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Thought for the Day: The Celebration of the 2nd of Sivan is So Grand That It Overrides Tachanun

...and, honestly, what is so special about אִסְרוּ חַג anyway; isn't just the day after the Yom Tov?!

Here's the back story: Of course I know that we don't say tachanun from Rosh Chodesh Sivan until after Shavuos; the Rema says so right there in 494:3 (see Mishna Brura there for more explanation). The question is, of course: why not? Obviously we don't say tachanun on Rosh Chodesh Sivan; we never say tachanun on any rosh chodesh.. Natch for the two days of Shavuos itself. Then there is the three days before Shavuos when we are all busy preparing to receive the Torah, know as (appropriately enough) שלושת ימי הגבלה. That leaves the day after Rosh Chodesh Sivan... why don't we say tachanun then?

So I approached a good friend, a talmid  chacham with whom I have had the merit to discuss many interesting halachic issues. I presented my case and asked, "Why don't we say tachanun on the day after Rosh Chodesh Sivan?" I was not disappointed. He replied with a glorious smile, "You mean besides the fact that the Rema says we don't?" (Cosmic payback for all the times I answered "why is the sky blue" with "because the sunset is red." -- Absolutely true; absolutely not the answer being sought.)

I then went back to look at the Mishna Brura. All it says is that Moshe Rabbeinu spoke to Klal Yisrael to get ready for kabbalas HaTorah and the next day is when they started שלושת ימי הגבלה. Right, I knew that... so that explains from the 3rd through the 5th. But why not on the 2nd? And then, as I was looking at that Rema and hoping for the light to go on... in stead a light I thought was fully engaged started flickering and I thought wait... and, honestly, what is so special about אִסְרוּ חַג anyway; isn't just the day after the Yom Tov?!

I was frustrated, but it was time to get the mundane part of my day started. I sneaked a couple of peeks via Google through the day, but nothing. Sometime sleeping on a problem helps. The operative word here is "sometimes"; upon awaking in the morning, I had proof that sleeping on a problem doesn't always solve it. Sigh...

It was cold that morning, so after davening I got on the treadmill. I had some shiurim on Mishna Brura that had recently been delivered to my Inbox; R' Berkowitz ... each eight to 15 minutes or so long. Three or four of those and I have a great workout. Since it was before Shavuos, the shiurim were on the siman of Mishna Brura that had not given me the answers I was seeking. That's when I learned once again that just because I can read Hebrew, does not mean I know how to learn.

R' Berkowitz read the Mishna Brura that hadn't helped me, but the rabbi noted: the Mishna Brura says --- commenting on the Rema who said we don't say tachanun from Rosh Chodesh Sivan -- because immediately on the 2nd of Sivan, Moshe told them to sanctify themselves because they were going to receive the Torah and then began שלושת ימי הגבלה. Yikes! What I had blown past as just words to get to the point, was (ahem) the first point. It was the excitement of just hearing that they were going to receive the Torah that put them into such an elevated mood of joy that we don't say tachanun on that day. Cool.

Now, about אִסְרוּ חַג... that's a bit more subtle and I don't feel so badly about not knowing. R' Berkowitz explained that when we actually fixed Rosh Chodesh by witnesses, Shavuos can sometimes fall out on a Shabbos. (Nowadays, the way are calendar is fixed, that can't happen.) If Shavuos, being only one day, were to fall on a Shabbos, then you would not be able to bring a korbon chagiga -- basically an optional korban to make sure your family has enough festival korban meat to properly celebrate the Yom Tov. In that case, they would bring the korban chagiga the next day... אִסְרוּ חַג. And so was born a holiday.

And that's why I listen to shiurim on Mishna Brura even though I can read Hebrew well enough to even read the Dirshu Edition.

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