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Spring has arrived. Passover is coming. Chol Hamoed Pesach, you arrive at the synagogue in the neighborhood, prayer shawl, and recycling by hand, white shirt, and tailored pants are waiting to read the praises of the kosher and happy Pesach. On your right is a confused young man who takes the tefillin out of the cover, greets him and starts laying on his arm and head until one of the congregants reminds him that today is the holiday and we are exempt from the mitzvah of tefillin. Know the situation? Do they put on tefillin during the Chol Hamoed day’s Rough Answer: It is the custom of most Jewish communities not to put on tefillin during Chol Hamoed.
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So do we put on tefillin on Chol Hamoed or not
The main question of whether tefillin placed on days like Chol HaMoed disputed among the Rishonim of Israel. The primary dispute is between the Sephardim and the Ashkenazim. The situation in the sand was that the Ashkenazim would have put on tefillin during the Chol Hamoed days, the Sephardim would not have assumed, and the rest of the Jewish communities would have followed their ancestral custom. After the immigration of all the Jews of the world and the end of the exile to the Land of Israel, they all did not put Tefillin in the Land of Israel during the intermediate days of Sukkot and Chol Hamoed Pesach. Without any differences of opinion within the Jewish communities. So how did the Ashkenazim change their custom of putting on tefillin on Chol Hamoed? When the Jews of Ashkenaz immigrated to Eretz Israel, they saw a commitment to the tradition the place not to put on tefillin at the times, and so they did.
When do we put on tefillin?
The day after Chol Ha-Mo’ed is called “Esaru Chag”, we will not elaborate on the essence of this day, but I will only note that on this day they return to put on tefillin.
The wonderful taste of not putting on tefillin on the holy Sabbath
Shabbat Kodesh, we arrive at the synagogue, this time we do not get confused because tefillin are considered to be allocated to the Jewish people. So why not put on tefillin on Shabbat? The reason is simple and clear: Tefillin are not put on Shabbat because the Sabbath day is a sign between the people of Israel and God, and the Book of Exodus states: “This is a sign between me and you” With Israel, and if we put on tefillin, which are also considered to be a sign of the Jewish people, creates a state of disrespect for Shabbat. The same story on the good days of Chol Hamoed, do not put on Tefillin because there will be a state of contempt for those signals given to the people of Israel.
All of these Halachot that we received at Sinai and on the Feast of Matan Torah, some began as customs and some are halachot from the Written and Oral Torah. We, as the Chosen People, who have fulfilled this great commandment, will observe all the mitzvot accompanying tefillin.
