[Avodah] (no subject)

[Seth Mandel]

I
have sought data in the past from Avodah readers in regards to conundra that I
cannot solve.  I did so once in regard to
sturgeon, but the solution finally came, serendipitously, through some
information provided by R. SBA.  That I
hope to write up shortly.  But it was not
surprising that Avodeans did not have the data, since the information in
question was available almost 200 years ago and had since been forgotten.

But
now I am seeking data from the living memory of Avodeans, and I hope will get
some insight.

The
Shulhan ‘Arukh says in Orah Hayyim §479:1 that one is
required to try to have a zimmun for the seder.  The R’MO adds that this is so that people can
read sections in Hallel responsively, and the Mishna B’rurah explains that
there is no requirement as far as bentching goes, the whole issue is so that Hallel
can be read responsively at the Seder.  That
indeed in the source, from the Tur in this siman, quoting a Medrash.  The R’MO considers this so important that he
allows bringing in someone from the outside who has not been at the rest of the
Seder.  Nor does the ‘Arukh haShulhan mention that the
general custom is not to do it.

I confess that, although I have been to lots of different
places and communities, my experience with S’dorim is limited.  Outside of my parents (with my zeide Mandel
present at some) I have been to s’dorim only in 4 other places in my life, and
I have never seen this responsive reading done, outside of by RYBS.  I have also asked someone who is very
knowledgeable about Hungarian customs, and he confirmed that, as far as he
knew, there was no custom to read any part of Hallel responsively in Hungary.  Various pollaks and litvaks have told me the
same.  (RYBS’s practices is no proof,
since it is well known that Briskers had their own ideas about minhogim.) 

So:
does anyone know of any communities where they practiced responsive reading of
Hallel during the Seder?  The only one I know
of is the Teimanim, both the Baladi and Shami, who do responsive reading for
the entire Hallel, as they do in shul.  But
it would be exceedingly strange if the only community that followed the M’habber
and the R’MO were to be the Teimanim, who do not accept the p’sak of the M’habber
and the R’MO as binding…Seth Mandel



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