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Regarding saying Vihi Noam on Motzei Shabbos Shabbos Hagadol which falls out a week before Pesach (The first night of Pesach is on Friday Night) Luach Kollel Chabad writes:

On Saturday night, we do not say Vihi Noam and V’Atah Kadosh.

Why not? The whole week is a workweek (which is the normal condition for saying Vihi Noam).

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  • There was a disagreement in the minyan I prayed with this shabbat. We concluded for saying it. My minhag is to always say it, so I didn't get involved.
    – Baal Shemot Tovot
    Apr 3, 2012 at 18:00
  • The Bedatz of Crown Heights said to say it.
    – ertert3terte
    Apr 3, 2012 at 18:01
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    There is a machlokes whether erev Pesach is considered a partial yomtov or not, since one is not supposed to work then.
    – Curiouser
    Apr 3, 2012 at 18:02
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    Erev Pesach afternoon is Chol Hamoed miderabanan, so no work after chatzot.
    – Double AA ♦
    Apr 3, 2012 at 18:02
  • See Taamei Haminhagim - hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=14556&pgnum=197 - which explains why we normally say V'Hi No'am, and brings different opinions whether that reason applies to Erev Pesach.
    – Menachem
    May 2, 2012 at 17:41

3 Answers 3

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From this post it seems that some do not say it even though Pesach does not occur in the middle of the week since there is a special prohibition against any (Mleches Uman) professional work on Erev Pesach after Chatzos and in Yerushalyim many observe this for the entire Erev Pesach.

http://www.daat.ac.il/daat/toshba/minhagim/pru3.htm

כשחל יום ראשון של פסח בשבת, אין אומרים במוצאי שבת הגדול "ויהי נועם" ו"ואתה קדוש", בגלל ערב פסח שחל באותו שבוע, ובפרט בירושלים שהיא עיר של לקוטאי ונוהגים בה חומרת מלאכת אומן בכל היום.

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    What about Purim, about which the gemara (IIRC) writes that it is improper to work on Purim day, and many people indeed have the custom to refrain from melacha? Should we not say Vihi Noam after Shabbos Zachor?
    – jake
    Apr 3, 2012 at 18:27
  • Perhaps we only do not say it for a Yom Tov that is D'Oraisa
    – Gershon Gold
    Apr 3, 2012 at 18:28
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    @jake: also, the prohibition of work on Erev Pesach after chatzos is a halachah, not just a minhag (unlike Purim).
    – Alex
    Apr 3, 2012 at 18:39
  • Alex and @jake, see my post.
    – YDK
    Apr 3, 2012 at 21:29
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A possible reason for the differences in minhag is based on a disagreement etween the Baal haMeor (Rabbeinu Zerach) and the Milchemes (Ramban):

The 1st Mishna in Pesachim 4 (16b in the Rif) states that refraining from doing work on Nissan 14 before noon is based on the custom of the city. The Baal haMeor comments that the Mishna implies that work after noon is independent of custom and is strictly forbidden, quoting a Yerushalmi that the sages prohibited work during the time of korban. The Baal haMeor concludes that since nowadays there is no korban, work is not strictly forbidden and is based on custom.

The Ramban rejects the baal haMeor's conclusion, bringing supporting proofs, and concludes that the prohibition of work after noon remains.

Summary: There is a dispute whether work on the afternoon of Nissan 14 is rabinnically forbidden or if it is merely a custom. This would make a difference in whether or not vihi noam is said.

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  • But no one ever paskins like the Baal HaMaor!
    – Double AA ♦
    Apr 3, 2012 at 21:35
  • @DoubleAA, I'm not saying the minhag came from the Baal haMeor, but that there is an underlying disagreement which overflows into the halachic realm which may be more widespread. One of the Ramban's questions is 'what does it matter whether we have a korban nowadays, a gezeira stands until another minyan dislodges it'. The Meor certainly agrees with that, so he must hold differently than the Ramban at the source. A possibility (though speculative) is that unlike the Ramban who holds there is a mitzva of shechitas pesach, the Meor may hold that it is only a hechsher mitzva...
    – YDK
    Apr 3, 2012 at 22:27
  • (See R' Saadia's mitzvos). The Ramban would say that the mitzva of shechitas pesach exists today and although we don't shecht, the gezeira is still chal based on the mitzva. The Meor would say that since practically we don't eat the pesach, the hechsher doesn't exist and there is no chalos for the gezeira. So the underlying machlokes would be: Is there a mitzva of shechitas pesach, which is a more global machlokes.
    – YDK
    Apr 3, 2012 at 22:38
  • Indeed it is more global, but does anyone besides the Maor take that side? It could very well be yes, I don't know; but if there is someone else, he should definitely be quoted in this answer.
    – Double AA ♦
    Apr 3, 2012 at 22:48
  • @DoubleAA, I don't know of anyone else who touches on this specific issue of isur vs minhag. The machlokes of mitzva vs hechsher is talked about, but doesn't necessarily have a connection- it's only a theory.
    – YDK
    Apr 3, 2012 at 23:15
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From Chatzot on the 14th of Nissan there is a holiday of the torah called chag hapesach therefore a holiday does fall during the week. Since there is a holiday during the work week vihi noam is not said. Its a machloket between the Tucachinsky Luach which says not to say it as erev pesach is a kind of half yom tov and the ezras torah luach which says to say vihi noam in the case of pesach starting on shabbat.

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