I don’t enjoy the new fruit, should I still make shehekhiyanu on the second night of Rosh HaShana? Rabbanit Debbie Zimmerman

On one foot

There are two elements to your question. The first is the halakha of saying shehekhiyanu on the second day of Rosh HaShana.^[1] The second is when someone should make shehekhiyanu on a new fruit. Both these issues are debated. The former involves delving into the relationship between the two days of Rosh HaShana and why they are observed in Israel and not just in the diaspora. The latter depends on the reasons we say shehekhiyanu, which we spoke about briefly in another post and will mention here as well.

Halakhic authorities debate whether we should recite shehekhiyanu on the second night of Rosh HaShana. Because of this safek – doubt – some encouraged people to have a new fruit or set aside new clothes to wear, so there would be no doubt they should say shehekhiyanu. Yet even if one does not have anything new, Tur, Shulkhan Arukh, Rema and others rule they should still recite shehekhiyanu on the second night.

Therefore, you should say shehekhiyanu whether or not you eat the fruit. We’ll discuss whether or not you should eat the fruit.

Yom tov sheini – two for one

The Torah commands us to observe one day of Rosh HaShana, one day of Shavuot (Atzeret), and one day of yom tov on the first and last days of Pesach and Sukkot.^[2] Outside of Israel the sages added a second day, yom tov sheini shel galuyot. On Rosh HaShana those of us in Israel also observe this second day. Why?

There are two general reasons given for yom tov sheini shel galuyot. Originally, Rosh Chodesh was not decided by a set calendar but was declared by the beit din (rabbinic court) in Jerusalem based on eyewitness testimony of the new moon. The lunar cycle is 29.53 days, so the next month could begin after twenty-nine or thirty days. Since the communities outside of Israel would not necessarily get word before the time of the festival they couldn’t be sure what day to celebrate, and they added an extra day. Even though we have a set calendar now, Jews outside of Israel continue to observe these two days.^[3]

Two days of Rosh HaShana

People came from far and wide to the Beit Din to testify that they saw the new moon, and this could take time. On regular months the mussaf (additional) Temple service for Rosh Chodesh did not begin until after the testimony was accepted and the day was declared Rosh Chodesh – even if this didn’t happen until later in the day; outside of the Temple little was affected.

This is not the case for Rosh HaShana. Even though Temple service could be delayed until the Beit Din declared Rosh Chodesh, people had to observe the other laws of Rosh HaShana beginning at nightfall,sanctifying the day and abstaining from work. When acceptable witnesses came before midday the Beit Din could declare Rosh Chodesh with enough time for the Priests and Levites to complete the Temple services and inform the people that there was no need for a second day of Rosh HaShana. But if no valid witnesses arrived by mincha time (a bit after midday) the Beit Din was concerned there would be problems and did not receive witness testimony and the next day was de facto Rosh HaShana.

So why continue to observe yom tov on the “first” day? Since the people had spent most of the day acting as though it was sanctified the sages declared they should continue to act as if it was sanctified, so they would not come to trivialize it in the future. After the destruction of the Temple Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakai instituted that the beit din should accept witnesses the entire day, yet if the witnesses came after mincha the people would still observe two full days of Rosh HaShana.^[4]

Therefore, there were times that they observed two days of Rosh HaShana even though there was no doubt; for part of the day they knew for certain that one of the days was not the first of Tishrei.^[5] On every other holiday yom tov sheini was originally limited to those times and places the exact date was in doubt, but even in the days of the Temple this was not the case. Therefore, the second day of Rosh HaShana has a different status.

Based on a mishna that prohibits using an egg that was born on the first day of yom tov on the second day, the gemara rules that the two days of Rosh HaShana are a “yoma arikhta,” a long day.^[6] Yet this designation is very limited, in most other ways the two days of Rosh HaShana are considered separate. The second day of Rosh HaShana is generally treated like any other yom tov sheini; we may not prepare things such as food from the first to second day, and at times we are lenient on the second day because it is considered a rabbinic – as opposed to Torah – mitzvah.^[7]

Shehekhiyanu on day two

On yom tov sheni shel galuyot we say shehekhiyanu. Since Rosh HaShana is considered yoma arikhta, and has “one sanctity” perhaps it should be omitted on the second night?

Rashi wrote that according to his rabbis we shouldn’t say shehekhiyanu on the second night because both days of Rosh HaShana have kedusha ekhat (one sanctity); he disagreed. As a proof he cites standard practice – both where he lives and places he has visited recite shehekhiyanu. He explains that the cases where Rosh HaShana is considered yoma arikhta are limited to the topics raised in the beginning of Beitza; otherwise we don’t differentiate between the second day of Rosh HaShana and any other yom tov sheini.^[8] Tur cites Rashbam (in the name of his grandfather Rashi) and Ba’al ha’Itur who explain that we make shehekhiyanu on the second night because there were times the second day was counted as the first of the month even though people fully observed Rosh HaShana the previous day – meaning the second day was not the day observed in doubt.

Nevertheless, as the geonim generally ruled not to recite shehekhiyanu on the second night of Rosh HaShana, the Rosh rules that in order to avoid making the blessing in doubt one should also make it on a new fruit or new item of clothing. Tur, Shulkhan Arukh, and Rema all agree.^[9] Yet ultimately both Shulkhan Arukh and Rema teach that one should still say shehekhiyanu on the second night, even if they can’t find a new fruit.

These sources generally speak of saying shehekhiyanu during kiddush, but since women who light candles usually recite shehekhiyanu when they light, Mishna Berura adds that the same halakha applies to both situations – while it’s preferable to wear something new or put out a new fruit, one should recite the blessing regardless.^[10]

Shehekhiyanu on a new fruit one doesn’t like

It’s clear that you should recite shehekhiyanu no matter what. The question is – should you still eat the new fruit?

Interestingly, Rashi and Rambam teach that we say shehekhiyanu when we first see a new seasonal fruit growing, not the first time we eat it.^[11] Rosh and Tosafot explain that the custom is to say shehekhiyanu before eating the fruit. Tur and Shulkhan Arukh rule accordingly, but they still allow for reciting the blessing when seeing the new fruit.^[12] Magen Avraham and Mishna Berura explain that the custom changed over time; at one point people were happy just seeing a new fruit growing, now some people are only happy when they eat it; since we don’t want to differentiate, we reserve the blessing for when we eat it.^[13]

A beraita in Brakhot teaches that “A person may not enjoy anything in this world without making a blessing, and anyone who takes pleasure in this world without [making] a blessing has stolen from God (ma’al).”^[14] Chatam Sofer learns from here that someone who enjoys a new fruit is obligated to make shehekhiyanu.^[15]

But it doesn’t seem that shehekhiyanu should be limited to occasions of physical pleasure. Shulkhan Arukh includes shehekhiyanu on new fruits in the laws of birkot re’iya, blessings said on sights such as lightning, the sea, strange looking people, and other wonders of nature. In some of these cases it doesn’t seem like shehekhiyanu is a blessing said for enjoying something from this world, but rather a birkat ha’shevakh v’ha’hoda’a, a blessing of praise and gratitude, recited over God’s amazing works. In this case just seeing the variety and renewal of seasonal fruits should be enough reason to praise God. Even those who say we should only recite shehekhiyanu if the new item brings us joy accept that the joy does not have to be tasting the new fruit, but can also be experienced by seeing it.