Let me count the ways:
- As I write this, our brethren in America still have a few more hours to go on the eighth day of Pesach. So far today I have had regular cereal for breakfast, a falafel in eshtanur for lunch (from the best falafel store in the world, Shalom Falafel) and pasta for dinner
- Starting from the beginning of Pesach, those outside of the Land of Israel (or those in the Land of Israel who are determined to return to the lands of exile) will have had six out of ten days as Shabbat or Yom Tov. We will have had four. And those extra two days make a big difference. Having two extra days of Yom Tov is not an intrinsically bad thing. Yom Tov is great. However, these two days were not included in the Torah for a reason. When you just have one day in the beginning and one in the end to do all of your Yom Tov activities, you have:
- More time for Chol Hamoed activities,
- No opportunity to get totally burned out from too many formal meals in a short span of time (7 over a three day Yom Tov/Shabbat)
- More than one day between the end of the holiday and Shabbat
- It just feels right. The Torah said: celebrate for seven days. And that is what we do. The Torah said: don’t eat chametz for seven days. And that is what we do. The Torah said: the first day and the seventh days are Yom Tov. And that is what we do. (Don’t get me wrong: if you are in chutz la’aretz, you must observe these extra days. I am merely pointing out what it is like to keep Pesach in the way it was intended).
- With only one seder, one day of Yom Tov in the beginning and one at the end, things seem to be more meaningful. And I know that people who have never experienced just one seder like to say “it gives you a chance to say things that you forgot on the first night” or similar sentiments. Well let me tell you: it is a nice rationalization, but I think you would change your tune if you knew that it could be different.
- Did I mention that there is no three day Yom Tov (except for Rosh Hashannah once every four or five years)?
April 20th, 2006 at 22:30
don’t you think its funny that no one who is keeping 2 days of yom tov in chutz la’aretz can respond to your post? at least not for another few hours!! :-)
April 21st, 2006 at 4:44
The humor of the situation was not lost on me..
April 25th, 2006 at 23:27
The greatest thing about one-day yontifs, IMHO, is when you’re around visitors who are still on their second day, and you get to feign incomprehension when they try to hint to you to turn off the light and stuff like that.
April 26th, 2006 at 21:29
If I made aliyah I don’t think I’d miss the two days of yom tov in general, and especially the two sedarim; the 2nd always feels somewhat anti-climactic. The only one-day yom tov that would be hard to get used to I think, would be the combined shmini atzeres and simchas torah, since those really feel like two separate holidays. But of course, simchas torah is 100% diaspora in origin, so its grafting into an eretz yisroel environment is bound to feel weird.
April 26th, 2006 at 22:41
it’s not the 1 day that gets me freaked out…it’s the thought of eating chametz mamash (on what is their 2cnd day) when our friends keeping 2 days are still eating matzah! it’s wierd man!! but otherwise i’m pretty much cool with it.
April 27th, 2006 at 23:19
But those in Disapora get to hear more Yom Tov sermons and to eat more Pesachdik Egg Kichel!
May 1st, 2006 at 18:26
Yup, I’m definately looking forward to one-day yom tovim. This year was my last second seder. But what to do about the Moshiach Seudah?
May 3rd, 2006 at 20:16
Hope all is well with you and the family…..we haven’t heard from you in a couple of weeks!
May 3rd, 2006 at 22:25
@EmahS – Thanks for checking in. I really appreciate it. I have been busy with some other projects (and with life) though I have a few posts (and pictures) brewing that I hope to publish sometime very soon.