Page 16 - Chayei Adam LAYOUT sivan 5782

Chayei Adam - K’lal 138 - The Laws of Selichos and Erev Rosh Hashana

]7[ One should launder his clothes and get a haircut on erev Rosh Hashana in
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honor of yom tov. One should wear Shabbos clothes on Rosh Hashana in
order to demonstrate that we are confident in Hashem’s kindness to issue a
[good] judgement after we have done teshuva.

]8[ The custom is to perform hataras nedarim on erev Rosh Hashana in order
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to save ourselves from being punished for [sins related to] vows. However, it is
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proper that everyone should learn the laws of vows as there are several types of
vows that cannot be permitted and people stumble in [violating] them. One
should also be careful to understand the words he is saying and not like the
ignoramuses think that it is some sort of supplication prayer. I have seen God-
fearing people who don’t understand Hebrew and recite a text of hataras nedarim
in the vernacular. 57

םדו רשב

53. Although it is common practice for a whether or not he should wear them on Rosh
person who is up for trial to wear dark (i.e. Hashana. However outlandish clothing such as
mournful) clothing and not bathe and remain those only worn by royalty or for special
unkempt, we are confident that if we embrace occasions such as a woman's evening gown,
the path of teshuva, Hashem will rule in our should not be worn on Rosh Hashana. Rather
favor. Therefore, although we stand on trial on one should choose simple, clean, but
Rosh Hashana, we are confident in the honorable clothing.
outcome and we therefore prepare for the day
as a yom tov. (Shulchan Aruch based on 55. Violating a vow is a serious
Talmud Yerushalmi Rosh Hashana) It is for the transgression, but quite often this situation
same reason that we celebrate Rosh Hashana can be remedied by annulling them (see
with a yom tov meal. below). The gemara (Nedarim 23a) advises
אל
one to pre-annul his vows at the beginning of
54. There are varying customs regarding the year, and according to many rishonim, this
one who has special clothing for yom tov is the basis for saying kol nidrei on Yom Kippur

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