SAYING CHAZAK CHAZAK VNITCHAZEK AT THE END OF EACH SEFER
Rav Mordy Friedman
Ashkenaz and Sefarad customs (minhagim) are usually quite different, but when it comes to the saying of Chazak in the contet of !eriat "a#orah ($ublic #orah reading) it is striking and uncanny that both Ashkenazim and Sefardim ha%e the blessing chazak, only that it is said under com$letely different circumstances and conditions, and ha%e a com$letely different meaning and function& According to the classic Ashkenaz $ractice' #he $hrase C"A(A! C"A(A! )*+,#C"A(-! is recited by the congregation and then re$eated by the .a*al !oreh (#orah reader) u$on the end of the $ublic reading of each Sefer, i&e, as in the end of this week*s $arsha / .echukotai 0 the end of Sefer )ayikra& #his minhag is treated as a %ery s$ecial and holy minhag 0 as attested to by the fact that the 1abbai gets u$ and announces that the entire congregation should stand u$ for that last aliyah and chant in unison 0 chazak chaza% %*nitchazek& ,n contrast, according to the dominant Sefarad custom, at the end of e%ery single indi%idual #orah reading, whether it be on 2onday morning, #hursday morning, or Shabbat morning, the congregation indi%idually greet the .a*al !oreh (#orah reader) with the word chazak or more $recisely, C"A(A! 3*.A43C"& 5es$ite that both customs in%ol%e the word chazak and are found in the contet of $ublic #orah reading, the two customs %ary in e%ery $ossible way' 6et us chart out and summarize three significant differences for the $ur$ose of clarification' When to say Chazak What is said Who says it Ashkenazim -nd of each Sefer Chazak Chazak )*+itchazek Congregation in unison followed by #orah reader out loud Sefaradim -nd of each #orah reading Chazak (3*baruch) Congregation as they greet the #orah reader $ersonally ,t would a$$ear that not only are these two $ractices different in their $ractical im$lementation, but they are also differ on a fundamental le%el, namely, their basis, function, meaning and significance& 7or Sefaradim, the word Chazak, is meant in the way that it was said to 8ehoshua by 1od chazak %*ametz, (9oshua cha$& :), namely a blessing of su$$ort and chizuk for a ;ob well done 0 in our case / of reading from the #orah and wishing the .a*al !oreh to continue his $erformance of mitz%ot& "ence chazak is akin to the -nglish e$ression' good ;ob, and !ee$ u$ the good work& 7or this reason, Chazak is said after the reading of any $art of the #orah and is said $ersonally to the Chazan by other indi%iduals as they greet him& <n the other hand, Ashkenazim ha%e a different greeting dedicated for such a $ur$ose, namely a handshake accom$anied with the greeting 0 8asher !oach& #his being the case, the e$ression Chazak means something entirely else for Ashkenazim& 7rom the fact that Chazak= is said only at the %ery end of the reading of each Sefer, it is not a blessing aimed at the indi%idual reader of the #orah 0 but at the entire congregation, u$on reaching a certain milestone and accom$lishment / the com$leting of an entire book of #orah& >.ased on this reasoning it should not sur$rise us to find the custom from 2edie%al ,taly was to only say chazak u$on the com$letion of the entire #orah on Simchat #orah 0 for only that is a grand accom$lishment&? ,n other words, Chazak Chazak )*+itchazek is meant as a $ublic chizuk for those that ;ust finished reading the #orah 0 akin to ha%ing a Siyum at the end of the learning of a 2asechet& ,t is a way to tell those $resent that they need to strengthen themsel%es through what they ha%e learned, not to forget what they ha%e learned, and to encourage them to continue learning& .ased on this analysis we can understand se%eral details in the Ashkenazi minhag& 7irst, the entire congregation says chazak= in unison, for it is a message that all $resent must understand and gras$& Second, the #orah 4eader also re$eats Chazak = after the congregation says it aloud, for it is not a $ersonal greeting aimed at him (which would make $raising yourself a bit bizarre), but rather a message for e%eryone& #hird, the formulation is chazak chazak )*+,#C"A(-!, the last word being in the $lural 0 something entirely ina$$ro$riate were the blessing to be aimed at the #orah reader alone&