AccessMyLibrary provides FREE access to over 30 million articles from top publications available through your library.

A joyous and sweet time.

Asia Africa Intelligence Wire

| September 20, 2002 | COPYRIGHT 2002 Financial Times Ltd. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan.  All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)Copyright

(From Jerusalem Post)

Byline: Berel Wein

Both of the holidays of Peasch and Succot are week- long festivals. In the Land of Israel they are seven days in length while in the Diaspora they are eight days in length. In Israel, the first day and seventh days of Pesach are full holidays, while in the Diaspora the first, second, seventh and eighth days of Pesach are full holidays. For Succot, in Israel, the first day is a full holiday and in the Diaspora, the first two days are full holidays. The balance of the days of these holidays is called Chol Hamoed - the intermediate, less holy days of the holiday. This extremely sophisticated concept of days that are holidays but not completely so is a unique Jewish creation. Unlike the actual full holy days of the holidays, these intermediate days do not carry with them the entire gamut of restrictions on work. In fact, any work that is necessary for comfort and/or to prevent monetary loss is permissible. However, the intermediate days are not to be treated as ordinary workdays. Unnecessary work, work that is easily postponed till after the holidays, lawsuits and other contentious matters, etc. are all not to be pursued during Chol Hamoed. Therefore, in Israel and in many parts of the Diaspora, Chol Hamoed is a vacation and leisure time. Stores and offices are closed and entire families participate in touring, visiting friends and relatives and attending concerts and other forms of entertainment. On Chol Hamoed, holiday clothing and finery is worn and festive meals are served. It is a joyous and sweet time of the year for all concerned, especially for the children who are free of school and their routines for the week.

Chol Hamoed is a practical example of the Jewish ability to transform the everyday into the special and the mundane into holiness. We can all understand the concept of Sabbath and holidays and the fact that work is somehow inconsistent with the spirit and message of those days. But Chol Hamoed affords us an opportunity to work and not work, celebrate and yet ...

Related articles from newspapers, magazines, journals, and more
My incredible year in Israel
Newspaper article from: Cleveland Jewish News Aviva Goldish August 9, 1996 700+ words
...relatives scattered throughout Israel, with whom I could not only...I was finally settling into Israel, the country became very unsettled...had a deep effect on me. On Chol Hamoed Sukkot and Pesach (the intermediate...atzmaut (Independence Day) in Israel and Yom Yerushalayim (Jerusalem...
ISRAEL: MODEL TEMPLE SCHOOL DEDICATION.
Newspaper article from: IPR Strategic Business Information Database October 6, 2009 700+ words
An event of historical proportions will take place, G-d willing, this coming Wednesday, the 4th day of Chol Hamoed at 2:00 PM in Mitzpe Yericho. For the first time in the history of the Jewish people, a model Temple school forKohanim and...
Shout it from the rooftop: This sukkah is open to all
Newspaper article from: Jewish Exponent Marilyn Silverstein September 16, 1994 700+ words
...that are home-born in Israel shall dwell in booths...made the children of Israel to dwell in booths when...with a sukkah during Chol Hamoed Sukkot, the intermediate...begin Monday evening. Chol Hamoed Sukkot - the intermediate...ve had them come from Israel. I've had them ...
Scenes from A DIVIDED LAND: Anger and uncertainty among West Bank
Newspaper article from: The Jewish Week Steve Lipman May 19, 1995 700+ words
...walked. Route 60 binds Israel's past to the present...recent morning, foretold Israel's future. Several thousand...probably the largest chol hamoed excursion among the hundreds that took place during Israel's Passover vacation week...
MODEL TEMPLE SCHOOL DEDICATION
Newspaper article from: Info-Prod Research (Middle East) October 6, 2009 700+ words
An event of historical proportions will take place, G-d willing, this comingWednesday, the 4th day of Chol Hamoed at 2:00 PM in Mitzpe Yericho. For the first time in the history of the Jewish people, a model Templeschool forKohanim and Levites...
THE BULLETIN.(Religion)
Newspaper article from: The Register-Guard (Eugene, OR) October 3, 2009 700+ words
...events and people Ahavas Torah - Yom Kippur services continue with a Succot service at 9:30 a.m. today at 2935 Onyx St. Chol HaMoed will be Sunday with a barbecue party at 3 p.m. Erev Shabbat-Shmini Atzeret services will be held at 6:15 p.m. Friday...
PASSOVER // More than matzo meals
Newspaper article from: Chicago Sun-Times ELLEN C. LESSER April 17, 1986 700+ words
...tomatoes. "Most people cook too much food for the Passover Seder," said Polsky, who makes these light alternatives during chol hamoed, the intermediary days of Passover. Seders mark the first two days of Passover and family meals traditionally mark the last...
Israel risks war with Arabs.(Originated from Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service)
Newspaper article from: Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service May 19, 1998 700+ words
...complaints, the United States hasn't been tough enough on Israel. Israel's expansionist policy is unacceptable to all Palestinians...the Clinton administration is trying to ``bully'' Israel into returning 13 percent of the Israeli-occupied...
For more facts and information, see all results
©2009 Gale, a part of Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.
About us | FAQs | Contact us | Privacy policy | Terms and conditions
Other Gale sites: Encyclopedia.com | HighBeam Research | Acquire Content | Books & Authors | Goliath | MovieRetriever | Smart QandA