Sunday, September 27, 2009

גמר חתימה טובה

This photograph was taken a couple of years ago at Khal Adath Jeshurun (Breuer's), right after the completion of Neilah on Yom Kippur.

Wishing everyone a גמר חתימה טובה and may all our tefillos be answered for the good.

11 comments:

ProfK said...

For you and yours a G'mar Chasimah Tova, with hopes for a blessing-filled year. If any comment I have made here, to you or to others, has caused bad feelings, I ask for mechila.

a proud Chicago Mom said...

Love it! Thanks for bringing back good memories..Hope you all had an easy and meaningful day

BLD said...

Looking for the bad: So many empty seats.

Looking for the good: So many tzadikim.

G6 said...

You know, BLD - the empty seats in the photo bothered me too, but I actually looked this year because of it, and it really WASN'T that empty. I think that right after Neilah that year must've been "bathroom break" time or something, because this year, those seats were occupied.

Anonymous said...

Just wanted to point out that the Yekkish minhag is to say "chasima tova" without the "g'mar", and after Yom Kippur to wish people a Good Yom Tov.

Unknown said...

Anonymous-

Saying Good Yom Tov after Yom Kippur is well known and is still done in Washington Heights. But I have never heard any one say Chasima Tova without Gmar. Where is this done and what is the reason for this?

Anonymous said...

Please see Yerushaseinu, volume 2 pages תמג – תמד, By Rav Binyomin Shlomo Hamburger. In short, here is a translation:
“G’mar Chasima Tova is not old, and has not found by any of the Rishonim or Acharonim before the Chasam Sofer. Even the Chasam Sofer himself would say Chasima Tova without the word G’mar. See SH”UT Chasam Sofer, Yoreh Deah רנז were he begins ‘Chasima Tova…Moshe Hakatan Sofer from Frankfurt am Main’…also see שמב…and other places in the Chassam Sofer.
“There is only one responsa of the Chasam Sofer were he uses the language of G’mar Chasima Tova, found in SH”UT, Yoreh Deah, responsa רד, were he says ‘Hashem yigmor b’ado, g’mar chasima tova’. In this situation, Chasam Sofer is merely using the language of David Hamelech in Tehillim קלח, ח. This does not imply that this was the Chasam Sofer’s normal manner of speech.
“The phrase ‘Chasima Tova’ that the Chasam Sofer was accustomed to was known more than 100 years before he wrote his teshuvos as we find the lashon of ‘Chasima Tova’ in a responsa of R’ Efraim HaKesher, author of Adnei Paz, [were he specifically mentions this lashon in conjunction with Ashkenaz – see it inside this is a lot to type and translate]…We clearly see from here that in the days of the Adnei Paz the lashon was ‘chasima tova’.
The phrase ‘chasima tova’ was common among all of Western Europe until the ‘dor Ha’acharon’ (I’m not sure if that refers to WWI or WWII – perhaps I’ll ask R’ Hambureger), and is the same phrase that is common among Sefardim. It is also mentioned by R’ Menachem Gotleib of Hanover…
…R’ Avraham Gershon ben Mendal Zaks, Rosh Yeshiva of Chafetz Chaim, was often makpid to only say Chasima Tova like the ancient Minhag. We see from here that even in Lithuania there were Talmedei Chachamim who recited the bracha in this language.”
I hope that is somewhat helpful…BTW, R’ Hamburger is coming to speak in January. http://www.kayj.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=447&sid=36dfa9d71634ad7fd8ea78e60a1da4d3
I believe he spoke in WH many years ago.
Good Yom Tov :)

cuzzin buzzin said...

anon-


no one I EVER met in WH or with any german origins, including my father in law, who's from Frankfurt and in his 80's, says "chasima tova".
so it may be german, but it must have changed over the years. we say "G'mar Tov" or "gmar chasima tova"

we don't say, "happy kvitel" or "ah gut gbentched"

annoyed said...

BLD,
why WOULD you look for the bad? or feel the need to point out bad? or even good?
and what's this nonsense about tzadikim? Who are you? G-d's assistant on the Yom Hadin??or was that comment just to offset your negative commetn about empty seats?
No question, Khal Adas Jeshurun was built to accomodate more people than currently daven there. And the shul is never packed. What was your point?
'Fess up, tell all your blog friends why you have this negative -bordering on anger/hate-attitude towards the Heights.

Anonymous said...

Actually, it's interesting that you say that:

"no one I EVER met in WH or with any german origins, including my father in law, who's from Frankfurt and in his 80's, says "chasima tova".

The very first person I heard say that (well before I saw the piece from R' Hamburger) was my Rebbe who is a Katzenstein. He was born and raised in WH (and a descendant of R' Hirsch). So perhaps, as you conclude, we can say that it's not common anymore (but not non-existent). Perhaps it’s making a comeback.

cuzzin buzzin said...

your rebbi?!?
from Monsey or Hewlett?