6

In Ya'aleh V'yavo, in tefilla for the 3 regalim and in Kiddush for the regalim, we have options for the particular Yom Tov. The specific day is listed, and is always introduced with the word "b'yom" (on the day).

One example:

לְחֵן וּלְחֶסֶד וּלְרַחֲמִים. לְחַיִּים וּלְשָׁלום בְּיום:

בראש חדש - ראשׁ הַחדֶשׁ:

בפסח - חַג הַמַּצּות:

בסוכות - חַג הַסֻּכּות:

הַזֶּה

Why does the formulation codify the "b'yom"? If the phrase was "ul'shalom b'rosh hachodesh", or "ul'sason b'chag hamatzot..." would it lose anything in terms of meaning? Is the double language of calling it a day and a chag necessary?

rosends
  • 38,242
  • 6
  • 38
  • 110
  • 1
    It's also said on Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, not just the three regalim https://judaism.stackexchange.com/a/56212/759 – Double AA Oct 04 '18 at 14:39
  • 3
    But the construction on R"H and Y"K (in davening also) doesn't repeat -- the word Yom is part of the name of the day so omitting it would not make sense (l'shalom bazikaron hazeh). In the other cases, it seems that the text would still make sense without it. – rosends Oct 04 '18 at 18:54

1 Answers1

1

My analysis:

Looking at the Hebrew meanings of the words within the full phrase:

יום means "day" - a single day / unit

חג is a holiday - it's a singular "group term" as a holiday usually spans more than one day

Thus, when you say e.g., יום חג המצות הזה you are specifying this specific day of the entire holiday - independent of the other days.

I haven't found anything specific in Mishnah Berurah etc. that relates this notion to the halacha that requires one to repeat Ya'aleh Veyavo when he forgets it to this explanation, but I have a hunch that there may be something to it.

Rosh Hodesh has a similar notion as it may also be two days. (I am aware that one does not have to repeat it if forgotten at night on Rosh Hodesh, but that has to do with Kiddush Hachodesh.)

DanF
  • 70,416
  • 8
  • 59
  • 244
  • This doesn't work for Shavuos or Shemini Atzeres. Even in Chutz Laaretz, they're still in principle one day, we just keep them as two. – Heshy Jan 03 '19 at 19:50
  • @Heshy Good points. Offhand - Yom Hashavuot sounds ambiguous. It could mean "The day of (or within) the weeks" without understanding that Shavuot is the name of the holiday itself. Adding Chag eliminates the ambiguity, I think. – DanF Jan 03 '19 at 22:52