What is the difference and why does the Torah give two terms when its talks about the Jewish holidays? מועדים וחגים. I want to know a halachic difference not a kabbalistic meaning.
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1 Answer
I do not think that there is a halachic difference. From a linguistic point of view a חג is a periodic event (לחוג means to circle around something) whereas a מועד is a time for gathering together (from the same root as ועד).
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So why do we refer to פסח וסוכות as both? ״ותתו לנו ה׳ אלוהינו באהבה מועדים לשמחה חגים וזמנים לששון את יום חג ............... Then we have חול המועד why isn't it חול של חג?! I just don't get it Oct 1, 2015 at 16:54
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We refer to them as both because they are both. They come periodically and are (or at least were in the time of the בית המקדש) times for gathering together. Why do we say say חול המועד and not חול החג? That is simply the way the Hebrew language developed (in fact, some people in Israel say שבעת ימי החג). Oct 4, 2015 at 7:58