544 —מנהגי פירות ראש השנה, דיני מאכלי חלב, וזמני הפסק לברכות

B"H, 17 Mar-Cheshvan, 5710.

Shalom u'Vrachah!

Your timely letter was received. My response was delayed due to many preoccupations. In answer to your questions:

a) Eating the apple on the first night of Rosh Hashanah is at the start of the meal after eating the bread. The new fruit on the second night is eaten before washing for the meal; see Kuntres Sh"Sh p. 30. The distinction is simple: eating the apple (even if not dipped in honey), since there is no practical difference, it is better after washing hands to keep Kiddush as close as possible to the meal. The new fruit before washing is so that its Shehecheyanu blessing applies directly to it.

b) The "Yehi Ratzon" said over the apple is recited immediately after the blessing "Borei Pri HaEtz," before beginning to eat—precisely as worded in the Alter Rebbe's Siddur: "and afterwards he says...", unlike what is written in Shulchan Aruch Admur.

c) In Shulchan Aruch Admur Orach Chaim Siman 608 he writes "dairy foods and butter," referencing Magen Avraham. But in Magen Avraham it says "dairy foods chemah (milk)," based on Rambam Hilchot Avodat Yom HaKippurim 1:6. You note perhaps Admur's text should also read "chemah" instead of "butter." In general, butter isn't even mentioned in Talmud or Poskim regarding this matter—a good and accepted observation. Another reason to correct this: why specify butter when it's included in dairy foods? Just as cheese isn't specified (see Yoma 18a), for this reason. Yet all printed editions of Shulchan Aruch Admur I have seen (Kapust 1826; Zhitomir 1867; Stettin 1862; Warsaw 1874; Yosefa 1875; Vilna 1905) say "and butter." Netiv HaChaim also copies this. Perhaps Admur's intent was to prohibit butter because it's included in dairy foods but still specifies it since it's not a standalone food (if referring to potter), or because it's a drink (if meaning smetana). The opinion of Admur who said plain milk—not hot—is unclear. Note our Sages (Nazir 23b): "A sin for its own sake... Yael did so to weaken his strength as Rashi explains." Thus perhaps she gave milk and also offered butter (Shoftim 5:25). Commentaries on Nach say milk ages a person (see Yoma 18a); also question why she offered butter—this follows those who say Sisera did not touch Yael. See Radak Shoftim (4:18; 5:27) for differing midrashim.

d) Regarding what Admur writes in Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim Siman 639:13 that one repeats a blessing in a sukkah if not returning immediately but after an hour or two; but in Siman 29 regarding tefillin he writes "after a long time like two or three hours," you ask about this difference between sukkah and tefillin—and if an hour suffices, why add two or three? Ketzos HaShulchan by Rabbi Chaim Noeh discusses this regarding tefillin (Badei HaShulchan Siman 63), citing Rashi Yoma (30a): if one delays an hour or two, his mind has left his meal. In Siddur Yaavetz Hilchot Tefillin he writes that for tefillin one repeats a blessing after two or three hours. Ketzos HaShulchan concludes there’s no logic to differentiate between tefillin and sukkah—if two hours is a long time then all the more so three—and leaves it unresolved.

What seems clear to me—and first let’s expand the question since we find four distinctions: (1) Sukkah—one or two hours; (2) Tefillin—two or three hours; (3) Tzitzit—after several hours (see Shulchan Aruch Admur Siman 8:23 and his Siddur; Badei HaShulchan Siman 7:17 notes that two or three hours counts as a long time per Siman 29 but from Admur’s wording it’s clear these times are not equal); (4) Fragrance—per Taz only once daily, per Magen Avraham immediately upon return (no ruling from Admur since Siman 217 is missing). Why these differences?

The reason seems to be that we find interruption times are defined by how long that activity usually lasts—like prayer and Shema where interruption means enough time has passed to recite them fully (see Shulchan Aruch Admur start of Siman 65). So too here: Sukkah’s main use is eating (see Taz Siman 639:20); tefillin—their time for most people is during prayer time only (see Shulchan Aruch Admur end of Siman 27 and Siman 25 end of paragraph 37); tzitzit—the tallit gadol isn’t worn at set times but much longer than tefillin since it’s donned earlier and doesn’t require bodily cleanliness nor such care against distraction (see Shulchan Aruch end of Siman 27); fragrance—it has no substance so once separated from it by leaving outside, its whole context ends and one repeats the blessing upon reentry—or conversely since fragrance has no fixed obligation time perhaps time doesn’t interrupt at all.

The usual meal duration is about one hour—as supported by our Sages (Berachos 55a): meals are twice daily like sacrifices which lasted an hour each; also Pesachim 55a says offering the Tamid sacrifice took an hour each time. Also see Shabbos 10a where “first hour food” means during that first hour—or all through it—and Bava Metzia 83b where “fourth hour” means mealtime per Rashi. This defines a regular meal length but those who wish for longer life should extend their meals as our Sages say in Berachos there. Thus if one exceeds an hour we extend up to two hours for those who linger—as per Rashi Yoma cited above and quoted by Rif at end of Berachos chapter eight.

Prayer time with donning/removing tefillin plus “Mah Tovu” etc., usually lasts more than an hour and a half—see Iggeres HaKodesh section one; also see Zohar I:62b and III:172b for support—and as above if exceeding two hours we extend up to three for those who prolong their prayers—as our Sages say in Berachos there—and thus all these measures are explained. Note Berachos 32b where early chassidim would spend three hours praying; Pri Etz Chaim Shaar HaTefillah chapter seven explains that while some effect remains all day (“reshimu de-mochin”), actual focus can’t last more than three hours.

Note also Tanya chapter thirty-one says “about an hour or two,” but there perhaps means even less—see Tosafos “Hashata” Shabbos 60b etc.

Summary

This letter provides detailed halachic guidance on Rosh Hashanah fruit customs, clarifies textual nuances regarding dairy products in halachic sources, and explains why different mitzvot have varying intervals before requiring new blessings—all rooted in practical tradition and careful analysis.