[Avodah] Pesach Sheni - Korban Pesach, Tachanun, and Matzah

[Zev Sero]

On 4/5/20 9:50 pm, Akiva Miller via Avodah wrote:
> 
> (It has been pointed out to me that Pesach Sheni, Erev RH, and Erev YK have
> an interesting commonality which causes them to be exceptions to the
> general rule of "skipping Tachanun at Mincha of the day before". The
> specialness of these three days is focused specifically on their afternoon,
> and therefore, when we skip Tachanun at Shacharis on these three days, it
> is*then*  that we accomplish "skipping Tachanun at the tefilla beforehand",
> so there is no logic to pulling this exemption yet another tefilla earlier.)

Close, but what is special about the afternoons of Erev RH and Erev YK, 
as opposed to their mornings?  Also, there's a fourth example.  Those 
who start celebrating Lag Ba'omer in the morning also say tachanun at 
mincha on the day before.  Those who start the celebrations (including 
music and weddings) in the evening do not say tachanun at the previous 
mincha.  But nobody holds that Lag Ba'omer is focused on the afternoon.

Thus the key point here is not that these three or four days are focused 
on the afternoon, but that they start in the morning rather than the 
previous night.  For instance on Erev RH and Erev YK, selichos are (in 
principle) said before daybreak, and thus before the special quality of 
the day starts.  Therefore the previous day's mincha is not one tefila 
earlier but two.  I would suggest that if there were tachanun in maariv, 
it would be skipped on these three (or four) evenings.

As for why some start Lag Ba'omer in the morning and some in the 
evening, it depends what one is celebrating.  If it's the end of aveilus 
for Talmidei R Akiva, then like the last day of shiva the mourning ends 
in the morning.  Also, if that is the reason for the day then it would 
seem that there is no call for especial simcha; when shiva ends one 
doesn't start singing and dancing.   But if the focus of the day is Yom 
Simchas Rabbi Shimon then it stands to reason that his simcha is the 
whole day, starting from sunset like any other special day.  And in that 
case it's not just an end of aveilus but a day of actual happiness, 
hence the parties & music, etc.


-- 
Zev Sero            Wishing everyone a *healthy* and happy summer
zev at sero.name       Seek Jerusalem's peace; may all who love you prosper