On a recent Shabbos afternoon, I saw a sign at a nusach Ashkenaz, 'Yeshivishe' minyan advertising a special shiur on the occasion of יומא דהילולא דקדישא של - מרן החזו"א זצוק"ל (sic).
A good illustration of the confusion that has afflicted some people recently.
They want to mark the yahrzeit of the Chazon Ish in a Litvishe way - by having a special shiur. A nice idea. But at the same time they use Hassidic terminology, by using the expression יומא דהילולא דקדישא (actually should really be, leshitasam, קדישא, not דקדישא) instead of the Litvishe/Ashkenaz expression of יאהרצייט. This is not a Hassidic minyan, nor was the Chazon Ish Hassidic. So why the Hassidic terminology?
And it is not merely an issue of different words that mean the same thing. There is a difference between the Ashkenaz/Litvish approach to a death-anniversary, called a yahrzeit, and the Hassidic one to the same occasion, which they refer to as hillulah, which the different terminology reflects.
The Ashkenaz conception is that yahrzeit is a solemn occasion, a time for introspection and fasting. As brought down in Shulchan Aruch, מנהג אשכנז is to fast on a יאהרצייט. By contrast, the conception of הילולא (wedding/celebration), used by Hassidim, is that the day is a holiday, a time for celebration. Therefore Hassidim make a festive meal and celebrate on their Rebbe's יאהרצייט. By contrast, Litvaks give a special shiur on the יאהרצייט of the ראש ישיבה, and they use the old Ashkenaz term of יאהרצייט.
Bottom line - הילולא and Litvish don't go together. Let's keep terms and traditions consistent.
I know this is an old post (wow we're getting old) but I searched for it because I remembered it today. Believe it or not the Brisker Rov signs the famous introduction he writes to חידושי רבנו חיים הלוי על הרמב"ם (published way back noch in lita) כ"א מנ"א יומא דהילולא של אאמו"ר הגאון החסיד זצוקללה"ה
ReplyDeleteI'm on your side but on this one...
LB
Thanks for the comment!
ReplyDeleteI can't say I was expecting such a thing (so many years later, as well as generally), but hey. if it's out there, it is a legitimate topic, even if somewhat challenging. :)
In response, firstly, I pose the following question: Does Brisk (various branches, descendants) today use הילולא in place of yahrzeit? If they do, your point is stronger. OTOH, if they do not, that indicates that your example is an historical aberration seemingly, from a very long time ago.
Secondly, even if Briskers did/do so, it would seemingly just be a Brisker quirk calling out for explanation, which cannot and does not upend and displace the general Ashkenaz/Litvish stance and minhag here. Brisk is important and influential, but not necessarily the determining voice in such matters. There are multiple Litvishe streams, Brisk is just one of them, despite its storied history and prominence.
I agree that Brisk is not the final word on litvish stance and minhag. But knowing Brisk intimately, I can tell you nothing the Brisker Rov wrote and certainly what he wrote in the hakadama to Rav Chaim's life work (if you havent read that hakdama recently its well worth a read) is an 'aberration' of any kind.
ReplyDeleteBTW I heard from רב מאיר סולוביציק זצ"ל (son of Brisker Rov) that once the Brisker Rov was in ווארשא on Rav Chaims Yohrtzeit and after davening the chassidim told him !נו! תיקון and the Brisker Rov told them ס'איז שוין מתוקן...