[Avodah] ceremonies in halacha

[Akiva Miller]

R' Micha Berger wrote:

> ... According to RYZS, even if one doesn't hold like the Gra
>  WRT a mitzvah qiyumis, perhaps one should stll make a berakhah
> on performing a matbeias mitzvah in avoidance of the issur of
> chameitz. And if not in general, perhaps on Shabbos ch"m and
> the last days, when the se'udos are chiyuvim and therefore
> eating matzah is unavoidable.

I will concede that eating matzah can be considered a matbeias mitzvah. But when you frame it in this manner, it seems to me that you are suggesting that we say a Birkas Hamitzvah on the fulfillment of a Lo Taaseh. (or perhaps better phrased, on the *avoidance* of a Lo Taaseh.)

It is quite unusual to make a bracha on a lav. (But not unheard of; see next paragraph.) But it is also an unusual situation. All Pesach long, one could conceivably have avoided chametz simply by happenstance. But on Shabbos and Yom Tov, one must *actively* avoid chametz, in order to be able to eat the seudos properly. And if we are *actively* avoiding chametz, then saying the bracha suddenly doesn't seem so odd.

At this point I'd like to point out an old post of mine in Avodah 25:294, http://www.aishdas.org/avodah/vol25/v25n294.shtml#06 in which I quoted the Etz Yosef (in Siddur Otzar Hatefilos) as showing how one particular bracha is actually a Birkas Hamitzvah on an Issur D'Rabbanan.

Akiva Miller

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