Hayom Yom: Tackling Life's Tasks - 16 Nissan

In Eretz Yisrael, only the first day and the seventh day of Pesach — 15 and 21 Nissan, the days specified in Vayikra 23:6-8 — are celebrated as fully-fledged days of Yom-Tov. In the Diaspora, 16 and 22 Nissan are also fully observed as Yom-Tov, because in the times of the Beis HaMikdash, communications left remote communities in doubt as to which day the Sanhedrin in Jerusalem had determined as Rosh Chodesh two weeks earlier. Because of this “doubt as to the day” (sfeika deyoma), those communities observed an additional day as Yom-Tov — 16 and 22 Nissan. In each case, the additional day is known as Yom-Tov Sheini shel Galuyos (lit., “the second festival of the exiles”). For a documented clarification of this entire subject, see the volume on Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur in The Shulchan Aruch of Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi (Bilingual Edition; Kehot, N.Y., 5764/2004), sec. 600 (p. 132ff.).

Even though we now have a fixed calendar, and Rosh Chodesh is no longer determined by the sighting of the new moon, Pesach has remained an eight-day festival throughout the Diaspora, with two festive daysat the beginning and two festive daysat the end. This leaves four intermediate days of Chol HaMoed, which have a semi-festive status (242=8 days in all). In Eretz Yisrael, there are five intermediate days of Chol HaMoed (151=7 days in all).

Because of the “doubt as to the day,” as explained in the above footnote, this additional day, too, is described by the Biblical name for the first day of Pesach.

In the Jewish calendar, every day begins at nightfall. Accordingly, the Counting of the Omer begins on the eve of each of the 49 days indicated in these datelines. Thus, to use the present example, 16 Nissan is Day 1 of the Omer, so Day 1 is counted on the previous evening (at the end of Maariv; see Siddur, p. 136ff.).

Siddur, p. 141ff.

Unlike the first night of Pesach, which is called leil shimurim — “the night of G‑d’s watchfulness” (Shmos 12:42). On that night, the only passages recited are the first paragraph of Shema and the blessing that begins Hamapil. (See the Alter Rebbe’s Shulchan Aruch, sec. 481:2.)

I.e., the passage in the Haggadah that begins with the words, Mah nishtanah.

Simply translated, this sentence that introduces the Four Questions means, “With what is this night different to all other nights?”

Pondering on the progress of his own exodus, a chassid once sensed that this sentence was asking him a personal question: “What has changed in you as a result of this night?”

See also: Igros Kodesh of the Rebbe, letter #293, Heb. Vol. 2, p. 240; end of the farbrengen of 11 Nissan, 5743 (1983).

Siddur, p. 94.

Sefer HaSichos 5696-5700 [1936-1940], p. 26. The Kabbalistic connotations of the requests in this paragraph of the Grace after Meals are explained in a letter of the Rebbe Rayatz (Igros Kodesh, letter #100, Heb. Vol. 1, p. 202) that is cited in Sefer HaMinhagim (in English translation), p. 45.

Hoshea 11:1.

Sichos Leil Sheni shel Chag HaPesach, 5712 (1952).