Tachanun
Encyclopedia
Tachanun or also called nefillat apayim ("falling on the face") is part of Judaism
's morning (Shacharit
) and afternoon (Mincha
) services
, after the recitation of the Amidah
, the central part of the daily Jewish prayer services. It is omitted on Shabbat
, Jewish holiday
s and several other occasions (e.g., in the presence of a groom in the week after his marriage). Most traditions
recite a longer prayer on Mondays and Thursdays.
s, Tachanun begins with introductory verses from II Samuel
(24:14), and then continues with Psalm 6:2-11, which King David composed - according to traditional sources - while sick and in pain. In the presence of a Torah scroll, this first paragraph is recited with the head leaning on the back of the left hand or sleeve (right hand when wearing tefillin
on the left) as per Shulchan Aruch
, Orach Chayim 131:1-2). The second paragraph, "שומר ישראל" ("Guardian of Israel") is recited seated, but erect (some communities only recite it on fast days
). After this point, and following the words "va'anachnu lo neida", it is customary in many communities to rise, and the remainder of the final paragraph is recited while standing. Tachanun is invariably followed by "half kaddish
" in the morning and by "full kaddish" in the afternoon.
On Monday and Thursday, a longer prayer commencing with Psalms 78:38 recited before (or after, depending on custom) the short Tachanun. It is recited standing. The length of this prayer varies according to community. Ashkenazic communities have the longest text of it; Sephardic (and Hasidic, in imitation of Sephardic) communities have a somewhat shorter, but similar, text; and Italian communities have the shortest text of all. The Italian text begins not with Psalms 78:38, but with Daniel 9:15.
The Talmud (Bava Kamma
) marks Monday and Thursday as "eth ratzon", a time of Divine goodwill, on which a supplication is more likely to be received.
According to the Sephardic rite, Tachanun begins with viduy (confessional prayer). In this prayer several sins are mentioned and the heart is symbolically struck with the right fist during mentioned of each sin. This is followed by the mention of G-d's thirteen attributes of mercy. By and large, Sephardim do not have the custom of resting their head on their hand, but due to Ashkenazic influence in Morocco, some Moroccan prayer books include this custom.
ic sages developed the habit of adding a personal appeal to God following the set prayers (some examples are listed in the Babylonian Talmud, Berachot 16b). In the fourteenth century, these spontaneous supplications were standardized and turned into the prayer of Tachanun.
The custom of bending over and resting the face on the left hand is suggested by the first line of the text which includes the words "nip'lah na b'yad Adonai" ("let us fall into the hand of God"). It is also reminiscent of the Daily Sacrifice
brought in the Temple
, which was laid on its left side to be slaughtered. A person's arm should be covered with a sleeve, tallit
, or other covering. This posture, developed in the post-Talmudic period, is symbolic of the original practice, in which people knelt down until their faces touched the ground to show humility and submission to God. The pose was also used by Moses
and Joshua
, who fell on their faces before God
after the sin
of the Golden Calf
. Because of this practice, Tahanun is also known as nefilat apayim ("falling on the face"). Because Joshua fell on his face before the Ark
, Ashkenazi custom is that one puts one's head down only when praying in front of an Ark
containing a Torah
scroll. Otherwise, it is proper to sit with the head up.
The longer version recited on Mondays and Thursdays is traced by classical sources (see e.g., S. Baer, Siddur Avodath Yisrael) to three sages who had escaped the destruction of the Jewish community in the Holy Land by the Romans
. While on a ship on the way to Europe, they were caught in a storm, and all three recited a personal prayer, after which the storm subsided. These sages went on to establish communities in Europe. Abudirham states that the words "rachum ve-chanun" ("merciful and gracious") mark the beginning of the next segment.
, all the major holidays and festivals (including Chol HaMoed
, the intermediate days of Pesach and Sukkot), Rosh Chodesh
(new moon), Hanukkah
and Purim
, as these days are of a festive nature and reciting Tachanun, which is mildly mournful, would not be appropriate.
The following is a list of all the other days, "minor holidays", when tachanun is excluded from the prayers. It is typically also omitted from the Mincha prayers the preceding afternoon, unless otherwise noted:
It is also not recited in the house of a mourner (see bereavement in Judaism
), (reasons vary: either so as not to add to the mourner's grief by highlighting God's judgment, or because a mourner's house is a house of judgment, and a house of judgment is not a suitable place for requesting mercy) nor is it said in the presence of a groom in the sheva yemei hamishte (the seven celebratory days subsequent to his marriage, see marriage in Judaism). Additionally, Tachanun is omitted in a synagogue when a circumcision
is taking place in the synagogue at that time, and when either the father of the baby, the sandek
(the one who holds the baby during the circumcision), or the mohel
(the one who performs the circumcision) is present. In many congregations, Tachanun is omitted if a simchat bat (naming ceremony for a baby girl) is taking place that day and one or both of the parents are present.
Most Nusach Sefard
congregations omit Tachanun during mincha, primarily because it was common for Hasidic congregations to pray mincha after sunset, in which Tachanun would be omitted.
In Hasidic congregations, Tachanun is omitted on the anniversary of the death of various Rebbes
(except Lubavitch makes a point of saying), since that is considered a day for religious renewal and celebration. There is a Hasidic custom of omitting Tachanun the entire week of Purim (11-17 Adar) and the entire week of Lag BaOmer (14-20 Iyar). Some communities omit Tachanun on 7 Adar because it is the anniversary of the death of Moses. Additionally some Hasidic congregations omit Tachanun on Friday mornings (getting ready for Shabbos), and some even on Sunday mornings (revival from Shabbos).
In many congregations, it is customary to omit Tachanun on holidays established by the State of Israel: Yom Hazikaron (Day of Remembrance of Israel's war dead), 4 Iyar; Yom Haatzmaut (Independence Day), 5 Iyar; and Yom Yerushalayim (the anniversary of the reunification of Jerusalem in 1967), 28 Iyar.
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
's morning (Shacharit
Shacharit
Shacharit is the the daily morning Tefillah of the Jewish people, one of the three times there is prayer each day.Shacharit is said to have been established by the patriarch Abraham when he prayed in the morning...
) and afternoon (Mincha
Mincha
Mincha, מנחה is the afternoon prayer service in Judaism.-Etymology:The name "Mincha" is derived from the meal offering that accompanied each sacrifice.-Origin:...
) services
Jewish services
Jewish prayer are the prayer recitations that form part of the observance of Judaism. These prayers, often with instructions and commentary, are found in the siddur, the traditional Jewish prayer book....
, after the recitation of the Amidah
Amidah
The Amidah , also called the Shmoneh Esreh , is the central prayer of the Jewish liturgy. This prayer, among others, is found in the siddur, the traditional Jewish prayer book...
, the central part of the daily Jewish prayer services. It is omitted on Shabbat
Shabbat
Shabbat is the seventh day of the Jewish week and a day of rest in Judaism. Shabbat is observed from a few minutes before sunset on Friday evening until a few minutes after when one would expect to be able to see three stars in the sky on Saturday night. The exact times, therefore, differ from...
, Jewish holiday
Jewish holiday
Jewish holidays are days observed by Jews as holy or secular commemorations of important events in Jewish history. In Hebrew, Jewish holidays and festivals, depending on their nature, may be called yom tov or chag or ta'anit...
s and several other occasions (e.g., in the presence of a groom in the week after his marriage). Most traditions
Minhag
Minhag is an accepted tradition or group of traditions in Judaism. A related concept, Nusach , refers to the traditional order and form of the prayers...
recite a longer prayer on Mondays and Thursdays.
Format
On all days except Monday and Thursday (days when the Torah is read in the synagogue), Tachanun consists of three (in some communities two) short paragraphs. In most Ashkenazic synagogueSynagogue
A synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...
s, Tachanun begins with introductory verses from II Samuel
Books of Samuel
The Books of Samuel in the Jewish bible are part of the Former Prophets, , a theological history of the Israelites affirming and explaining the Torah under the guidance of the prophets.Samuel begins by telling how the prophet Samuel is chosen by...
(24:14), and then continues with Psalm 6:2-11, which King David composed - according to traditional sources - while sick and in pain. In the presence of a Torah scroll, this first paragraph is recited with the head leaning on the back of the left hand or sleeve (right hand when wearing tefillin
Tefillin
Tefillin also called phylacteries are a set of small black leather boxes containing scrolls of parchment inscribed with verses from the Torah, which are worn by observant Jews during weekday morning prayers. Although "tefillin" is technically the plural form , it is loosely used as a singular as...
on the left) as per Shulchan Aruch
Shulchan Aruch
The Shulchan Aruch also known as the Code of Jewish Law, is the most authoritative legal code of Judaism. It was authored in Safed, Israel, by Yosef Karo in 1563 and published in Venice two years later...
, Orach Chayim 131:1-2). The second paragraph, "שומר ישראל" ("Guardian of Israel") is recited seated, but erect (some communities only recite it on fast days
Ta'anit
A ta'anit or taanis or taʿanith in Classical Hebrew is a fast in Judaism in which one abstains from all food and drink, including water...
). After this point, and following the words "va'anachnu lo neida", it is customary in many communities to rise, and the remainder of the final paragraph is recited while standing. Tachanun is invariably followed by "half kaddish
Kaddish
Kaddish is a prayer found in the Jewish prayer service. The central theme of the Kaddish is the magnification and sanctification of God's name. In the liturgy different versions of the Kaddish are used functionally as separators between sections of the service...
" in the morning and by "full kaddish" in the afternoon.
On Monday and Thursday, a longer prayer commencing with Psalms 78:38 recited before (or after, depending on custom) the short Tachanun. It is recited standing. The length of this prayer varies according to community. Ashkenazic communities have the longest text of it; Sephardic (and Hasidic, in imitation of Sephardic) communities have a somewhat shorter, but similar, text; and Italian communities have the shortest text of all. The Italian text begins not with Psalms 78:38, but with Daniel 9:15.
The Talmud (Bava Kamma
Bava Kamma
Bava Kamma is the first of a series of three Talmudic tractates in the order Nezikin that deal with civil matters such as damages and torts...
) marks Monday and Thursday as "eth ratzon", a time of Divine goodwill, on which a supplication is more likely to be received.
According to the Sephardic rite, Tachanun begins with viduy (confessional prayer). In this prayer several sins are mentioned and the heart is symbolically struck with the right fist during mentioned of each sin. This is followed by the mention of G-d's thirteen attributes of mercy. By and large, Sephardim do not have the custom of resting their head on their hand, but due to Ashkenazic influence in Morocco, some Moroccan prayer books include this custom.
History
The source of the supplicatory prayer () is in Daniel (9:3) and I Kings (8:54), where the verses indicate that prayer should always be followed by supplication. Based on this, TalmudTalmud
The Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history....
ic sages developed the habit of adding a personal appeal to God following the set prayers (some examples are listed in the Babylonian Talmud, Berachot 16b). In the fourteenth century, these spontaneous supplications were standardized and turned into the prayer of Tachanun.
The custom of bending over and resting the face on the left hand is suggested by the first line of the text which includes the words "nip'lah na b'yad Adonai" ("let us fall into the hand of God"). It is also reminiscent of the Daily Sacrifice
Korban
The term offering as found in the Hebrew Bible in relation to the worship of Ancient Israel is mainly represented by the Hebrew noun korban whether for an animal or other offering...
brought in the Temple
Temple in Jerusalem
The Temple in Jerusalem or Holy Temple , refers to one of a series of structures which were historically located on the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem, the current site of the Dome of the Rock. Historically, these successive temples stood at this location and functioned as the centre of...
, which was laid on its left side to be slaughtered. A person's arm should be covered with a sleeve, tallit
Tallit
A tallit pl. tallitot is a Jewish prayer shawl. The tallit is worn over the outer clothes during the morning prayers on weekdays, Shabbat and holidays...
, or other covering. This posture, developed in the post-Talmudic period, is symbolic of the original practice, in which people knelt down until their faces touched the ground to show humility and submission to God. The pose was also used by Moses
Moses
Moses was, according to the Hebrew Bible and Qur'an, a religious leader, lawgiver and prophet, to whom the authorship of the Torah is traditionally attributed...
and Joshua
Joshua
Joshua , is a minor figure in the Torah, being one of the spies for Israel and in few passages as Moses's assistant. He turns to be the central character in the Hebrew Bible's Book of Joshua...
, who fell on their faces before God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
after the sin
Sin
In religion, sin is the violation or deviation of an eternal divine law or standard. The term sin may also refer to the state of having committed such a violation. Christians believe the moral code of conduct is decreed by God In religion, sin (also called peccancy) is the violation or deviation...
of the Golden Calf
Golden calf
According to the Hebrew Bible, the golden calf was an idol made by Aaron to satisfy the Israelites during Moses' absence, when he went up to Mount Sinai...
. Because of this practice, Tahanun is also known as nefilat apayim ("falling on the face"). Because Joshua fell on his face before the Ark
Ark of the Covenant
The Ark of the Covenant , also known as the Ark of the Testimony, is a chest described in Book of Exodus as solely containing the Tablets of Stone on which the Ten Commandments were inscribed...
, Ashkenazi custom is that one puts one's head down only when praying in front of an Ark
Ark (synagogue)
The Torah ark or ark in a synagogue is known in Hebrew as the Aron Kodesh by the Ashkenazim and as the Hekhál amongst most Sefardim. It is generally a receptacle, or ornamental closet, which contains each synagogue's Torah scrolls...
containing a Torah
Torah
Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five books of the bible—Genesis , Exodus , Leviticus , Numbers and Deuteronomy Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five...
scroll. Otherwise, it is proper to sit with the head up.
The longer version recited on Mondays and Thursdays is traced by classical sources (see e.g., S. Baer, Siddur Avodath Yisrael) to three sages who had escaped the destruction of the Jewish community in the Holy Land by the Romans
Jewish-Roman wars
The Jewish–Roman wars were a series of large-scale revolts by the Jews of Iudaea Province and Eastern Mediterranean against the Roman Empire. Some sources use the term to refer only to the First Jewish–Roman War and Bar Kokhba revolt...
. While on a ship on the way to Europe, they were caught in a storm, and all three recited a personal prayer, after which the storm subsided. These sages went on to establish communities in Europe. Abudirham states that the words "rachum ve-chanun" ("merciful and gracious") mark the beginning of the next segment.
Days on which Tachanun is omitted
Tachanun is omitted from the prayers on ShabbatShabbat
Shabbat is the seventh day of the Jewish week and a day of rest in Judaism. Shabbat is observed from a few minutes before sunset on Friday evening until a few minutes after when one would expect to be able to see three stars in the sky on Saturday night. The exact times, therefore, differ from...
, all the major holidays and festivals (including Chol HaMoed
Chol HaMoed
Chol HaMoed, a Hebrew phrase meaning "weekdays [of] the festival" , refers to the intermediate days of Passover and Sukkot. During Chol HaMoed the usual restrictions that apply to the Biblical Jewish holidays are relaxed, but not entirely eliminated...
, the intermediate days of Pesach and Sukkot), Rosh Chodesh
Rosh Chodesh
Rosh Chodesh or Rosh ḥodesh is the name for the first day of every month in the Hebrew calendar, marked by the appearance of the new moon. The new moon is marked by the day and hour that the new crescent is observed...
(new moon), Hanukkah
Hanukkah
Hanukkah , also known as the Festival of Lights, is an eight-day Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt of the 2nd century BCE...
and Purim
Purim
Purim is a Jewish holiday that commemorates the deliverance of the Jewish people in the ancient Persian Empire from destruction in the wake of a plot by Haman, a story recorded in the Biblical Book of Esther .Purim is celebrated annually according to the Hebrew calendar on the 14th...
, as these days are of a festive nature and reciting Tachanun, which is mildly mournful, would not be appropriate.
The following is a list of all the other days, "minor holidays", when tachanun is excluded from the prayers. It is typically also omitted from the Mincha prayers the preceding afternoon, unless otherwise noted:
| 9 | Tishrei Tishrei Tishrei or Tishri , Tiberian: ; from Akkadian "Beginning", from "To begin") is the first month of the civil year and the seventh month of the ecclesiastical year in the Hebrew calendar. The name of the month is Babylonian. It is an autumn month of 30 days... |
The day before Yom Kippur Yom Kippur Yom Kippur , also known as Day of Atonement, is the holiest and most solemn day of the year for the Jews. Its central themes are atonement and repentance. Jews traditionally observe this holy day with a 25-hour period of fasting and intensive prayer, often spending most of the day in synagogue... (but not the mincha of the day beforehand). |
| 11–14 | Tishrei Tishrei Tishrei or Tishri , Tiberian: ; from Akkadian "Beginning", from "To begin") is the first month of the civil year and the seventh month of the ecclesiastical year in the Hebrew calendar. The name of the month is Babylonian. It is an autumn month of 30 days... |
The days between Yom Kippur and Sukkot Sukkot Sukkot is a Biblical holiday celebrated on the 15th day of the month of Tishrei . It is one of the three biblically mandated festivals Shalosh regalim on which Hebrews were commanded to make a pilgrimage to the Temple in Jerusalem.The holiday lasts seven days... . |
| 24–29 | Tishrei Tishrei Tishrei or Tishri , Tiberian: ; from Akkadian "Beginning", from "To begin") is the first month of the civil year and the seventh month of the ecclesiastical year in the Hebrew calendar. The name of the month is Babylonian. It is an autumn month of 30 days... |
From after Simchat Torah Simchat Torah Simchat Torah or Simḥath Torah is a celebration marking the conclusion of the annual cycle of public Torah readings, and the beginning of a new cycle... until the conclusion of the month (not a universal custom). |
| 2 | Shevat Shevat Shevat is the fifth month of the civil year and the eleventh month of the ecclesiastical year on the Hebrew calendar. It is a winter month of 30 days... |
(The day when a fire almost burned down the Ghetto of Rome, but the community was miraculously saved. Not a universal custom.) |
| 15 | Shevat Shevat Shevat is the fifth month of the civil year and the eleventh month of the ecclesiastical year on the Hebrew calendar. It is a winter month of 30 days... |
Tu b'Shevat Tu Bishvat Tu Bishvat or Tu B'Shevat is a minor Jewish holiday, occurring on the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Shevat . It is also called "The New Year of the Trees" or... , New Year of the Trees. |
| 14–15 | Adar I Adar Adar is the sixth month of the civil year and the twelfth month of the ecclesiastical year on the Hebrew calendar. It is a winter month of 29 days... |
Purim Katan and Shushan Purim Katan |
| 15 | Adar Adar Adar is the sixth month of the civil year and the twelfth month of the ecclesiastical year on the Hebrew calendar. It is a winter month of 29 days... |
Shushan Purim |
| Entire month | Nisan Nisan Nisan is the first month of the ecclesiastical year and the seventh month of the civil year, on the Hebrew calendar. The name of the month is Babylonian; in the Torah it is called the month of the Aviv, referring to the month in which barley was ripe. It is a spring month of 30 days... |
|
| 14 | Iyar Iyar Iyar is the eighth month of the civil year and the second month of the ecclesiastical year on the Hebrew calendar. The name is Babylonian in origin. It is a spring month of 29 days. Iyar usually falls in April–June on the Gregorian calendar.In the Hebrew Bible, before the Babylonian Exile, the... |
Pesach Sheni (but not the mincha Mincha Mincha, מנחה is the afternoon prayer service in Judaism.-Etymology:The name "Mincha" is derived from the meal offering that accompanied each sacrifice.-Origin:... of the day beforehand; not a universal custom). |
| 18 | Iyar Iyar Iyar is the eighth month of the civil year and the second month of the ecclesiastical year on the Hebrew calendar. The name is Babylonian in origin. It is a spring month of 29 days. Iyar usually falls in April–June on the Gregorian calendar.In the Hebrew Bible, before the Babylonian Exile, the... |
Lag baOmer |
| 1–5 | Sivan Sivan Sivan is the ninth month of the civil year and the third month of the ecclesiastical year on the Hebrew calendar. It is a spring month of 30 days... |
The beginning of the month until Shavuot Shavuot The festival of is a Jewish holiday that occurs on the sixth day of the Hebrew month of Sivan .... . |
| 8–12 | Sivan Sivan Sivan is the ninth month of the civil year and the third month of the ecclesiastical year on the Hebrew calendar. It is a spring month of 30 days... |
(the Isru chag Isru Chag Isru Chag refers to the day after each of the three pilgrimage festivals in Judaism: Pesach, Shavuot and Sukkot. The origins of the phrase ‘Isru Chag’ is from the verse in that states “Bind the festival offering with cords to the corners of the altar.” This verse, according to the Sages of the... and compensentory week to bring an offering to the Temple in Jerusalem Temple in Jerusalem The Temple in Jerusalem or Holy Temple , refers to one of a series of structures which were historically located on the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem, the current site of the Dome of the Rock. Historically, these successive temples stood at this location and functioned as the centre of... after Shavuot; not a universal custom) |
| 9 | Av | Tisha B'Av Tisha B'Av |Av]],") is an annual fast day in Judaism, named for the ninth day of the month of Av in the Hebrew calendar. The fast commemorates the destruction of both the First Temple and Second Temple in Jerusalem, which occurred about 655 years apart, but on the same Hebrew calendar date... . |
| 15 | Av | Tu B'Av Tu B'Av Tu B'Av is a minor Jewish holiday. In modern-day Israel, it is celebrated as a holiday of love , similar to Valentine's Day... |
| 29 | Elul Elul Elul is the twelfth month of the Jewish civil year and the sixth month of the ecclesiastical year on the Hebrew calendar. It is a summer month of 29 days... |
The day before Rosh Hashanah (but not the mincha of the day beforehand, nor in the Selichos Selichot Selichot or slichot are Jewish penitential poems and prayers, especially those said in the period leading up to the High Holidays, and on Fast Days... in the early morning). |
It is also not recited in the house of a mourner (see bereavement in Judaism
Bereavement in Judaism
Bereavement in Judaism is a combination of minhag and mitzvah derived from Judaism's classical Torah and rabbinic texts...
), (reasons vary: either so as not to add to the mourner's grief by highlighting God's judgment, or because a mourner's house is a house of judgment, and a house of judgment is not a suitable place for requesting mercy) nor is it said in the presence of a groom in the sheva yemei hamishte (the seven celebratory days subsequent to his marriage, see marriage in Judaism). Additionally, Tachanun is omitted in a synagogue when a circumcision
Brit milah
The brit milah is a Jewish religious circumcision ceremony performed on 8-day old male infants by a mohel. The brit milah is followed by a celebratory meal .-Biblical references:...
is taking place in the synagogue at that time, and when either the father of the baby, the sandek
Sandek
Sandak is the term for a person honored at a Jewish brit milah ceremony, traditionally either by holding the baby boy on the knees or thighs while the mohel performs the brit milah or by handing the baby to the mohel...
(the one who holds the baby during the circumcision), or the mohel
Mohel
A mohel is a Jewish person trained in the practice of brit milah "covenant of circumcision."-Etymology of the Hebrew and Aramaic term:...
(the one who performs the circumcision) is present. In many congregations, Tachanun is omitted if a simchat bat (naming ceremony for a baby girl) is taking place that day and one or both of the parents are present.
Most Nusach Sefard
Nusach Sefard
Nusach Sefard is the name for various forms of the Jewish siddur, designed to reconcile Ashkenazi customs with the kabbalistic customs of the Ari. To this end it has incorporated the wording of Nusach Edot Mizrach, the prayer book of Sefardi Jews, into certain prayers...
congregations omit Tachanun during mincha, primarily because it was common for Hasidic congregations to pray mincha after sunset, in which Tachanun would be omitted.
In Hasidic congregations, Tachanun is omitted on the anniversary of the death of various Rebbes
Rebbe
Rebbe , which means master, teacher, or mentor, is a Yiddish word derived from the Hebrew word Rabbi. It often refers to the leader of a Hasidic Jewish movement...
(except Lubavitch makes a point of saying), since that is considered a day for religious renewal and celebration. There is a Hasidic custom of omitting Tachanun the entire week of Purim (11-17 Adar) and the entire week of Lag BaOmer (14-20 Iyar). Some communities omit Tachanun on 7 Adar because it is the anniversary of the death of Moses. Additionally some Hasidic congregations omit Tachanun on Friday mornings (getting ready for Shabbos), and some even on Sunday mornings (revival from Shabbos).
In many congregations, it is customary to omit Tachanun on holidays established by the State of Israel: Yom Hazikaron (Day of Remembrance of Israel's war dead), 4 Iyar; Yom Haatzmaut (Independence Day), 5 Iyar; and Yom Yerushalayim (the anniversary of the reunification of Jerusalem in 1967), 28 Iyar.
External links
- Jewish Encyclopedia
- Jewish Virtual Library
- Naphillath Panim A historical perspective on Tachanun from a Yemenite and Maimonidean perspective.
- The Prayer Of Our Fathers Has translation of and guidance on how to pray the Amidah and Tachanun according to the Mishneh TorahMishneh TorahThe Mishneh Torah subtitled Sefer Yad ha-Hazaka is a code of Jewish religious law authored by Maimonides , one of history's foremost rabbis...
- Tahanun in Jewish Encyclopedia
- Forms of Adoration in Jewish Encyclopedia