Too much stuff, not enough hands, + oops = ouch
This morning, I forgot to take off my tefillin before Hallel. Have you ever tried to hold a lulav, an etrog, and a siddur (prayer book) while wearing tefillin? Good luck. It certainly didn't do my carpal tunnel syndrome any good, lemme tell ya--ouch, literally. Maybe, in addition to showing respect for the holiday, there's a practical reason for taking off tefillin before reciting the Hallel on Chol HaMoed Sukkot.
posted by Shira Salamone at 5:54 PM
10 Comments:
I was thinking the same thing - otherwise, why do we wait to take them off until before musaf on Rosh Chodesh, but take them off before hallel on chol hamoed?
Even in my O shul the majority of people didn't wear tefillin during chol hamoed. Now you know why.
Eli and Woodrwo, the "official" explanation (assuming, that there's only one, which is unlikely :) ) that I heard recently was that a person who wears tefillin on Chol HaMoed takes them off before Hallel in order to distinguish Chol HaMoed from a (mere?) Rosh Chodesh. But I agree that the difficulty of holding a lulav and etrog while wearing tefillin may be a more logical reason.
Oops, sorry about the typo, Woodrow.
Not wearing tefillin on HH"M is Lurianic. I wouldn't be surprised if many O congregants did so.
Lurianic? I'm too much of a rationalist to have much interest in Kabbalah.
I've never seen a single person wear tefillin on Chol HaMoed in Israel. It's pretty rare in the US, too.
I have heard that it's not done in Israel. I'm honestly not sure about the U.S. I haven't participated in enough Chol HaMoed morning minyanim in enough different synagogues to have seen a representative sample.
In the US, in many/most Ashkenaz shuls, you will find half the men wearing tefillin on chol hamoed, and half not wearing them. It seems to be a matter of family minhag. In Israel, I have heard, the universal minhag is not to wear them.
Thanks for the info, Elie.
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