[Avodah] Pesach Shailos

Akiva Miller akivagmiller at gmail.com
Mon Apr 6 04:28:57 PDT 2020


.
In my previous post, I asked about the psak of Rav Hershel Schachter, that
everyone should say Morid Hatal in their silent Musaf this coming
Wednesday, even those who do not usually say Morid Hatal in the summer. If
you want to see it yourself, it is at
https://www.yutorah.org/lectures/lecture.cfm/950285/rabbi-hershel-schachter/piskei-corona-9-hallel-on-pesach-night-and-tefillas-tal/

Here's how Rav Schachter's teshuva was explained by Rabbi Chaim Marcus of
Springfield NJ. (I don't think it is very different than Rav Shachter's own
explanation in that teshuva, but for some reason I think I understand this
version better.)

> Rabbi Soloveitchik maintained that in order to change the
> manner in which we describe Hashem from "One who brings the
> rain" to "One who brings the dew" we require the authorization
> of the community and therefore an individual may not undertake
> to make this change himself. However, since there is no existent
> tzibur davening together at this point each individual should
> recite Morid HaTal in their private Mussaf prayer on the first
> day of Pesach. When all of the individuals across the Jewish
> world recite Morid HaTal in their private Mussaf this will
> create a "resolution of the community" that will be effective
> in changing the Nusach of our seasonal description of Hashem.
> However, from Mincha of that day and onward, those who daven
> Nusach Ashkenaz will stop saying Morid HaTal and those who daven
> Nusach Sefard or Nusach HaGra will continue to say it, each one
> according to their custom.

My question concerns the idea that
> we require the authorization of the community and therefore
> an individual may not undertake to make this change himself.

This is not a problem for Tal Umatar.
This is not a problem for Yaaleh V'yavo.
It's not even a problem for HaMelech HaKadosh.

Why does THIS change require the authorization of the community, twice a
year, every single year? (I presume similar rules would apply to Tefilas
Geshem.) Why isn't it enough that Chazal selected a particular day for
making this change?

A related question:

As presented by Rav Schachter, this is all based on the views of Rav
Soloveitchik. How are the non-YU communities dealing with this question?

In many shuls, just before the silent Musaf, the gabbai announces "Morid
Hatal!", and the tzibur then switches immediately to say the Summer Nusach.
Do these shuls hold that "authorization of the community" is not needed, so
they can say Morid Hatal this year as usual?

I am particularly concerned about Nusach Ashkenaz shuls, where Morid Hatal
is never said except by the Chazan in the Chazaras Hashatz on Pesach 1.
Because there was no announcement, those people continue to say Mashiv
Haruach even in the silent musaf on Pesach 1. What are those shuls telling
people to do this year, if their rabbis are not from YU? What other views
are there?

Akiva Miller
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