I.
This motzaei Shabbos we begin Selichos. The pizmon’s refrain is a passuk from Melachim I (8:28), “listen to our song (rena) and our prayer (tefila)”. In the context of Shlomo Hamelech’s words when he dedicated the Beis Hamikdash, the Ralbag renders “rena” as praise. When we pray, praise of Hashem (shevach) must precede our making requests (bakasha) of Him (see Rambam Hilchos Tefillah 1:4).
The very first Kaddish of Selichos is traditionally sung with the tune of the Kaddish preceding Mussaf on Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur. It is the opening of a season whose songs invoke feelings of joy (rena), stemming from our own closeness to Hashem, and dread over the judgement that awaits us. A chazzan should not change the customary tune of his shul (Rema, Orach Chaim 619:1) which stirs feelings of both joy and devotion in his listeners.
I still remember Selichos from my teenage years at Young Israel of Kew Garden Hills. Hundreds of men and women gathered well after midnight, which is the proper time for Selichos (Orach Chaim 581:1, see Sha’arei Teshuva and Mishna Berurah 565:12). The refrain “lishmo’a el harena v’el hatefillah” was sung repeatedly in a tune that still echoes in my ears and arouses deep feelings.
II.
What engenders the rena which we experience on the motzaei Shabbos of Selichos? The Piskei Teshuvos (siman 581 footnote 17) cites the Leket Yosher (the disciple of the Terumas Hadeshen) who explains that “because it is close to Shabbos, and the people are happy because of the Torah they learn on Shabbos, as well as oneg Shabbos”. He then adds that, “the Shechina dwells when there is simcha shel mitzvah. Therefore, it is good to start then, and the pizmon begins ‘B’motzaei Menucha’”. The rena emerges from the Shabbos.
These dual sources of joy are, according to the Yerushalmi (Shabbos 15:3), primary reasons for the Shabbos being given to us: for oneg, i.e. eating and drinking, and to occupy ourselves (“la’asok”) with words of Torah. Our meals should combine food and drink with Torah and zemiros. Very long meals, and socializing with friends and neighbors, should be discouraged. Hachnasas orchim, which is greater than kabalas p’nai haShechina (see Shabbos 127a), refers to guests who need hospitality, physical, spiritual or emotional, and not to neighbors who come to socialize (Rama Orach Chaim 331:1).
The priority of hachnasas orchim is inferred from its preceding bitul beis hamedrash in the list of items (Shabbos 126b) for which there is dispensation to engage in a tircha, a bother, on Shabbos. This indicates that learning Torah, especially in shul or beis medrash, is an encounter with the Shechina, the Divine presence, which must be strongly encouraged. Bitul beis hamedrash can have bad economic consequences (Gitin 38b) and must be avoided (Mishna Berurah 290:6). Public Torah learning is an imperative, based on the passuk, “Vayakhel Moshe” (Shemos 35:1. See Beis Yosef, Orach Chaim, 290).
III.
The first line of zemiros on Shabbos praises one who sanctifies the seventh day as befits the day - “Kol mekadesh shevi’i karaui lo”. The phrase “karaui lo” can also mean “as befits him” (see Am Mordechai, Shabbos, pg. 11). The Rema (290:2) states “Baalei batim who work all week should learn more on Shabbos than talmidei chachamim who learn all week; the talmidei chachamim should have a bit more of the oneg (delight) of food and drink, since they delight in their Torah learning all week long.”
It befits most people, who work all week, to delight in Torah on Shabbos. This joy extends into motzaei Shabbos, enabling the rena of Selichos, as the Leket Yosher explains. A nap is also appropriate for those who enjoy it (Rema 290:1), but we should not sleep away the entire Shabbos afternoon, which is bitul Torah (Mishna Berurah, ibid. 3). While starting Shacharis later than on a weekday is recommended (Rema 281:1), one must be careful not to miss zman kerias Shema (Mishna Berurah, ibid. 1). It is highly preferable to go to a minyan which recites kerias Shema bizmana, which, in New York, can be done all year if a minyan starts at 8:30 AM.
The last week of 5786 begins this Shabbos. The Mishna Berurah (603:2) mandates teshuva each of the seven days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur for mistakes of that day of the week over the course of the past year. It is very difficult to remember which day of the week a mistake occurred, but Shabbos is an exception. We all remember how we spent Shabbos during the past year. Instead of waiting for the first Shabbos of 5787, we should resolve on this last Shabbos of 5786 to sanctify Shabbos as befits it and each of us. By doing so, Hashem will listen to our rena and our tefillah and grant us a kesiva vachasima tova.
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