sain tal umatar livracha and continue saying Ki Attah shomaya.
If you have already said Hashem’s Name – then we have a debate between the Mishna Brurah and Rav Moshe Feinstein zt”l as to what to do. The Mishna Brurah (117:19) says to say “Lamdeini chukecha” – a Pasuk in TaNach and then to say v’sain Tal uMatar livracha and finish with Ki Attah Shomaya.
Rav Moshe Feinstein questions this and asks how it is possible to just recite random Psukim in the Shmoneh Esreh? [He recommends that one just finish up the bracha and add it before one says Retzai, like the Shulchan Aruch recommends to do if you did end up finishing Shma Kolainu.] Unless you are a talmid of Rav Moshe, most people follow the Mishna Brurah.
If one has already completed the entire Shmah koleinu bracha without having said v’sain tal uMatar, then the Shulchan Aruch rules that you just say it then and recite Retzai.
If you forgot to say it before then and actually started retzai – then you are now in for some major repeating. You have to stop where you are and just go back to the beginning of Baraich Aleinu and continue saying the Shmoneh Esreh from there.
IF YOU FINISHED THE SHMONEH ESREH
If you forgot it and completed the Shmoneh Esreh – then repeat the entire Shmoneh Esreh from the beginning (See SA 117).
NOT SURE WHAT YOU SAID
If you are not sure what you said, we assume you didn’t say it for the first 30 days. After 30 days, we assume that you did say it properly. The Mishna Brurah (114:40) suggests that if you sing the words “v’es kol minei s’vu’asah l’tova v’sain Tal uMatar livracha” 90 times then the assumption changes. We assume that you did say it. On Maariv of January 3rd (or January 4th of a leap year) is the day when the assumption changes if you did not end up following the 90 times recommendation.
My father-in-law, Rabbi Yaakov Hirch zt”l, used to keep a piece of paper in his siddur at Baraich Aleinu for those thirty days in order to remind him to add it in. This is a good idea. It also saves on not having to say the formula 90 times.
So was Gregory XIII good for the Jews? No. He wasn’t.
He was the one who forced Jews to attend mandatory sermons trying to get Jews to convert. The Catholic Church has not apologized for this.
He was the one who forced the Jewish community to pay for the costs of this institution as well. The church never paid restitution for this either.
Perhaps these moves on his part set the tone for the forced kidnapping of a six year old Jewish boy named Edgardo Mortara, who eventually became a priest, r”l.
When the idea of making a movie about these three items came up, my father z”l, said that it could possibly increase anti-Semitism. He suggested instead that a movie be made about someone making a movie about these three issues. It is an interesting idea.
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One Response
Interesting article! Just a minor comment, the switch to December 5th will start in 2100, not 2101.
The following is a timetable of the switch, not taking Shabbos into account (which woukd obviously delay the start by a day).
2098- December 4th
2099-December 5th (year before what would be a secular leap year since 2100 is divisible by 4…)
2100- December 5th (Since 2100 will NOT have been a leap year, the switch remains on December 5th as there was no leap day to push back to December 4rh)
2101 and 2102- December 5th
2103-December 6th
2104- December 5th
By the way, in Eretz Yisrael, Tal uMatar always starts on 7 Cheshvan since that date cannot fall on Shabbos.