Second Festival Days 'of the Diaspora Clarified

BY RABBI HAYIM DONIN
According -to the Torah, Pass-
over is ordained for seven days,
with the first and seventh observ-
ed as "sacred days," Shavuot is
one day, Rosh Hashin
a is one
day, and Sukot is seven days with
the first day observed as a "sac-
red day" Wand an eighth day, a
concluding "sacred day," called
Shmini Atzeret.
According to the traditional Jew-
ish law, however, an extra day
is added to each of these festivals
in all lands beyond the borders
of Eretz Israel, so that Passover
is kept for eight days with the
first and last two days observed
as "sacred days," Shavuot and
Rosh Hashana are kept for two
days, the first two days of Sukot
are observed as "sacred days,"
(with a second day added to Shmini
Atzeret, which we commonly call
Simhat Torah.) Furthermore, Rosh
Hashana is observed for two days
also in Eretz
Why these differences in the re-
ligious calendar between the religi-
ous community of Israel and that
of the Diaspora? Why is an extra-
day added to Rosh Hashana but
not to the other festivals in Israel?
In what way does Rosh Hashana
differ? And why according to the
Hal:lithe or Jewish religious law,
does a Diaspora Jew who is only
briefly visiting Israel have to ob-
serve the two days of the festivals
even while in Israel; while the
most pious Israeli Jew on a brief
journey to the Diaspora need only
observe the one day as he - would
at home, although he should not
publicly do anything that might be
regarded as a desecration of the
holy day observed by the Diaspora
community?
• • •
Originally — as far back as the
5th Century BCE (and long be-
fore then, according to some au-
thorities) — the additional day was
observed beyond the borders of
Israel because of the doubt as to
which of the two days was the
correct day. The correct date for
the observance of the holy day de-
pended on which day had been pro-
claimed Rosh Hodesh (the first of
the month) by the Sanhedrin,

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THE INTROIT JEWISH NEWS

FridayAictobor 16, 1970-31

Ann Arbor Group Plans Bond Fete

which in turn was determined on of the people of Eretz Israel from
the basis of when the new moon the times of the Prophets observed
was first sighted by reliable wit- a two-day Rosh Hashana out of
The Ann Arbor committee for the said the dinner also will celebiLite
nesses. The first day of each month doubt •as to which of the two days State of Israel Bonds will sponsor the 20th anniversary of the srael
coilld fall only on one of two would be proclaimed by the San- an Israel 22nd anniversary dinner Bond campaign. Dr. Arieh P otkin
will be guest speaker.
6:30 p.m. Nov. 1 at the Rubiyat.
possible dates: either on the 30th hedrin.
For dinner reservations, call
Rerbert Paper, chairman for the
or the 31st day following the pre-
After a number of instances that
vious Rosh Hodesh since the He- caused confusion and a mix-up in Ann Arbor State of Israel Bonds, Mrs. Rae Lampe, NO 8-7079.
brew month consists of either 29 the Temple services—and to avoid
or 30 days. The people were first the possibility that the first day
notified of the proclamation by the would -begin to be observed as a
lighting of bonfires atop the hills, sacred day only to discover during
which signal was then relayed to that day that it wasn't until tomor-
the most distant areas where Jews row—the sages decreed that both
lived, to Babylon and other adjac- days of Rosh Hashana were to be
ent countries. When hostile Samar- observed annually. This aplied to
itans began to deliberately inter- Eretz Israel as well.
fere by lighting decoy bonfires,
In contrast to the second days
the Sanhedrin was forced to rely of the festivals, the second day
on messengers. These messengers of Rosh Hashana is not regarded
could not always get to distant as "the Second Festival Day for
communities in time to inform the the Exiles." Its statutory desig-
people of the correct day, and nation in the halakha is that of
when this happened, a second day yom arikhta, of an extended day,
was added to each of the festivals equiValent to the first day in every
so that the correct biblical date respect. This gezera or religious
Mon:Thurs.
would not be desecrated. In the decree, though suspended for a-
Diaspora, this practice gradually while in Eretz Israel after the
became the norm.
fourth century when all doubts re-
After Hillel II, in the 4th Cen- garding the correct days for the
tury (360 CE) established a fixed observance of the Holy Days were
1504 W. Seven Milo
Jewish calendar upon precise eliminated, was nevertheless re-
mathematical land and astronomi- affirmed by the Gaonim and early.
cal formulations (which system is authorities as the proper practice
still in use) so that the precise day for Eretz Israel as well. -
of the festival was known to all in
Reform Judaism in discarding
advance, the sages of the Talmud the jurisdiction of Halakha (Jew-
( Retza 4b) themselves raised the ish religious code) as its basic
question as to whether or not to guide has, of course, also elimi-
continue the observance of the nated the second days, not only
second day of the festival in the of the festivals, but also of Rosh
countries bevonri the land of Is- Hashana.
rael. After all, the uncertainty was
In Honor of the Israeli Hero
now gone; the nermanent calendar Detroit Socialites to Dance
This watch is for men, women,
had removed all doubt.
The Detroit Socialites will hold
• • •
or children.
a Sukot dance 9 p.m. Saturday at
The decision of- the talmudic the Berkley Masonic Temple.
It has a genuine Swiss move-
sages (the sages of Palestine, in Dancing will be to the music of
fact) was that in view of the many the Johnny C Orchestra. Refresh-
ment, fully guaranteed fa, 1
century-long tradition of a two-day ments will be served, and Meyer .
year.
festival among Jewish communi- Green, program chairman, invites
Speetally
ties in the Diaspora, it became a the public.
Priced
practice hallowed through long
usage. They cautioned: hizabaru
It's Ideal for Chanukah
h'minhag avoteikhem b'yadeildiem,
Candy Centerpieces
"be careful to keep the custom
your ancestors entrusted to you."
Personalized Party
This response was embodied in
the halakha, and so the second day
Mementos
observance was then established
Invitations and Party Ac-
on a permanent basis. What had
till then been minbag or custom
cessories for all occasions.
was fixed as taken& or rabbinic
enactment. Its full name is Yom
Tov Sheni shel Galuyot which
DOWNTOWN
means "The Second Festival Day
. BIRMINGHAM
S. Woodward nr. Maple
of the Exiles" (Diaspora Jewry.)
646-6138
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It became binding on all the Dias-
pora. and only in the Diaspora.
Although the second day of the
festival is rooted in rabbinic ordi-
- - -
- - - - - - - - -
nance and is not prescribed in
the Torah, it has nevertheless been
preserved with equal sanctity (a
few emergency exceptions exist)
throughout the centuries — long
after the original doubt had been
resolved. The Codes, from Maim-
onides to the Shulkhan Arukh are
unanimous in declaring the "sec-
ond day" an integral part of
Judaism in the Diaspora.
The more frequent contact world
Jewry now has with Israel Jewry
has only served to emphasize the
full official name given by the
Talmud to the second day, le. abet
galnyot, of those who live in the
Diaspora. If its observance only
—
adds to the Jewish awareness that
one is living in the gaint and does
not claim permanent residence in
the Holy Land, this too is a very
important awareness to preserve.
• • •
The question of Rosh Hashana
differs somewhat from the other
festivals, if only because it falls
ti
out on the first of the month. Since
testimony for the sighting of the
new moon was not received till
the morning and only then would
the first of the month be proclaim-
ed, the people in anticipation would
already have ushered in the Holy
Day on the eve of the first of the
two possible dates. It thus happen-
ed that even in biblical times when
the new moon was not proclaimed
4069 Telegraph Road
till the second of the two possible
at Long Lake Road, Bloomfield Hills
days that the people observed
Rosh Hashana for two days even
phone: 647-1456
in Jerusalem proper. Then, it was
Saturday 10 amt. to 5:30 p.m.
Monday
the first day that Wail doubtful
and the second day that was cer-
tain. Outside of Jerusalem, moat

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