Re: greetings- off topic, but current

[Robert Cohen <rlcm17...>]

>On Yom Kippur itself people tend to wish each other just a "Gut Yontef/chag
>same'ach".

I obviously can't answer for what yidden in general do (three Jews, four 
greetings?), but "chag sameach" is, in truth, an inappropriate greeting on 
Yom Kippur.

The reason it's an *appropriate* greeting for the shalosh regalim 
(Pesach/Shavuous/Sukkos--making this posting still current!) is that the 
"ikar" of these holidays--Hebrew for, I believe, the essence or the central 
principle, as it were--is, indeed, simcha--rejoicing.  It's a mitzvah to 
rejoice on those holidays; we're *supposed* to rejoice.  Hence, "chag 
sameach"--the second word deriving, of course, from simcha/joy.

The ikar of Yom Kippur, otoh, isn't simcha/rejoicing; it's (i.e., the 
mitzvah of the day is) "to afflict our souls" and what that entails (most 
notably, obviously, fasting) and is intended to bring about:  teshuvah 
(poorly, "repentance")/introspection/tefillah (prayer).

It is true that Hassidim derive from the alternative name Yom Hakippurim 
that Yom Kippur is *like* (= in Hebrew the "k" at the beginning of some 
words, though that's _not_ true in "kippurim," which is just the plural of 
"kippur"; it's a play on words, which is a time-honored source of 
drash/commentary)--anyway, that Yom Kippur = Yom Hakippurim = that Yom 
Kippur is, play on words-wise, *like* Purim--and ultimately a day of joy, 
because we're confident that we will, indeed, be forgiven as G*d promises to 
forgive us.  (Such is, indeed, affirmed in the Yom Kippur liturgy itself.)  
I _do_ accept that drash, but I still think it's a stretch, and not really 
appropriate, to convey that wish (for a "chag sameach") on Yom Kippur--and 
I've never heard other Jews so wish each other.

Well-meaning non-Jews, otoh, will often wish a "Happy Holiday" (which is 
more or less what "chag sameach" means) to Jews--as they know it's a 
"holiday"/holy day.

--Robert Cohen

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