From the Rav’s Desk: Must one have Sheva Brachos daily?

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  1. Question: [Tuesday, 26th Tammuz, 5781]

Is one required a Sheva Brachos meal every single day of Sheva Brachos?

 

Answer:

No, there is no requirement to make a Sheva Brachos meal every single day of Sheva Brachos, although this is the widespread custom of Jewry today. Practically, one should try to arrange it each day, unless it is difficult to achieve.

Explanation: There is no intrinsic obligation to have a meal each day of Sheva Brachos with ten men and a Panim Chadashos so the seven blessings can be said by Birchas Hamazon, as there is no obligation to recite the seven blessings once a day. Rather, the obligation is simply that if during the meal that is anyways taking place there happens to be 10 men and a Panim Chadashos, then one is obligated to recite the seven blessings. There is, however, no obligation to initially arrange for there to be 10 men. In fact, in the previous generation in Europe and Russia, it was not accustomed to have a meal each day, and rather only on Shabbat. The Rebbe Rayatz stated that the custom in Russia was to have a meal only on Shabbat, and on the 7th day. Nonetheless, the custom today is to try to arrange for there to be 10 men by the meal in order to recite the seven blessings.

Sources: See Rashal Kesubos 1:12; Tumim, brought in Pischeiy Teshuvah C.M. 7:13; Chasam Sofer E.H. 122; Rav Poalim 4 E.H. 6; Aruch Hashulchan O.C. 640:14; Kinyan Torah 2:107; Nitei Gavrile Nissuin 83:3

About The Author

Rabbi Yaakov Goldstein is a 6th generation descendent of the famous Chief Rabbi of Izhmir, Rav Yehoshua Avraham Krispin, who authored a number of Sefarim, and was a colleague of Rav Chaim Falagi, and father in-law of the Pesach Hadvir. He currently lives with his wife Shayna, and twelve children K”H, in Tzfas, Israel. Rabbi Goldstein received Semicha from Rabbi Schneur Zalman Labkowski of the Tomchei Temimim headquarters in 2005 and served as a chaplain in the Lotar/Kalatz and K9 unit of the IDF from years 2005-2008. He is also a certified Shochet, and has performed Hashgacha work in slaughterhouses. Rabbi Goldstein is the director of Shulchanaruchharav.com, the world’s leading web-based Halacha database, and is the director of the Home Study Semicha Program, a self-study web-based Semicha program. He is a prolific author of over 50 Sefarim studied by a wide range of readers throughout the world, which is used regularly in Semicha programs around the globe. He is a world renowned Posek, answering questions to a web-based market, and serves as a local Posek, Rav, and Lecturer, in the Tzemach Tzedek community Shul in Tzefas, Israel. His many classes can be heard both from his website, Vimeo and YouTube channel. Students can join live to classes given in the Tzemach Tzedek Shul, through the “בית חבד צפת Chabad Tsfat” YouTube channel.

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