When can we Skip Tachanun?
Tachanun is not recited on joyous days such as Shabbos and Yomtov and also minor festivals including Rosh Chodesh, Purim, Chanukah and Tu Bishvat. Even on days when Tachanun should be recited, we can be exempted from saying Tachanun due to the presence of specific individuals on specific occasions.
Mourners: Tachanun is not recited in a minyan at a Shivah house[1]. It makes no difference whether the mourner is male or female, adult or child. There are those who limit this exemption to a minyan where the mourner is present. Others exempt any minyan being held in the home where the deceased passed away or was brought before the funeral[2].
The reason Tachanun is not said is because the Posuk in Amos equates mourning to a Yomtov (when Tachanun is not recited): And I will transform your festivals into mourning. This reason is brought by the Alter Rebbe based on the Rokeach.
An alternative reason is brought in the Mishnah Berurah: The attribute of justice is present in the home of the mourner. We do not wish to magnify the intensity of these Dinim by reciting Tachanun. For this reason Tachanun is never recited at night[3].
If a mourner is present in a minyan at Shule, Tachanun is still recited by all except for the mourner. If the mourner is the Chazzan then Tachanun is not recited by the community either.
Bris: A Bris is also grounds for not saying Tachanun since the Mitzvah of Bris Milah is connected with joy[4]. Alternatively, since Eliyahu Hanovi attends each Bris[5], it is not fitting to recite Tachanun. It makes no differ-ence whether the Bris takes place on the 8th day or has been postponed[6].
If a Bris will be taking place in the Shule that day, Tachanun is not recited by any minyan in the Shule even if the Balei Bris are not present.
If one of the Balei Bris are present, Tachanun is not recited by the minyan even if the Bris will take place at a different location. The Balei Bris are the father of the baby, Sandek and the Mohel. In the case of a profes-sional Mohel who performs frequent Brisim, some Poskim suggest that the Mohel leave the Shule before the end of Chazaras HaShatz, otherwise they would hardly ever recite Tachnun. Rabbi Shternbuch distinguishes between a Mohel who officially charges for his services and one who does not.
If the Bris will take place in the after-noon some Poskim[7] rule that Tachanun should be recited at Shacharis (except by the Balei Bris). Others[8] rules that Tachanun is not recited by all those davening in the minyan.
At minyanim after the Bris Tachanun is recited. If the baby is present some Poskim[9] rule that Tachanun is not recited. The halachic practice[10] is that if they have not yet bentched at the end of the Seudas Mitzvah, Tachanun is not recited. The Balei Bris them-selves remain exempt from Tachanun the entire day irrespective.
Some communities had the custom that if a Bris was being held in the city that day, no Shules would recite Tachanun[11]. The Be’er Yaakov limits this custom to where the Bris is being held in the premier Shule of the city e.g. the oldest Shule or the Shule where most of the community Davens[12]. Consensus and accepted custom is that we do not follow this lenient ruling.
A Chosson: The Ram”o rules that Ta-chanun is not recited in the presence of a groom on the day of his wedding. This is because it is his Yomtov and it is a Mitzvah to rejoice along with him. A minyan taking place in the house of the Kallah is also exempt from reciting Tachanun (Shulchan Shlomo).
The dispensation from reciting Tachanun in the presence of a Chosson extends throughout the 7 days[13] after the Chuppah. This applies for the first marriage of either the Chosson or Kallah. If it is not the first marriage of either, Tachanun is only omitted dur-ing the first 3 days[14].
If the wedding will take place after nightfall many Poskim rule that Tachanun is recited during the day even by the Chosson himself. If however a minyan for Mincha is being held shortly before and in proximity and connection to the Chuppah (e.g. at the reception hall), Tachanun is not said. Others are lenient even in the morning[15].
The Mishnah Berurah writes that it is preferable that the Chosson not attend the Shule so as not to exempt the minyan from reciting Tachanun. Customary practice does not follow this ruling especially since it would deprive the Chosson of being able to daven with a minyan.
Does the Chosson or Baal Habris need to daven with the minyan? Rav Elyashiv only exempts the minyan if they are davening with the minyan. Daas Torah rules that the minhag is to be lenient even if they are not davening with the minyan e.g. they have finished davening or are waiting for another minyan[16]. Customary practice follows the lenient view.
What counts as the same Shule? The Mishnah Berurah rules that side rooms such as the Azarah (e.g. Ezras Noshim or foyer) are considered as part of the Shule. This is because they do not have their own Aron Kodesh and are thus dependent on the Shule. Based on this, adjoining minyanim with their own Aron Ko-desh would not be exempted by a Chosson in the main Shule.
The Tzitz Eliezer[17] is lenient in the case of a Bris even for those minyanim which have no connection to the Simcha. This is because of Eliyahu’s presence. Whilst we do not rely on this to exempt all Shules in the city, it suffices to exempt adjoining minyanim to the Shule.
There are communities where the custom is to always treat adjoining minyanim as one Shule. Whilst the basis for this is not clear, since Ta-chanun is only a Reshus and there-fore we are generally lenient, the established minhag is followed.
Bar Mitzvah: Whilst not mentioned in the Shulchan Aruch, Sefardim and some Chassidim do not recite Ta-chanun in the presence of a Bar Mitzvah. This is based on the Magen Avraham who equates a Bar Mitzvah seudah to that of a wedding. Ashke-nazi custom is to recite Tachanun.
When one is exempt from Tachanun in these cases, there is no require-ment to recite Tachanun at a later point to make up for it.
_____________________________
[1] Orach Chaim 131
[2] See Mishanh Berurah in the name of Elya Rabbah. Minhag Yerushalayim follows the lenient opinion.
[3] The Zohar teaches that it is dangerous to recite Tachanun at night. The Alter Rebbe rules that this applies from Tzeis.
[4] Talmud Shabbos 130a
[5] See Darkei Moshe based on Pirkei D’Rabbi Eliezer 29.
[6] The Bris of a convert does not exempt anyone from reciting Tachanun.
[7] See Yabia Omer 3:12 based on Birkei Yosef.
[8] Including the Ketzos Hashulchan
[9] 9 Taz, Bach and Rasha”l
[10] Elya Rabbah
[11] See Darkei Moshe who explains that this was in honour of the presence of Eliyahu Hanovi in the city.
[12] In Prague Tachanun would not be recited if a Bris would take place in the Altneu Shule.
[13] There is a dispute concerning whether these days are counted as days or as 24-hour periods. The differ-ence would arise at a minyan on the 8th day before the time at which the Chuppah took place.
[14] There is dispute concerning someone who remarries his former wife (מחזיר גרושתו )
[15] See Nitei Gavriel Hilchos Nissuin 7:4
[16] See Nitei Gavriel Hilchos Nissuin 63:5
[17] Volume 7:9
Mourners: Tachanun is not recited in a minyan at a Shivah house[1]. It makes no difference whether the mourner is male or female, adult or child. There are those who limit this exemption to a minyan where the mourner is present. Others exempt any minyan being held in the home where the deceased passed away or was brought before the funeral[2].
The reason Tachanun is not said is because the Posuk in Amos equates mourning to a Yomtov (when Tachanun is not recited): And I will transform your festivals into mourning. This reason is brought by the Alter Rebbe based on the Rokeach.
An alternative reason is brought in the Mishnah Berurah: The attribute of justice is present in the home of the mourner. We do not wish to magnify the intensity of these Dinim by reciting Tachanun. For this reason Tachanun is never recited at night[3].
If a mourner is present in a minyan at Shule, Tachanun is still recited by all except for the mourner. If the mourner is the Chazzan then Tachanun is not recited by the community either.
Bris: A Bris is also grounds for not saying Tachanun since the Mitzvah of Bris Milah is connected with joy[4]. Alternatively, since Eliyahu Hanovi attends each Bris[5], it is not fitting to recite Tachanun. It makes no differ-ence whether the Bris takes place on the 8th day or has been postponed[6].
If a Bris will be taking place in the Shule that day, Tachanun is not recited by any minyan in the Shule even if the Balei Bris are not present.
If one of the Balei Bris are present, Tachanun is not recited by the minyan even if the Bris will take place at a different location. The Balei Bris are the father of the baby, Sandek and the Mohel. In the case of a profes-sional Mohel who performs frequent Brisim, some Poskim suggest that the Mohel leave the Shule before the end of Chazaras HaShatz, otherwise they would hardly ever recite Tachnun. Rabbi Shternbuch distinguishes between a Mohel who officially charges for his services and one who does not.
If the Bris will take place in the after-noon some Poskim[7] rule that Tachanun should be recited at Shacharis (except by the Balei Bris). Others[8] rules that Tachanun is not recited by all those davening in the minyan.
At minyanim after the Bris Tachanun is recited. If the baby is present some Poskim[9] rule that Tachanun is not recited. The halachic practice[10] is that if they have not yet bentched at the end of the Seudas Mitzvah, Tachanun is not recited. The Balei Bris them-selves remain exempt from Tachanun the entire day irrespective.
Some communities had the custom that if a Bris was being held in the city that day, no Shules would recite Tachanun[11]. The Be’er Yaakov limits this custom to where the Bris is being held in the premier Shule of the city e.g. the oldest Shule or the Shule where most of the community Davens[12]. Consensus and accepted custom is that we do not follow this lenient ruling.
A Chosson: The Ram”o rules that Ta-chanun is not recited in the presence of a groom on the day of his wedding. This is because it is his Yomtov and it is a Mitzvah to rejoice along with him. A minyan taking place in the house of the Kallah is also exempt from reciting Tachanun (Shulchan Shlomo).
The dispensation from reciting Tachanun in the presence of a Chosson extends throughout the 7 days[13] after the Chuppah. This applies for the first marriage of either the Chosson or Kallah. If it is not the first marriage of either, Tachanun is only omitted dur-ing the first 3 days[14].
If the wedding will take place after nightfall many Poskim rule that Tachanun is recited during the day even by the Chosson himself. If however a minyan for Mincha is being held shortly before and in proximity and connection to the Chuppah (e.g. at the reception hall), Tachanun is not said. Others are lenient even in the morning[15].
The Mishnah Berurah writes that it is preferable that the Chosson not attend the Shule so as not to exempt the minyan from reciting Tachanun. Customary practice does not follow this ruling especially since it would deprive the Chosson of being able to daven with a minyan.
Does the Chosson or Baal Habris need to daven with the minyan? Rav Elyashiv only exempts the minyan if they are davening with the minyan. Daas Torah rules that the minhag is to be lenient even if they are not davening with the minyan e.g. they have finished davening or are waiting for another minyan[16]. Customary practice follows the lenient view.
What counts as the same Shule? The Mishnah Berurah rules that side rooms such as the Azarah (e.g. Ezras Noshim or foyer) are considered as part of the Shule. This is because they do not have their own Aron Kodesh and are thus dependent on the Shule. Based on this, adjoining minyanim with their own Aron Ko-desh would not be exempted by a Chosson in the main Shule.
The Tzitz Eliezer[17] is lenient in the case of a Bris even for those minyanim which have no connection to the Simcha. This is because of Eliyahu’s presence. Whilst we do not rely on this to exempt all Shules in the city, it suffices to exempt adjoining minyanim to the Shule.
There are communities where the custom is to always treat adjoining minyanim as one Shule. Whilst the basis for this is not clear, since Ta-chanun is only a Reshus and there-fore we are generally lenient, the established minhag is followed.
Bar Mitzvah: Whilst not mentioned in the Shulchan Aruch, Sefardim and some Chassidim do not recite Ta-chanun in the presence of a Bar Mitzvah. This is based on the Magen Avraham who equates a Bar Mitzvah seudah to that of a wedding. Ashke-nazi custom is to recite Tachanun.
When one is exempt from Tachanun in these cases, there is no require-ment to recite Tachanun at a later point to make up for it.
_____________________________
[1] Orach Chaim 131
[2] See Mishanh Berurah in the name of Elya Rabbah. Minhag Yerushalayim follows the lenient opinion.
[3] The Zohar teaches that it is dangerous to recite Tachanun at night. The Alter Rebbe rules that this applies from Tzeis.
[4] Talmud Shabbos 130a
[5] See Darkei Moshe based on Pirkei D’Rabbi Eliezer 29.
[6] The Bris of a convert does not exempt anyone from reciting Tachanun.
[7] See Yabia Omer 3:12 based on Birkei Yosef.
[8] Including the Ketzos Hashulchan
[9] 9 Taz, Bach and Rasha”l
[10] Elya Rabbah
[11] See Darkei Moshe who explains that this was in honour of the presence of Eliyahu Hanovi in the city.
[12] In Prague Tachanun would not be recited if a Bris would take place in the Altneu Shule.
[13] There is a dispute concerning whether these days are counted as days or as 24-hour periods. The differ-ence would arise at a minyan on the 8th day before the time at which the Chuppah took place.
[14] There is dispute concerning someone who remarries his former wife (מחזיר גרושתו )
[15] See Nitei Gavriel Hilchos Nissuin 7:4
[16] See Nitei Gavriel Hilchos Nissuin 63:5
[17] Volume 7:9