[Avodah] Truth about the Sheva Brochos

[Micha Berger]

On Mon, Dec 08, 2008 at 10:12:38PM -0500, Cantor Wolberg wrote:
: The main condition as I recall is that there has to
: be someone new present. There's certainly no chiyuv
: to have sheva brochos for a week for the same participants.

I recently heard R' Yonasan Sachs speak about this at a 7 Berakhos.

There is a machloqes R' Tam and the Rambam as to the purpose of panim
chadashos.

R' Tam holds that panim chadashos add to the joy of the event. Therefore,
Tosafos use the medrash on Tehillim (92:1) "Mizmor shir leyom haShabbos",
where HQBH is described as calling SDhabbos a "panim chadashos" to wave
the requirement on Shabbos. The SA (EhE 72:8) says YT too. The Rosh
(Kesuvos 1:13) requires the panim chadashos be someone whose presence
actually does add joy.

The Rambam holds the point is that new people are giving the couple a
berakhah. The Shittah Mequbetzes says that Rashi says that the panim
chadashos need not be anyone special to the couple. In contrast to the
Rosh -- and therefore quite likely in agreement to the Rambam.

However, the Rambam would require the panim chadashos be an adult who
did not even hear the berakhos at the wedding. The Rosh says only if
they weren't at any meal. Again, this is leshitasam, as a berakhah made
at the chupah is a berakhah.

The Chasam Sofer presumably holds like R' Tam, since he allows a woman
to be counted as panim chadashos -- as long as her presence adds to the
joy of the meal.

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             "I hear, then I forget; I see, then I remember;
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