Tuesday, April 10, 2012

On making Chol HaMoed different

Long-time readers may remember that I switched my minhag/custom while saying kaddish for my mother when I walked into my "kaddish minyan" on Chol HaMoed Sukkot and discovered that not even the rabbi was wearing tefillin. I used to follow my husband's minhag and lay tefillin on Chol HaMoed, but since I didn't wish to "out-frum" the rabbi . . .

I find that I really like not wearing tefillin on Chol HaMoed because it really does make the "Intermediate Days" feel more like part of the festival and less like a regular weekday, which is important to me since I have to work during Chol HaMoed. Of course, davvening/praying the Chol HaMoed Morning Service, which includes not only the Yaaleh v'Yavo, Hallel, and Musaf prayers, but also the piyutim/hymns Ein Kelokeinu and Adon Olam (and takes Ms. Slow Davvener practically the entire morning :) ), should accomplish the same thing, but a little extra can't hurt. :) [Wednesday, April 11, 2012 correction: I misread the instructions in my siddur/prayer book--one does not say Ein Kelokeinu or Adon Olam on Chol HaMoed.]

What do you like to do to differentiate Chol HaMoed from a regular weekday?


P.S. In case I forget later, I'm posting a link to some links re rabbinic opinions about showering on (a non-Shabbat) Yom Tov, a Festival that doesn't also fall on the Sabbath.

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