** CORRECTION/CLARIFICATION to yesterday's Daily Halacha entitled " The Reasons for the Custom of Ta'anit Bechorim." This Halacha was recorded previously, when Pesah began on Mosae Shabbat (Saturday Night.) When Pesah begins on Saturday night, Taanit Bechorot (the fast of the first borns) is on a Thursday, and the Halacha transcript yesterday was written stating such. This year, 2012 (5772), Pesah begins on Shabbat (Friday) night, meaning the fast of the first borns is scheduled for Friday.
Today's Halacha:
Generally, on Friday night, after the Amida prayer, we recite a Beracha called "Beracha Me’en Sheba," which is a brief repetition of the Amida. Although we do not normally repeat the Amida at Arbit, the Sages enacted the "Me’en Sheba" on Friday night as a safety measure of sorts. It was customary in ancient times to pray Arbit on Friday night in the fields outside the city, and thus those who took longer to recite the Amida, and concluded after the congregation had left and returned home, would be alone outside the city and exposed to danger. The Sages therefore elongated the prayer service somewhat by adding the "Me’en Sheba" to ensure that those who take more time for the Amida would not be left alone in the fields.
The Halachic authorities address the question of whether "Me’en Sheba" should be recited when the first night of Pesah falls on Friday night. The night of Pesah is referred to in the Torah as a "Lel Shimurim," a night of protection, and one might therefore argue that as on this night we are protected from harm, there is no reason to extend the Friday night prayer service. This is, indeed, the view of Maran, in the Shulhan Aruch. He rules that "Me’en Sheba" is omitted from the prayer service when the first night of Pesah falls on Friday night. This was also the position of the Hid"a (Rav Haim Yosef David Azulai, 1724-1806), based on the teachings of the Arizal (Rav Yishak Luria of Safed, 1534-1572).
However, the Rashash (Rav Shalom Sherabi, 1720-1777) disagreed, and maintained that "Me’en Sheba" should be recited even on the night of Pesah. He notes that "Me’en Sheba" is mentioned already in the Talmud, and the Talmud draws no distinction between Friday night that is Pesah and ordinary Friday nights, indicating that the Beracha should be recited even on Pesah. Furthermore, the recitation of "Me’en Sheba" has significance on the level of Sod (Kabbalistic teaching), which is relevant on the night of Pesah just as on any other Friday night.
This issue remains subject to debate among recent and contemporary authorities, as well. Hacham Ovadia Yosef ruled that "Me’en Sheba" should not be recited on the night of Pesah, whereas Hacham Ben Sion Abba Shaul (Israel, 1923-1998) maintained that communities with an established custom in this regard should follow their custom. Generally, when the recitation of a Beracha is subject to debate, we apply the famous rule of "Safek Berachot Le’hakel," which means that we do not recite the Beracha to avoid the risk of reciting an unwarranted Beracha. However, this principle does not apply in situations where there is an established custom, and therefore Hacham Ben Sion maintained that communities with an established custom to recite "Me’en Sheba" when the first night of Pesah falls on Friday night should follow this custom.
The question then becomes, what is the accepted custom in our community?
The common Mahzorim in our community – both the Shelom Yerushalyim edition and more recent Magen Abraham edition of the Mahzor – instruct that "Me’en Sheba" should be omitted on the first night of Pesah, in accordance with the Shulhan Aruch’s ruling. Likewise, older members of the community who remember the traditions of Halab (Aleppo, Syria) have related that this was the custom followed in Halab when the first night of Pesah fell on Shabbat. And Hacham Yom Tob Yedid Halevi, former Chief Rabbi of Halab, established with certainty that the custom in Halab was not to recite "Me’en Sheba" in such a case. This is also documented in several Halachic works, including "Hochma U’musar" by Hacham Abraham Antebbi, and "Bet Ha’behira" by Hacham Abraham Hamoui. The work "Derech Eretz," which records the customs and practices of Aram Soba, documents this custom, as well (p. 79). Therefore, those who descend from the community of Halab should omit "Me’en Sheba" when Pesah night falls on Shabbat, and should proceed directly from "Vayechulu" to Hallel.
Summary: Different views exist as to the recitation of the "Me’en Sheba" blessing when the first night of Pesah falls on Friday night, and therefore each community should follow its established custom. The custom of Halab (Aleppo) was to omit "Me’en Sheba" in such a case, and thus followers of the traditions of Halab should proceed directly from "Vayechulu" to Hallel when the first night of Pesah falls on Friday night.
