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The practice of Yom Kippur Katan is held on erev Rosh Chodesh (by some) so that we can maintain the element of kapparah essential to Rosh Chodesh but not compromise the celebration of the day by injecting a tension between repentance and celebration.

Why do we avoid this tension? Yom Kippur, itself, has a dual nature as does Tish'a B'av (in that it is called a mo'ed which might have something to do with the birth of the moshiach).

If we have precedent for having a day which has two conflicting moods, why don't we import the Yom Kippur Katan aspects to Rosh Chodesh itself? Those who say vidui before tachanun could still say vidui at least, even if they omit tachanun, itself (as an example of a compromise position).

If one answers that the nature of the kapparah on Rosh Chodesh is categorically different from that on Yom Kippur (as the linked answer above explains) then why do we put traditional kapparah prayers such as the techinot and mini-neilah in mincha on Yom Kippur Katan and expect them to reflect the aspect of kapparah referenced in the musaf on Rosh Chodesh? In fact, if the nature of the kapparah is different, why should Yom Kippur Katan be related to Rosh Chodesh at all? An echo of Yom Kippur would not effect the same type of kapparah as what Rosh Chodesh was supposed to be!

It seems to me that either Y"KK addresses the kapparah of Rosh Chodesh and might as well be on Rosh Chodesh at least in part, or it has no relation to the kapparah and shouldn't be tethered to Rosh Chodesh at all. Does anyone have any insight into this?

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  • Why not also sit Shiva on YT if we allow for Avelut and Moed together on Tisha b'Av? If some contexts allow for dialectical moods, so should all contexts. – Double AA Jul 17 '15 at 14:57
  • Shiva on YT is impossible simply because Shiva no longer exists on YT. When it does (such as on Shabbat) we DO keep some aspect of mourning on a holiday. – rosends Jul 17 '15 at 15:11
  • Right. And what do we see from that? That if some contexts allow for certain dialectical moods, it is not the case that all contexts should too. – Double AA Jul 17 '15 at 15:12
  • That we do allow for contradictory moods in other contexts. Is the issue that only R"C and Y"T are called "moed" and this distinguishes between the contradiction on Tisha B'Av and on Rosh Chodesh? Tisha B'Av is called a Mo'ed also. Yes, in some contexts we allow and in others we don't. Why not here? – rosends Jul 17 '15 at 15:15
  • And if R"C is a context in which we shouldn't allow, then why keep the text of Musaf which says that an aspect of the day IS kapparah? – rosends Jul 17 '15 at 15:18
  • Why Y"KK and not YK"K? – Scimonster Jul 17 '15 at 15:22
  • @Scimonster I resisted all the way through and got lazy and didn't know which was better. cf "what was wrong with the blue tie?" – rosends Jul 17 '15 at 15:27
  • @Danno Kappara doesn't imply that you should fast (for instance), as is a common practice on YK"K. There is also kappara on Rosh HaShana, yet feasting and some degree of rejoicing is appropriate for the day (see this answer) just as it is on Rosh Chodesh (Shulchan Aruch OC 419). – Fred Jul 17 '15 at 17:00
  • I don't understand your title. "If Yom Kippur Katan has to exist" sounds like you have some reason it shouldn't exist at all. But your question doesn't specify any such reason (nor do I see the relevance of such an idea to your question). – msh210 Jul 17 '15 at 17:04
  • @Fred I'm not saying one should fast -- my example was vidui. Why is there NOTHING related to kapparah? – rosends Jul 17 '15 at 17:06
  • @msh210 it is a minhag not followed by all; some have decided it does not have to exist. If it has to be a "thing", then even for those who hold by it, why isn't it a thing either on R"C or unrelated to it? – rosends Jul 17 '15 at 17:07

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