Chatzi LaHashem

Question

I've been having this discussion with my friends and family about the Halacha of dividing Yom Tov into Chatzi LaHashem (half of the day devoted to prayer and learning) and Chatzi Lachem (half of the day devoted to eating, drinking, etc.). Do you know why so many people don't do this today? The Halacha is brought down in the Shulchan Aruch (529:1 with Mishna Berura 1, and Rambam, Laws of Yom Tov, 6:19). They each state that one should wake up early, Daven at sunrise and learn until midday.

This law is stated about Yom Tov in general. However, it does not appear to me that many actually do this. I wonder if anyone knows why this is so.

In addition, many have a custom to learn all night on Shavuos. However, they then go to sleep after eating in the morning. I wonder how this jives with the law above. Is it better to learn all night on Shavuos or to follow this law/Minhag?

Answer 1

To answer the second question, I don't think that when Halacha says Chatzi Lashem and Lachem it means you have to have exactly 12 and a half hours for both sides, rather you have to set aside time for both Hashem and yourself to properly enjoy the Holy Yom Tov. It is a way to combine the holy day and what it represents and to enjoy the physicality of this world. Thus, the Minhag was that you learned for half the day and you enjoyed yourself for half the day. However, on Shavuos where we have a special Minhag to learn all night, this still falls into this Halacha by Yom Tov. By learning all night, you are devoting yourself to Hashem and in order to not be tired for the rest of Yom Tov, you take a nap. Once you are up, you eat a lavish meal with your family and fulfill Chatzi Lachem. Plus, the rest of your afternoon is free to learn.

Answer 2

In order for this halacha to work you need to have a minyan that prays early. That will depend on the will of the tzibur. Which is one obstacle to this halacha.

The halacha also says that they would eat (I'm assuming lightly) after prayers and then go learn. This means the prayers would need to end quickly. Aruch Hashulchan 529:2 immediately after mentioning this halacha complains about Chazanim who elongate the prayers, and adds it's not Chatzi Lashem and not Chatzi lachem (I guess he did not enjoy chazanut). He quotes the gemara that the tefila on Yom Tov needs to finish quickly (Megila 23a). Long davening is the second obstacle.

In my neighborhood we have an early minyan 7-9am, you can have a quick kiddush and learn from 9:15 to 1 and have a beautiful Yom Tov. Others pray 8-11 and do Chatzi lachem till about 4, and learn to the end of Yom Tov.

Answer 3

There are a few reasons. One is because most people don't want to get up that early. Two, the "main" minyan of most shuls has become quite involved - singing, long mishebeirachs, a drasha from the Rav - these things may add up to an hour to the davening time. So the davening now goes for instance from 8:30-noon. For these people, they are indeed giving Hashem His chazti. They then go home and take theirs.

Answer 4

With the topic of people learning all night on Shavuot and then sleeping the next day all day. Rav Chaim Soleveitchik{not the one who wrote the sefer} went to shul with his father Rav Aharon Soloveitchik ztz'l. after learning all night Rav Aharon took a two-hour nap and began to start learning again. Rav Chaim asked- Tatti how come you are learning and not sleeping? Rav Aharon said you don't learn a full night to sleep a whole day. On the Topic of Chatzi LaHashem, we are obligated ceratin commandments and some people do not keep them. People should but unfortunately, people have a yetzer hara. On the Shavuos topic, there are two answers. One answer is that Some say when it says Chatzi LaHashem it means just half. The other answer is that the learning if the Torah is crucial to the holiday. The sleep is not Lichavod sleep but Lichavod to continue serving Hashem thus making it allowed.