Make Aliyah tomorrow and you won't have another three day Yom Tov for a long time!

Well, not that long. Here in EY, we just finished a three-day YT - Rosh Hashanah (RH) on Th & F, then Shabbat. That will happen again in just three years - in 5771 (and 5772, '74 and '75, too). But that IS a lot farther away then all of you Bnei ChuL - for you, this Succot will also be a 3-dayer (Succot is always the same day(s) as RH, because the 15th - the 1st = 14 days = 2 weeks...), as well as 1st day Pesach this year (Shabbat-Sun-Mon) and next year (Thurs-Fri-Shabbat).

BTW, RH can only start on Shabbat, Mon, Tues or Thurs. If it started on Sun., you'd have to cook for it on Shabbat; if it started on Wed., then Yom HaKippurim would be 'Erev Shabbat; and if it started on Fri., then YhK would be Motzei Shabbat - all not very convenient options.

For the 72 years from 5709 (1948) until 5780 (2019), RH started/will start about equally on Shabbat - 20x (28%), Mon. - 20x (28%) and Thurs. - 23x (32%); It's only 9x (12%) on Tues.

RH wasn't always two days here in EY, though. It's a long story, but almost 300 years after the 2nd Temple was destroyed, Hillel's Sanhedrin instituted the fixed calendar that we still use today, because they realized that the Sanhedrin would soon not exist anymore to determine Rosh Hodesh based on the testimony of witnesses. Since the calendar was now fixed, they knew when Rosh Hodesh was, so there was no need to keep two days of Festivals anymore out of doubt, including RH! Even though Jews in the lands of Exile also knew the calendar's precise dates, they still continued to keep two days - out of respect for the minhag.

Jews in EY kept one day of RH for about the next 800 years - until the students of the Rif came and "convinced" them to keep two days like they did, because the Rif decided that the two-day decree for Galut should be carried over to EY (see the Maor HaKatan D.H. "V'HaRif, z'l", Rif p4 to Beitzah 4b-5a; also the Ramban in Milchamot, who defends the Rif's ruling).

So they never had a three-day YT - much less laundry to do afterwards...

Yes, but back to the point. Who wants to make Aliyah?

I believe I remember Gabbe said he did after the last 3 day YT.

Pick me, pick me!! I can't do it again.

I would LOVE to make aliya. We have a house in Yerushalayim that is probably nicer than our London house, and two of our kids live in EY.
So why don't we?

Because the other five of our kids live right on our doorstep here in Golders Green. When I say that I mean it literally. One lives next door, one lives one mn away, one lives 3 mns away and two live fifteen mns away; all walking not driving distances. And when you get older that's where you want your kids; around you. Makes it a much harder decision to up sticks.

They'll follow you!

It sounds so good....

How about living in Australia? Tisha B'av is mad short there!

i much rather prefer a 3 day yom tov than 2 fridays in a row of panicked laundry, baking and cooking.... it's so nice to have an extra day of yom tov...

This was actually the first 3-day yontiff where I wasn't crazy bored.

It does sound good.

Ditto me. I enjoyed it. I realized that R"H is not as bad as Pesach / Sukkos for 3 day Yom Tov. There's a lot more davening, so that takes away the boredom factor, and there's a lot less other craziness (simchas torah stuff, seder, shlepping in and out of sukkas) that it doesn't completely exhaust you.

We had a nice mix of eating at home, eating out and visiting others to keep the Y'T varied and enjoyable enough that we weren't moaning on day 3.

From what I hear, they go insane in EY when this type of occurance happens.

Yes they do, they go crazy with buying stuff when it is just 2 days RH but when it is like this they go INSANE!

Definitely. A 3-day YT is far better than the way it was last year, when YT ended on Thursday, then you had Friday to clean and cook for Shabbos. And over a 3-day YT you can still get away with serving the same food for Shabbos, but when YT is Wed-Thurs, everything has to be made fresh for Shabbos because who wants to eat week-old leftovers on Shabbos?

Chas Veshulem.

The Chassam Sofer says that when Mashiach comes everyone (including in EY) will have two days Yom Tov, as a Zecher to the Geula from Golus.

PS: You make the extra day of Yom Tov sound like a curse. Many rabbonim commented how they missed the second day YT after moving to EY.

mosheshmeal
.

The only real problem that I had with 3 days was not being able to shower. Otherwise, it was nice...but Sukkos will be strange cuz it's 1 day and then Friday and then Shabbos...oh well. Such is life.
My aunt works in a bakery and she justs laughs when people come in going crazy buying 25 challahs, etc.



See, I think that's what would happen to me...it wouldn't feel like Y''T after only one day, as much as I wish I only had to do one day when I was here.

I heard the opposite. The reason in Golus you have to keep an extra day we know is not really Yom Tov is to encourage you return to your true Homeland. Here we are not mivatul putting on teffilin, while you are - which is not something that should be taken lightly.

Yes, and a nice proper shower with real soap and towels...

I like 3 day yomim tovim. It's nice and relaxing - there's nothing to worry about.

As to showers there are ways around it. I turned off my electric pump for yt and was able to have some kind of a shower; not ideal but better than feeling sweaty and uncomfortable.

Yes, you could take a shower if you do these:

1. Only liquid soap. (Very liquid according to some.)
2. No towels and no squeezing hair.
3. Wash only one limb at a time.

I think there is one more condition but can't remember it.

Hot water could be used on Yom Tov but not on Shabbos.

I wouldn't make aliya if it saved me from five-day YTs. One-day YT is not enough to live in the weirdo capital of the world.

Like coals to Newcastle, huh?

?

Nevermind.

I was giving you an opportunity to put a positive spin on that.

I thought it was positive.

I'd like to see a source for that one.

mosheshmeal
.

Gabbe, can I PLEASE re-proportion your picture for you? It's driving me CRAZY!

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/101974

I don't have it off hand, but I remember coming across an opinion (not a "Tziony" either) that the reason for Yom Tov sheni today even though we have a fixed calendar is in essence a "Knas" for staying in Galus....

The Baal HaTanya explains that it takes 2 days to absorb the same amount of kedusha in Chul as it does one day in EY AKA the Zionist Entity...

they dont seem to have a source either.....

In my opinion, that's historically interesting but immaterial to observance today. Halachah changes so it's immaterial what Jews did or didn't do 800 years ago. For the past 800 years Jews in EY have observed two days of RH and that's just the way it is. You can't turn the clock back on this issue any more than you can get up and say, I learned that certain rishonim gave aliyot to women so let's do that starting this shabbat at Kehillat Shirah Chadashah.

Also, a small nitpicky comment, and I'm sure you know it but just to clarify for others, it wasn't Hillel of Hillel and Shammai fame. If it's true, the reference is to R. Hillel, an early amora.

i wonder how many people who move for the non-three day YT come back to america because they don't have money.

Talk about coming out of left field.

But they're rich in mitzvos! Every daled amos you walk in Eretz Yisrael, you get a mitzvah. Well, at least according to the Ramban. The Rambam disagrees, but we only use the Rambam when he furthers our agenda, so that's not important.Whoops, did we not want to discuss that?

We are mivatel putting on teffilin? How? If so, so what?

i just think it's weird that it's not mentioned in the NbN video "which captures the unique side of living in Israel" but doesn't really mention all the poverty going on.

99% of people that make Aliyah with NBN are still living in Israel. 94% that are looking find jobs in the first year.

And since when did living a Jewish lifstyle include owning three mercades and a swimming pool...




You mean speak the same L"H the meraglim did? And right before Yom Kippur?

working there you might know the statistics better than i, even though i can't see those as being true. 4 of 5 families i know came back or are struggling. those that are ok are the ones that have american jobs and are getting paid in dollars.

i'm not saying israel isn't a great place and the jewish homeland, and it most certainly has things and places like nowhere else. i just think that pushing aliya for the sake of 'getting rid' of second day of YT is a bit ridiculous if you can't even support yourself there.

Spot - please - it was posted half tounge-in-cheek!

But by the reaction it seems people really have a guilty conscience and are trying to justify not living in thier Homeland despite the fact that they daven for it everyday.

Of course money doesn't go on trees here - but show me where in the Torah is says we are not supposed to be mesiras nefesh for Hashem! If that mesiras nefesh means keeping three days - good for you. But if it also means not having a golf course in my backyard good for me!

Anyone that moves to Israel expecting to strike it rich, doesn't realize it will be a challenge to live here, and tries to live up to American standards the entire time, is deceiving himself. For the most part, all it takes to get the one day psak here is to commit to living here without plans to go back. No one claimed that you can't make Aliyah, try to make it work, and if it doesn't, then one day in the future move back.

and half completely serious. the fact is that without all the people sending money to israel from america, a lot of people who live there now wouldn't have any means of parnasa.

so one won't be able to afford a succah, araba minim, food for YT, clothes for the kids, busfare, or healthcare, but at least they'll be living in israel? no one's talking about a mercedes or a golf-course. there are people walking around in yerushalayim without shoes.

well, according to the AriZ"L yom tov sheini is one advantage Chu"l has over Eretz Yisroel.

Yes half serious.

Madam, have a little faith in our Father in heaven!

"The land which you are about to occupy is not like Egypt, the place you left, where you could plant your seed and irrigate it by yourself, just like a vegetable garden. But the land which you are crossing to occupy is a land of mountains and valleys, which can be irrigated only by the rain. It is therefore a land constantly under G-d your L-rd's scrutiny; the eyes of G-d your Lord are on it at all times, from the beginning of the year until the end of the year." (Eikev)

No one, and I'll say it again in capital letters, NO ONE is dying in the street of starvation here, period. Everyone has what to eat at the end of the day. You think the people here are supported by America? America is your G-d? Hashem doesn't need America. Stop making excuses to avoid this mitzvah!

of course, but i can do that anywhere

and that's enough? the bare minimum? for what?


yes


if i can't afford to live in israel right now, it would be an aveira for me to move there and take tzdaka that should go to the people already there who need it.

I've said it a hundred times already. The meraglim's sin was not that they said lashon hara about the land; it's that they didn't have emunah that Hashem would help them get it, after Hashem specifically told them He would.

The only land Hashem personally watches over is this one!



For keeping the Torah and growing spiritually? And not the "bare minimum" either. You make it sound like it's in the middle of Africa which it's not!


Well, them let me tell you it's from Hashem. America might be the current shliach but Hashem has plenty of other shlichim as well.



That's fine and dandy. But it's not nearly as hard to make Aliyah and live here as you make it sound. You want to pay your student loans off first. Good. That's important. But if you plan it and do your homework it is very doable. You say you know 5 families that came back. Well I know over 12,000 that didn't!

you can say that israel is the chosen land because Uganda just didn't cut it; you can say that there are things there that are no where else; you can even say that the fruits taste better; but once you start claiming that it's the only place Hashem is watching over, i'm gonna have to start disbelieving everything else you say too.

He doesn't personally watch over Finland?

Right, so let's go bite the "shaliach" in the hand.

Big deal. How are their kids adjusting? How are they putting food on the table? etc, etc.