A Tale of Two Riddles: The Vacuuming Wife and the Havdala Surprise

After the meal, they recite bensching, and they both insert Ya’aleh V’Yavo. Then, the wife proceeds to plug in the vacuum and clean the floor! The husband again says, “Thanks! A clean house really increases my simchas Yom Tov.”

What in the world is happening here?

The Precedent: The Story of Rebbe Zaira

To understand these riddles, we must look at the story of Rebbe Zaira (Chullin 18b). Rebbe Zaira longed to learn in Eretz Yisrael. He deeply desired to master the Eretz Yisrael style of Torah learning, and the Gemara tells us that he fasted one hundred fasts so he would be able to fully acclimate to their radically different style of study, leaving his Babylonian methodology behind. Meanwhile, he had to actively evade his beloved rebbe, Rav Yehuda, who didn’t want him to go.

Rebbe Zaira eventually made aliyah. Soon after his arrival, local scholars noticed that he was eating meat that was kosher according to exact Israeli standards but was considered non-kosher according to strict Babylonian standards (specifically, mugremes, meat from an animal where the slaughtering knife was slightly diverted).

The rabbinical students were astonished. They asked him, “Aren’t you from Bavel? Rav and Shmuel, the greatest of Babylonian sages, ruled that such a slaughter is completely invalid! Shouldn’t you follow the strict halachic rulings of your hometown?”

Rebbe Zaira declared that he didn’t accept that Rav and Shmuel ever issued such a ruling. Nevertheless, the Gemara proceeds to ask: But still, it is the custom in Bavel not to eat such meat, even if Rav and Shmuel never issued such a ruling! (The Rashba understands the Gemara in this way.)

Rav Ashi explained that since Rebbe Zaira decided to permanently live in Eretz Yisrael, he was obligated to keep the customs of his new home. This applies whether those customs involve chumros or kulos.

The Halachic Application: Yom Tov Sheni

One of the most practical applications of this halacha involves keeping one or two days of Yom Tov. In Eretz Yisrael, only one day of Yom Tov is observed (besides Rosh Hashana). In Chutz La’aretz, every Yom Tov has a second day. If a Jew from the diaspora makes aliyah and decides to settle permanently in Eretz Yisrael, he keeps only one day.

The Solutions

Solving Riddle 1:

In a somewhat surprising ruling, the Chazon Ish ruled that even if an American made kiddush in Israel on Yom Tov Sheini (the second day of Yom Tov), the moment he decides to live in Eretz Yisrael permanently, he immediately becomes a resident. If this happened during Simchas Torah, he would recite havdalah and proceed to put on tefillin!

This is the solution to the first riddle. The bochur finished his meal and told the rabbi that he had made up his mind and planned to live there permanently. Because of this immediate status change, he had to immediately recite havdalah. (Note: The Minchas Elazar disputes this, maintaining that one must finish Yom Tov Sheini once he has started it.)

Solving Riddle 2:

The second riddle is based on a ruling by Rav Moshe Feinstein, zt”l. An American man married a woman from Eretz Yisrael, and they are living there temporarily. Since the American man plans on returning home, he must keep two days of Yom Tov like an American.

However, Rav Moshe ruled that the woman from Eretz Yisrael is still considered a resident of Eretz Yisrael. The fact that she plans on leaving does not instantly make her an American. Any Israeli who decides to move to America does not automatically adopt American halachic status until they actually relocate. Therefore, until she actually moves to America, she retains the status of a bas Eretz Yisrael and only keeps one day. This sequence of events unfolded during Yom Tov Sheini. Despite maintaining her bas Eretz Yisrael standing, she properly inserted Ya’aleh V’Yavo because it is still Chol Hamoed for her. Consequently, she was fully permitted to adjust the lighting and utilize the vacuum, even as her husband continued his strict observance of the second day of Yom Tov!

With the second day of Shavuos coinciding with Shabbos this year, a unique situation arises for American bochurim learning in Eretz Yisrael. While they will certainly find no shortage of invitations for a festive Yom Tov Sheni seudah, a significant halachic detail must be addressed regarding their evening meal. Their Israeli hosts, who are only observing Shabbos, will naturally recite a standard Shabbos kiddush. However, because these students still retain their status as residents of Chutz La’aretz, they are obligated to recite their own kiddush that explicitly incorporates both the sanctity of Shabbos and the celebration of Yom Tov.