A Message Here, Maybe?

Fact: When Pesach is from Shabbat to Friday, the following day is a "regular" Shabbat in Israel with Parshat HaShavua (but no Chametz on that Shabbat), and in Chutz LaAretz it's the eighth day of Pesach. Or - as happened this year - when Shavuot is Friday, the following day is Shabbat Parshat Naso for us and the secondday of Yom Tov abroad. In either case, we in Israel will be one parsha ahead of Chutz LaAretz for a number of weeks, until we separate two parshiot that are read combined abroad, to allow them to catch up. (In the case of Shavuot, it is always Chukat-Balak that is combined in Chu"L and separated here. The Pesach situationis a bit more complicated; not for now).

Although we are dealing with practical technicalities of the calendar, perhaps there is a message or reminder that comes our way when we go out of synch with Chutz LaAretz, sedra-wise - not a message that was intended up front, but one that is a byproduct of the system. With the warning of not reading too much into things,we find a statement or two that can - and should be - made.

In the time of the Beit HaMikdash, there was an especially heightened sense of Jewish Unity among those who came to Yerushalayim to fulfill the mitzva of Aliya L'Regel and to spend the Chag here. When people left Jerusalem, the spiritual focal point of Judaism, the sense of Unity began to weaken.

What can remind us of this more than having a different Torah reading for several weeks? It serves to remind us of a more significant difference between Jews in Israel and Jews abroad. The whole situation comes from the two-day Tov Tov business of Chutz LaAretz.

Why are there two days of Yom Tov abroad. The origin of this practice goes back to the days when notification of the Sanhedrin's proclamation of Rosh Chodesh was made by messengers sent by the court to notify the many, different and diverse Jewish communities. That process took time and those who were not notified in time(almost two weeks from Rosh Chodesh) were required to keep two days Yom Tov because of doubt. This reason does not apply today, nor will it apply in the time of the future Sanhedrin (because Jewish communities wherever they are will be notified of Rosh Chodesh instantaneously - live TV broadcast of the sunrise session of Sanhedrin with the head of Sanhedrin proclaiming the day to be holy, or something like that). With a procedure that is not only temporarily suspended, but is (in all probability) permanently out-of-business, why would it still be done today. True, the concept of Minhag Avoteinu B'Yadeinu (the custom of our ancestors is in our hand, and we do not have the authority to abrogate it) is probably sufficient to explain the continuity of the second day of Yom Tov in the Diaspora, it doesn't explain the strong feeling that many have of a value to the practice well beyond its original purpose. Yom Tov Sheni says, Living in Eretz Yisrael is NOT the same as living in Chutz LaAretz, even today without a Beit HaMikdash and everything that goes with it. Reading a different Torah reading for several weeks every so often says there is a difference. Birchat Kohanim every day says there is a difference. Different consciousness about Orlah, Shmita, Trumot & Maasrot, etc. says there is a difference.

Even the various Halachic decisions regarding a visitor - 2 days, 1 day, 1½ days, do this, don't do that - call attention to the difference. So does language and street signs, and official holidays, and stickers on the bus reminding people of the mitzva to stand for the elderly, and the Shabbat switch cover for the refrigerator lights. All remind us of the difference. But not to separate us from others. To inspire us to encourage them to give more serious thought to Eretz Yisrael.