Isru Chag

[1] (Halacha 252)

Isru Chag

Question: What is the source and reason that we mark Isru Chag?

Answer: The Gemara in Maseches Sukkah¹ states: 'Rabbi Yirmiyah said in the name of Rashbi, and Rabbi Yochanan in the name of Rabbi Shimon HaMechozi in the name of Rabbi Yochanan HaMakosi: Whoever makes an issur (binding) for the chag with eating and drinking — Scripture regards it for him as though he had built a mizbe'ach and offered a korban upon it, as it says "אסרו חג בעבתים עד קרנות המזבח" ("Bind the festival offering with cords up to the horns of the altar").' And Rashi wrote: an issur for the chag — a bundle for the chag. With eating and drinking — that he makes the chag a delight with food and drink, and some say: the day after the chag.

And the Aruch HaShulchan² explained: 'And it seems to me that this is its meaning: for behold, the joy of the chag, when one directs it for the sake of Heaven, the essence of the joy is in the korbanos, the shalmei simcha (peace-offerings of rejoicing); and if, in the stirring of his soul that is bound to Hashem, he rejoices also on the day afterward and eats from the shelamim of yesterday — for shelamim are eaten for two days and one night — this is the addition, that as it were, besides the korbanos he also built the mizbe'ach.' That is to say, the festiveness of this day stems from the fact that they still ate on it from the meat of the korbanos that they offered on the day before it, during the chag.

In the sefer Menoras HaMaor³ he explained: 'And even one day after the mo'ed, a person must honor it with eating and drinking and rejoice in it, on account of the honor of the mo'ed, so that he should not regard himself as one who is disgusted with the expense that he incurred during the mo'ed. And Rabbi Yochanan HaMechozi said in the name of Rabbi Yosi HaMochsi: Whoever makes an issur for the chag with eating and drinking, Scripture regards it for him as though he had built a mizbe'ach and offered a korban upon it, as it says "אסרו חג בעבותים עד קרנות המזבח" ("Bind the festival offering with cords up to the horns of the altar"). That is to say, that he should bind it and tie it with cords of love, so that it should mingle and so that it should not depart from him immediately.'

An additional name we find for this day in the Talmud Yerushalmi, as the Beis Yosef⁴ brought: 'Rav Yudan said: A verse supports him, as the chaverim said, "וביום עשרים וארבעה לחודש הזה נאספו בני ישראל בצום ובשקים ואדמה עליהם וגו'"⁵ ("And on the twenty-fourth day of this month the children of Israel were assembled in fasting and in sackcloth, and with earth upon them, etc."), and why did he not say on the twenty-third? [=why did they not fix the fast immediately on the morrow of the chag, on the 23rd of Tishrei] Because of "briyah de'mo'eda".' (=son of the mo'ed), that is to say, since the morrow of the chag is the son of the chag, therefore they did not fast on it.

Special matters regarding the segulah of this day, which connect its being Isru Chag as brought from the Talmud Bavli to its being called the son of the mo'ed in the Talmud Yerushalmi, were written in Shu"t Torah Lishmah⁶: 'Behold, it is certainly fitting to call it the son of the mo'ed, because its kedushah was born and drawn forth from the kedushah of the mo'ed, and as Scripture said "אסרו חג בעבותים" ("Bind the festival offering with cords"), that is to say, make an issur and a bond for the chag so that the kedushah of the chag should not depart entirely; rather it is bound up in the kedushah of the chag so that there should remain for us a little radiance from the chag on this day of the conclusion of the chag. Therefore it is well called the son of the mo'ed, for from it was born and drawn forth the kedushah of this day; and if you would inquire into its secret, as it is explicitly set forth in the kavanos of the mekubalim from the mouth of our great teacher the Arizal zt"l, then you will understand that the title "son of the mo'ed" is most fitting for Isru Chag, in the secret of "the son is the leg of his father".. and so too in this one must make a distinction, so that through this distinction that we make in its honor we cause it to be bound up in the kedushah of the chag and there should remain upon us a little radiance from the chag on this day; and therefore one who is careful in this, the blessing of good shall come upon him.'

Question: What is the practical expression, from a halachic standpoint, on Isru Chag?

Answer: The Rema⁷ wrote: 'And the custom is to increase somewhat in eating and drinking on the day after the chag, and that is Isru Chag.'

The Alter Rebbe added to this also the minhag not to fast on this day [and as we saw in the Yerushalmi from the sefer Nechemiah], and these are his words⁸: 'Whoever makes an issur (meaning a bundle) for the chag with eating and drinking — that is, that he increases somewhat in eating and drinking on the day after the chag and makes it subordinate to the chag — Scripture regards it for him as though he had built a mizbe'ach and offered a korban upon it, as it says "אסרו חג בעבותים" ("Bind the festival offering with cords") (and it is interpreted as fat and plump animals) "עד קרנות המזבח" ("up to the horns of the altar"). Therefore the custom in these lands is to increase somewhat in eating and drinking on the day after the chag on all three regalim, and none fast — not even a chasan and kallah on their wedding day, nor the fast of the day on which one's father or mother died, as is written in siman 568 and 573. And this issur is only a minhag, but by the strict letter of the law there is no prohibition at all to fast on it; rather, one who refrains is praiseworthy, as has been explained.'

In addition, the Rebbe aroused⁹ [the community] to hold Torah gatherings on Isru Chag: 'And in continuation of this, one should mention and arouse also concerning the custom in recent years to hold a "Kinus Torah" on the morrow of Pesach (in addition to the "Kinus Torah" held on Pesach itself, after the first days), as is the practice here, and which has spread to a number of other places; and may it be His will that it be added to and spread and be accepted in all the other places as well.'

If so, in practice the minhag on Isru Chag is: a. To increase somewhat in eating and drinking. b. None fast on it, not even a chasan and kallah on the wedding day, or a yahrzeit fast. c. To hold Torah gatherings.

¹ מה, ב ↩

² או"ח סי' תכט ס"ה (וכ"כ בשו"ת בית אב (יודלוביץ) קמא בסופו הובא בשדי חמד בפאת השדה כללים מערכת הא' אות קנד (ח"ז ע' א'תקמד) ↩

³ פ"ח ↩

⁴ סי' תצד מספר האגור סי' תרסה שציין לירושלמי ע"ז פ"א ה"א ↩

⁵ נחמיה ט, א ↩

⁶ סי' קמ ↩

⁷ או"ח סי' תכט ס"ב בהג"ה ↩

⁸ או"ח סי' תכט סי"ז ↩

⁹ תו"מ תשמ"ט ח"ג שיחת אחש"פ ע' 61 ↩

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