Why Do We Celebrate Holidays For Two Days In The Diaspora?

Ever wonder why Jews in the Diaspora are stuck with double-duty holidays, even though we’ve had a fixed calendar for nearly two millennia? It’s a fair question – after all, with today’s technology, we can pinpoint the exact date of Pesachcenturies in advance, down to the minute you’ll be scouring for crumbs in your couch. So why do we still keep two days of Yom Tov outside of Israel?

Let’s take a stroll down memory lane to ancient times when moon sightings and bonfires were all the rage in the Jewish community. Back then, determining the new month wasn’t as simple as flipping your Google calendar. The Sanhedrinin Jerusalem would eagerly await the first glimpse of the new moon, and once spotted, they’d declare the start of a new month. But this news had to travel from Jerusalem to Jewish communities as far-flung as Babylon, and in those pre-internet days, they used bonfires on mountain tops as their version of an express post.

But then the Samaritans, who seemed to have a lot of time on their hands, started lighting their own fires on the wrong days, messing with everyone’s calendar calculations. In response, the Sanhedrin switched to sending messengers out to each Jewish community, but since these human couriers weren’t exactly known for their speed, communities outside of Israel often found themselves in the dark – literally and figuratively – about when to celebrate holidays. The solution? Two days of Yom Tov. That way, whether the month had 29 or 30 days, everyone was covered. Double the holidays, double the fun, right?

Fast forward to the 4th century BCE, when the Jewish people finally got themselves a fixed calendar. No more guessing games – every holiday was neatly scheduled, and you’d think this would’ve been the perfect time to cut the Diaspora some slack and go back to one day of Yom Tov. But the rabbis said, “Let’s keep the tradition going, just in case something happens and we find ourselves without our trusty calendars again” (you know, like if the Wi-Fi goes down or something).

According to the venerable Rabbi Hai Gaon, this two-day celebration wasn’t just a makeshift solution from those post-bonfire days; it might even go all the way back to the prophets, or perhaps even to Joshua himself! And since Halacha(Jewish law) teaches that once a rule is set by the Sanhedrinand embraced by the entire Jewish people, it’s not something you can just throw out like yesterday’s challah. The sages knew what they were doing, so who are we to argue?

Now, let’s get a little mystical. According to the teachings of  Kabbalah  (Jewish mysticism), there’s also a spiritual reason for the extra Yom Tov. The Tzemach Tzedek, the third Lubavitcher Rebbe, explained that the holiness of the festivals is so intense in the Land of Israel that it can be fully absorbed in just one day. But out in the Diaspora, we’re a bit farther from the source , so we need two days to soak in all that divine light. Think of it like a torch – up close, it’s bright and focused, but the farther away you get, the more dispersed the light becomes. So while one day does the trick in Israel, we Diaspora Jews need that second helping to get the full spiritual experience.

So, next time you’re contemplating whether to make one more batch of kugelfor the second day of Yom Tov, remember – you’re not just following an ancient decree or hedging your bets. You’re participating in a time-honored tradition that’s been lighting up the Jewish calendar (literally and figuratively) for centuries. What’s not to love?