Q&A: The Shehecheyanu Blessing on Kiddushin or on the Wedding Canopy
The Shehecheyanu Blessing on Kiddushin or on the Wedding Canopy
Question
Hello Rabbi Michi,
I’d be glad to hear the Rabbi’s opinion regarding the Shehecheyanu blessing at the time of the wedding canopy. Intuitively, I would very much want to recite it, just as one recites it over an ordinary joy. The custom to recite it over a tallit seems difficult to me, since it is obvious that the joy of marriage is many times greater than wrapping oneself in a tallit. (I seem to recall hearing in the name of Rabbi Lichtenstein that customs of this sort fall under the category of “an unnecessary blessing.”)
I’ve seen various analyses and explanations online (such as this), but I haven’t found an explanation that satisfied me.
How does the Rabbi recommend acting? Should one recite Shehecheyanu without a tallit, only with a tallit, or perhaps is there a “third way”? (To recite HaTov VeHaMeitiv?)
Thank you in advance!
Answer
Indeed, it’s a very puzzling matter. The page at the link you sent doesn’t exist. I once saw a not-bad explanation for it, but I no longer remember it. I looked just now, and I think this is the explanation I saw here: https://www.toraland.org.il/%D7%9E%D7%90%D7%9E%D7%A8%D7%99%D7%9D/%D7%97%D7%91%D7%A8%D7%94-%D7%95%D7%9E%D7%A9%D7%A4%D7%97%D7%94/%D7%A0%D7%99%D7%A9%D7%95%D7%90%D7%99%D7%9D/%D7%91%D7%A8%D7%9B%D7%AA-%D7%A9%D7%94%D7%97%D7%99%D7%99%D7%A0%D7%95-%D7%91%D7%A9%D7%A2%D7%AA-%D7%94%D7%A0%D7%99%D7%A9%D7%95%D7%90%D7%99%D7%9F/
See the end. It seems convincing to me. Except that according to this, there is also no point in saying Shehecheyanu over a tallit.
By the way, for some reason people usually discuss the blessing over fulfilling a commandment, and ignore the blessing over enjoyment or over something simply joyous.