Y om T o v Sheni Yom Tov Sheni - Chidushei Torah@NDS

two days of Yom Tov. With the advent of modern travel through which
individuals can quickly travel from one place to another, the practical
consequences of this issue are relevant to more people than ever.
The Status of a Visitor to the Holy Land
The 2-day Opinion of the Beit Yosef
The Beit Yosef, 39 in his classic halachic work, the Avkat Rochel, writes
regarding a visitor’s obligation to observe Yom Tov Sheni:
.רבד לכל םשמ אציש םוקמב ןיידע אוה ולאכ ותוא םיאור ונא רוזחל ותעד לכ
)ו”כ ’יס לכור תקבא(
Anyone with the intention to return [to his original place], we
view him, for all intents and purposes, as if he is still in the place
that he left. (Avkat Rachel Siman 26)
The Beit Yosef bases his decision as a subcategory of the general case
of םוקמל םוקממ ךלוהה (one who travels from one place to another with
different customs) that can be found in the Talmud in the beginning of
the fourth chapter of Masechet Pesachim. The Mishnah states that a
traveler must adopt the stringencies of both places in order to avoid
dissension. The text of the Mishnah is as follows:
םוקמל ןישוע ןיאש םוקממ וא ןישוע ןיאש םוקמל ןישועש םוקממ ךלוהה
לאו םשל ךלהש םוקמ ירמוחו םשמ אציש םוקמ ירמוח וילע ןינתונ ןישועש
).נ ףד םיחספ תכסמ( .תקולחמה ינפמ םדא הנשי
One who travels from a place where work is performed to a
place where work is not done or vice versa, we place upon him
the stringencies of both his original and new place, for a person
should not deviate [from the local custom] due to dissension.
(Masechet Pesachim 50a)
The Talmud following this Mishnah as explained by many commentators
applies the following rules:
a.
If the traveler has the intention to return, he must keep the
customs and stringencies of his original place based on the
39 The Beit Yosef refers to Rabbi Yosef Caro, who is the author of the Shulchan Aruch. He is commonly
referred to by the name of his classic commentary on the Tur.
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