Hakafos 5784

[YitzyS]

My shul in Lakewood had regular (beautiful) hakafos, did not have any inkling anything was amiss. In fact, as soon as I made havdalah, I went straight to taking down my Sukkah, without first checking any news. So I didn't know anything happened until my Sukkah was completely down.

[whacked1]

Is something wrong with our Kehila that we only found out after Marriv tonight?

My shul in Lakewood had regular (beautiful) hakafos, did not have any inkling anything was amiss. In fact, as soon as I made havdalah, I went straight to taking down my Sukkah, without first checking any news. So I didn't know anything happened until my Sukkah was completely down.

Do you have security on a regular shabbos? Anyone in shul with help (nannies/babysitters/cleaning etc)? Our security guard was providing most of the info (although the rov said no one should ask for info and we should maintain extra special hakosfos). 

[YitzyS]

Do you have security on a regular shabbos?

Yes, many many talmidei chachomim, yigiyei Torah. But none of the uniform-wearing type.

Anyone in shul with help (nannies/babysitters/cleaning etc)?

Maybe, but it for sure didn't get back to me.

[mevinyavin]

Do you have security on a regular shabbos? Anyone in shul with help (nannies/babysitters/cleaning etc)? Our security guard was providing most of the info (although the rov said no one should ask for info and we should maintain extra special hakosfos).

It was interesting - on Shabbos itself, all we knew was five sirens. We ignored them completely (I was in the middle of leining). Then Chacham Yitzchak Yosef cancelled hakafos in his shul, so we knew something was seriously wrong but not what. We figured he had to toe the line due to political connections. (He later held hakafos at 3PM.)

[aygart]

We knew that something serious was going on but not much more than that. We said some tehilim during hakafos but was otherwise regular.

[yungermanchik]

We found out S"T morning, so the nighttime Hakofos were the regular beautiful long yeshiva hakafos (approx.. 35-40 min each)

Our local Hatzolah head called out the Rosh HaYeshiva after he finished shachris shmoneh esrei. Apparently, there was an emergency medical transport sheilah that had become more complicated due to the war. That is how the R"Y was informed of the situation.

After Chazaras hashatz, before hallel, we said tehilim 79, 83, & 142. We weren't sure what happened, but we knew it had to be very serious because in general, the R"Y is not pro public tehilim on Shabbos/Y"T. We also knew that it had  to do with E"Y because of the choice of Kapitlach. But not much more than that.

During the kiddush, we found out a bit more information, but we were still very much in the dark.

When we came to Yeshiva for hakafos, instead of starting Ata Hariesah, we first had a 1/2 hour of tehillim. Then it was announced that the hakkofos would be shortened to about 15 min each (instead of 40) and there would be a seder limud afterwards. But we should still dance because it's the mitzvas hayom.

In the end, the hakafos took about 20 minutes each (there was a short shmuess from the R"Y/Mashgiach/ a R"M between the hakafos) and the mood was definitely more subdued. Some of the regular songs were switched for bitachon/yeshua songs and the Hoshia-Nas at the begining of each hakafa were much more heartfelt. There was a 45 minute seder and then the rest of the day followed as usual (aliyos, mussaf, mincha, seudah)

[liosac]

This was my speech in shul and we danced like we never danced before.

But we also split up tehilim and said it many times over.

Fascinating write up of Rav Hunters approach to Simcha on yom tov of the year of the Yom Kippur war where he references both litvish as well as chassidish reasons to not lessen the שמחה. He had an interesting reason for withholding saying Tehillim at points as well, and he quotes a fascinating Targum Yonason on the possuk we lain on simchas torah שמח זבולן בצאתך that addresses the issue.
https://www.machonso.org/uploads/images/בנר(5).pdf

[chevron]

I sent this to my brother yesterday but I figure I would share

The aching of my hands and pain from pounding the bima in rhythm were no comparison to the pain we collectively felt as we danced together the night away as our brothers and sisters in Israel were cruely murdered.

Before the 3rd hakafah Rav Marlow spoke and for an endless time we sang with all our hearts and soul הושיא את עמך, each time with more and more emotion, a cry, a plea! Save your nation! Bless your land!

Followed by פרזות תשב, כי אלוקים יושיא ציון

Today we also sang utzu eitza vesufar..

I don't ever remember singing and praying like this by hakafot

[imayid2]

Fascinating write up of Rav Hunters approach to Simcha on yom tov of the year of the Yom Kippur war where he references both litvish as well as chassidish reasons to not lessen the שמחה. He had an interesting reason for withholding saying Tehillim at points as well, and he quotes a fascinating Targum Yonason on the possuk we lain on simchas torah שמח זבולן בצאתך that addresses the issue.
https://www.machonso.org/uploads/images/בנר(5).pdf

Thanks I enjoyed this. Though I don’t really see the relevance of the targum, that’s talking about when Zvulan triumphantly goes to war to slaughter our enemies. Not when we are being walloped.