Tumult Over Tadir

“Nice logic,” Shimon replied. “But actually, we say Borchi Nafshi first. L’Dovid is said only once a year, even if for many days. Borchi Nafshi is said at least eleven times a year. So Borchi Nafshi is more tadir.”

Boruch nodded slowly. “Wow… interesting.”

Shimon continued. “Okay, next case: Sefiras HaOmer versus Kiddush Levana. Which comes first?”

Boruch brightened. “You won’t catch me here. You’re going to argue that Sefiras HaOmer is once a year—49 days—but Kiddush Levana is 12 or 13 times a year. So Kiddush Levana should be tadir.”

“Good catch,” Shimon said. “But practically, Sefirah is said first, because ein ma’avirin al hamitzvos, you don’t skip over a mitzvah. After Maariv, Sefirah is right in front of us. Kiddush Levana requires going outside. But if the shul is already davening outside, you can re-ask the question.”

Boruch laughed. “Fine. So how about Chanukah? Does tadir play a role there, too?”

“Definitely,” Shimon said. “On Shabbos Rosh Chodesh Chanukah we take out three Sifrei Torah. Which Haftorah do we read: the weekly one, Rosh Chodesh, or Chanukah?”

“Easy,” Boruch said confidently. “We always read a special Haftorah on a special day. So it’s down to Rosh Chodesh vs. Chanukah. Rosh Chodesh happens more often, so its Haftorah should come first—tadir kodem!”

Shimon smiled. “Sorry—we read the Chanukah Haftorah, because pirsumei nisa, publicizing the miracle, overrides tadir. But now tell me: after the weekly parsha, which laining comes first—Rosh Chodesh or Chanukah?”

Boruch replied instantly. “Chanukah! You just told me pirsumei nisa beats tadir.”

Shimon shook his head. “Nope. Here we read both Rosh Chodesh and Chanukah. The miracle will be publicized either way. When choosing which order to read them in, we apply tadir—so Rosh Chodesh comes first.”

Boruch blinked. “But you said pirsumei nisa defeats tadir!”

“For the Haftorah, where we pick only one,” Shimon clarified. “But here we’re reading both regardless. So the more common one goes first.”

Boruch nodded slowly. “OK… so what about Motzei Shabbos Chanukah in the home—Havdalah or candle lighting?”

“Well,” said Shimon, “since we’re going to do both anyway, tadir suggests doing Havdalah first, even though Chanukah candles have pirsumei nisa.”

“Right,” Boruch said. “That matches what you said before.”

“Correct,” Shimon said. “Many Acharonim say exactly that. But it isn’t so simple. We don’t like rushing to say goodbye to Shabbos. True, you can’t light candles while it’s still Shabbos, but the formal goodbye—Havdalah—is something we prefer to delay. So some say light candles first. The Mishnah Berurah writes that whichever one you do, you have valid opinions behind you.”

Boruch snapped his fingers. “I remember Rav Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld had a clever workaround.”

“Yes,” Shimon said. “His wife prepared the menorah so that when he arrived home, the first mitzvah he encountered was Chanukah candles. Then, applying ein ma’avirin al hamitzvos, he’d light first. Very elegant.”

He leaned forward. “OK, final case: There’s a bris milah in shul on Purim. Which comes first—the bris or Krias HaMegillah?”

Boruch answered without hesitation. “Bris Milah, of course! A bris happens far more often than Megillah, which occurs only once a year. Even if Megillah has pirsumei nisa, you said earlier that when doing both, we do the more common one first. Havdalah was a special exception because we delay ending Shabbos.”

“Excellent,” said Shimon. “Some Acharonim indeed say the bris comes first. But it’s not exactly comparable. All our earlier examples—Havdalah, laining, Kiddush Levana—are regularly scheduled mitzvos. A bris on Purim isn’t scheduled; it could have fallen out on any day. So some Acharonim argue that it’s not tadir on Purim, and therefore Megillah reading should come first.”

Boruch sat back, impressed. “Wow. Tadir is a simple rule, but it takes you to some very deep places.”

Shimon smiled. “Welcome to the world of Zevachim.”