I am very excited to report that a TftD topic ended up as a discussion topic at someone's Shabbos table (not mine :) ). I am even more excited that questions were generated. I am just over the top that the questions were forwarded to me. I shall therefore endeavor to answer those questions in the very same venue that generated them. That itself is exciting for me, as I have confidence that at least one person will actually read this. Woo-hoo! Livin' the good life.
Recall that there are two factors that determine when the bracha of שהחיינו is required: The event brings one enjoyment/fun and it happens from time to time, not continuously. Even though Shabbos seems to fit these criteria, R' Moshe says (as reported here) that one is always either celebrating Shabbos or preparing for it. Shabbos, therefore, does not come from time to time and, ipso facto, a שהחיינו is not required (nor, of course, even permitted).
The questions on the table are:
Recall that there are two factors that determine when the bracha of שהחיינו is required: The event brings one enjoyment/fun and it happens from time to time, not continuously. Even though Shabbos seems to fit these criteria, R' Moshe says (as reported here) that one is always either celebrating Shabbos or preparing for it. Shabbos, therefore, does not come from time to time and, ipso facto, a שהחיינו is not required (nor, of course, even permitted).
The questions on the table are:
- One the "time to time" requirement: Preparing for Shabbos is only a hechsher mitzvah, not the mitzvah itself; the mitzvah itself, though, certainly is "time to time".
- On the enjoyment requirement: מצוות לאו ליהנות ניתנו/mitzvos were not given for our pleasure/enjoyment/fun... so why would I even think that I should make a שהחיינו for Shabbos?
In answer to the first question, the שהחיינו is a bracha of praise for the funness of the event, not on the mitzvahness of the event. Funness takes a few forms, one is the fun of anticipation (which is what allows us to make a שהחיינו upon seeing a new fruit). There is also, though, the fun of the preparations themselves. Have you noticed that we only make a שהחיינו on the first waving of the lulav? Not on both of the first days, as you might expect. That is because the שהחיינו could have been said from the time the lulav was made, but the custom is to wait till waving it the first time (analogously to waiting to make the שהחיינו when eating a new, even though you could have made it upon seeing the new fruit on the tree). Similarly, the order of שהחיינו and לישב בסוכה is different on the first and second days to highlight that on the first day the שהחיינו is also going on the building of the sukkah.
As for the second question: Note, please, this is not a question on Shabbos, this is a question on every שהחיינו we make on mitzvos and Yom Tov kiddush. The statement that מצוות לאו ליהנות ניתנו is not a statement about the feelings evoked from doing Torah and Mitzvos, but on the intent of them being given to us. Doing Torah and Mitzvos is automatically the most fun thing you can possibly do! So much so that we are severely restricted in their performance during shiva and on Tisha b'Av. Even if you don't consciously feel the joy and fun, your soul is have a grand time! On the other hand, during times when you are otherwise not allowed to have excess fun -- during the first year after losing a parent, for example -- you are allowed to participate in fun things if they are a mitzvah. An aveil is allowed to attend a siyum, for example, even though there will be lots of people and food. Moreover, even if a person takes an oath to receive no benefit from a certain person, he would still be able to hear shofar and megillah from him... because מצוות לאו ליהנות ניתנו.
Any questions? Please?
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