[Avodah] tachanun

[Akiva Miller]

.
R' Joel Rich asked:
> Why are the rules for which days we don't say tachanun not
> parallel to those for not saying lamenatzeach?

R' Simon Montagu answered:
> The Levush (132:1) says because it's part of the Kedusha. Note
> that the question only arises in minhag Ashkenaz -- for Sephardim
> the rules _are_ the same for tahanun and lamenatzeah

Being "part of the Kedusha" doesn't really explain anything, at least not
to me, because (a) in what way is it part of the Kedusha, and (b) why would
that make a difference?

Here's what I saw in Levush 132:1, about halfway through that long
paragraph. Note that what he calls "Seder Kedusha" corresponds to what most
of us call "Uva L'tzion". Also note that in this section that I've chosen
to translate, he introduces the paragraph of Lamenatzeach not by that name,
but by its initial words, presumably to underscore its role for a Day Of
Tzara.

<<< They also established to begin Seder Kedusha with "Mizmor Yaancha
Hashem B'yom Tzara - A psalm that Hashem will answer you on a day of
trouble", because it was established through trouble and at a time of
trouble, as will be explained soon, b'ezras Hashem. And it seems to me that
for this reason too, we say Lamenatzeach even on days when we don't say
Tachanun, because it belongs to Seder Kedusha, except for Rosh Chodesh,
Chanuka, Purim, Erev Pesach, and Erev Yom Kippur, because all these days
are more holidayish than other days, as will be explained, each in its
place, b'ezras Hashem. And even though we do say the Seder Kedusha on them,
nevertheless, we don't say Lamenatzeach on them, to show their holiness and
that they are *not* a day of tzara like other days. >>>

What the Levush does not explain, is why Tachanun and Lamenatzeach have
different rules (according to Ashkenazim, thank you RSM). The Levush is
pretty clear that Lamenatzeach is to be said only on a day of (relative)
tzara, and to be avoided on a day of (relative) Yom Tov. What he does NOT
explain (at least not in this section) is the rule for Tachanun, Is "tzara"
the yardstick for Tachanun, or does Tachanun use a different yardstick?

To be more explicit: It seems that Pesach Sheni and Lag Baomer are
sufficiently ordinary that there is no problem with calling them a Yom
Tzara in the context of Lamenatzeach. But they are special to a degree that
conflicts with Tachanun. What makes Tachanun different?

[Translation note: The Levush uses the phrase "yomim tovim", but I found it
difficult to read that as a plural of "yom Tov". I read it with a pause
between those two words, so that "yomim" means days, and "tovim" is an
*adjective* meaning good in a holiday sense.]

Akiva Miller
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