May these words of Torah serve as a merit le’iluy nishmat Menachem Mendel ben Harav Yoel David Balk, a”h.
This week we learned Zevachim 91. These are some highlights.
What to sing first, zemirot of Shabbat or pizmonim for a brit?
A story: One Shabbat in Baghdad there was a brit. Participants at Shabbat meals usually adorn the meal with special Shabbat songs, zemirot. The meal at a brit also gets unique songs, pizmonim. A question arose. Should they first sing the zemirot of Shabbat, because Shabbat is more regular, or should they first sing the pizmonim of a brit? The people assumed that they should first sing the zemirot of Shabbat. Our Gemara continues to discuss the principle that when faced with a choice between the more regular and the less regular, the more regular comes first. Shabbat is more regular than a brit. A rabbi at the meal criticized their decision. Cutting skin and causing a bleed is a prohibited activity on Shabbat. A brit is so important that it overrides the normal laws of Shabbat. A brit, therefore, seems to be holier than Shabbat. This rabbi thought they should first sing the pizmonim for a brit and then sing the zemirot of Shabbat. The question came before the rav of the city, and he answered it in his book Torah Lishmah (Siman 75).
Torah Lishmah rules that when we celebrate a brit on Shabbat, we are to first sing the zemirot of Shabbat. His proof is from a ruling of the Beit Yosef (Orach Chaim Siman 684 s.v. Ve’im). Beit Yosef quotes the Rosh (Shabbos 2:12-13) that if Rosh Chodesh Tevet were to fall out on a Shabbat, the haftarah would be the haftarah of Chanukah and not the haftarah of Rosh Chodesh. The reason for this is that on Chanukah, whatever we teach about Chanukah fulfills the mandate of pirsumei nisa, publicizing the miracle. Rosh Chodesh is more regular than Chanukah; nevertheless, pirsumei nisa takes precedence before that which is more regular, tadir. On the other hand, in regard to Torah reading on Shabbat Chanukah Rosh Chodesh Tevet, we take out three Torah scrolls and from the first we read the weekly portion, from the second we read Rosh Chodesh, and from the third we read about Chanukah. If pirsumei nisa takes precedence before tadir, shouldn’t we read of Chanukah before Rosh Chodesh? The answer is that there is a difference between haftarah and Torah reading. We cannot read two haftarot. We have to make a choice about which haftarah to read. When having to make a choice, pirsumei nisa comes before tadir. Torah reading is different. We can read both about Rosh Chodesh and about Chanukah. When we can read both, we first read the most regular—we read Rosh Chodesh and then we read the section for Chanukah. The same holds true when we face a question about songs. We can sing all the songs. Since it is possible to sing them all, we should first sing the zemirot for Shabbat because they are the most regular ones. Torah Lishmah rules that the people at the brit had made the right decision. Since it was possible to sing all the tunes, they were right in first singing the songs that were more regular, the songs of Shabbat, even though the other songs were songs of a brit and a brit can override Shabbat. Another reason why they were right in singing the Shabbat songs is that Shabbat is called Shabbat Kodesh. It has special holiness. Relative to a brit, Shabbat is more regular and it is holier, so the people were right in first singing the Shabbat songs. (Mesivta)
By Rabbi Zev Reichman
Rabbi Zev Reichman teaches Daf Yomi in his shul, East Hill Synagogue.
