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Pesach: Hallel on Pesach Night No definitive Halacha LeMa'aseh conclusions should be applied to practical situations based on any of these Shiurim.
The second to last of the fourteen sections of the Seder is Hallel, during which we glorify and praise Hashem. This Hallel, of course, is the same Hallel recited on any Yom Tov morning, although we omit the first two paragraphs here because they are recited earlier in the Seder, at the end of Maggid. The source for reciting Hallel on Pesach night is the Mishnah in Pesachim (95a) which says that the recitation of Hallel must accompany the eating of the Korban Pesach on Pesach night. The Gemara (Ibid. 95b) derives this requirement from a Posuk in Yeshayahu (30:29) which implies that one must sing on the night the holiday starts; Rashi (Ibid. s.v. K'Layl) explains that the reference is to Pesach. The Ramban in Pesachim (Ibid. Chiddushei HaRamban to 117b s.v. V'Chutz) notes that reciting Hallel is obligatory in connection with eating the Korban Pesach as well as with eating the Matzoh. This would mean that this obligation to say Hallel on Pesach night remains in force today, even in the absence of the Korban Pesach. Indeed, without mentioning any other related Mitzvah, the Tosefta in Sukkah (3:2) the Beraisa in Maseches Soferim (2:9), and the Yerushalmi in Sukkah (Perek 4 Halachah 5, 19b) all list the night of Pesach as one of the times when Hallel is obligatory. These last sources, however, might not be referring to the Hallel at the Seder, as will be explained. The Tur (Orach Chaim Sof Siman 473) cites a major dispute regarding whether or not a Beracha is to be recited prior to the recitation of Hallel at the Seder. He quotes that a group of Geonim and Rishonim actually recited two Berachos over this Hallel, one on the part of Hallel said at the end of Maggid, before the meal, and one on the rest of Hallel, said after the meal. It should be noted that among those who rule this way, there is then a further dispute as to what the text of these Berachos should be. The Hagahos Maimoniyos (Hilchos Chometz U'Matzah Perek 8 Os 5) cites Geonim who held that the correct text to say (both times) is "L'Kroh Es HaHallel," "to recite the Hallel," as opposed to "L'Gmor es HaHallel" "to complete the Hallel," because the meal interrupts this Hallel, and the Beracha of "L'Gmor" implies an uninterrupted completion. He then adds that reciting this text twice was the practice of the Maharam of Rothenburg; the Rokeiach (Siman 283) quotes others who hold this way as well. However, Tosafos in Berachos (14a, s.v. Yamim) quotes a view that before the paragraphs recited prior to the meal one should say "L'Kroh" and before those recited after the meal one should say "L'Gmor" The Meiri in Pesachim (Ibid. Beis HaBechirah on 117a) and the Ohr Zarua, at the end of his Hilchos Pesachim (Siman 256) among others, concur with this view The Tur (Ibid.) then quotes other Rishonim, including his father the Rosh, who hold that no Beracha at all is to be recited on Hallel at the Seder, either before or after the meal. He concludes that this is the proper practice since there is at best a doubt as to whether any Berachos (Ibid.) should be recited, and any time a doubt arises concerning a Beracha, we leave it out. The aforementioned Tosafos in Berachos (Ibid.) likewise concludes that no Beracha should be recited on this Hallel, as do the Ra'avyah (Siman 525) and others. A middle opinion exists regarding a Beracha over this Hallel, and that is that one Beracha is recited. The Ramban in Pesachim cited above (Ibid.) writes that the Beracha should be recited prior to the beginning of the Hallel (before the meal), and the meal is not considered an interruption because this is the way the Mitzvah was formulated. The Ran in Pesachim (26a in the Rif s.v. Mai) holds this way as well. The Beis Yosef, commenting on the discussion in the Tur (Ibid. s.v. B'Inyan), writes that despite the major discussion on this subject among the Rishonim, the accepted custom throughout the world is not to recite any Beracha over Hallel at the Seder. The Bach (Ibid. s.v. B'Inyan) and many other Poskim likewise write that the common practice is not to recite any Beracha over this Hallel. The Shulchan Aruch thus makes no reference to a Beracha over Hallel at the Seder. The question is, given the fact that when we say Hallel on Yom Tov, Chanukah, and (according to the Minhag of the Ashkenazim) Rosh Chodesh, we do recite a Beracha beforehand, why should we not say a Beracha when reciting it at the Seder? As cited above, the Tur (Ibid.) quotes Rishonim who say, like others who discuss this issue, that we omit the Beracha because we split the Hailel into two parts, interrupting its recitation with the meal. Apparently, the Beracha may be said only on a complete, uninterrupted unit of Hallel. The Ran in Pesachim (26b in the Rif s.v. Aval) however, quotes another explanation from Rabbeinu Hai Gaon. He says that there is no Beracha because the Hallel at the Seder is not read as a Kiriah that is, a normal recitation, but rather as a Shirah a song. He apparently holds that this Hallel is of a completely different nature than the usual Hallel, and it thus requires no Beracha. This may be related to the fact that although the Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chaim 422:7) rules that Hallel generally must be recited while standing, we say it while seated on Pesach night (See Ibid. in the Taz Sif Katan 4). Another explanation is suggested by the Ri Migash (Sheilos V'Teshuvos HaRi Migash Siman 44) who says that a Beracha is recited over Hallel only when it is said during the daytime, but here at night, reciting Hallel isn't really a Mitzvah, so no Beracha is needed. The Orchos Chaim (Hilchos Lail Pesach Os 21) suggests that the paragraph starting with the word "Lifikach," which precedes the beginning of Hallel in the Haggadah, might serve to replace the Beracha before Hallel at the Seder. In discussing this issue, many of the aforementioned Rishonim and Poskim, including the Tur (Ibid.), mention the practice to recite Hallel in Shul on Pesach night with a Beracha; the Tur (Ibid.) writes that this is done in order not to have to make a Beracha over Hallel at the Seder. The Ran in Pesachim (26a in the Rif s.v. Mai) quotes from the above cited Beraisa in Maseches Soferim (Ibid.) that the fact that Hallel is recited with a Beracha in Shul on Pesach night is indeed the reason no Beracha on Hallel is needed at the Seder. The Rashba in Berachos (Chidushei HaRashba on 11a Ibid. at the end of s.v. Achas) actually writes that the main institution of Hallel on Pesach night, as referred to in the Tosefta (Ibid.), the Beraisa in Maseches Soferim (Ibid.), and the Yerushalmi (Ibid.) mentioned above, was in fact to recite it in Shul, not at home, and for this reason, a Beracha accompanies the Hallel said in Shul, but not at home. The Yerushalmi in Berachos (1:5, 10b) also makes reference to reciting Hallel with a Beracha in Shul on Pesach night; the Tur (Ibid.) thus writes that it is an excellent Minhag. The Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chaim 487:4) likewise rules that this should be done, and the Sephardim follow this ruling. The Ramo (Ibid.) however, says that the Minhag is not to say Hallel in Shul on Pesach night at all. The Vilna Gaon (Biur HaGra Ibid. s.v V'Kol Zeh). notes that the original idea of saying this Hallel in Shul was in order to help fulfill the obligation of (be Motze) those who wouldn't be able to recite it on their own, but it was never intended for those who could. Elsewhere, however, (Biur HaGra to Orach Chaim 671:7 s.v. Madlikin) the Gaon implies that saying Hallel in Shul on Pesach night is a means of publicizing the miracle, which is proper. There are indeed many Ashkenazic communities that do say Hallel with a Beracha in Shul on Pesach night.
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