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At least as far as the instructions in the Artscroll Siddur go, the after-blessing for the haftara on Shabbat Chol Hamo'ed Sukkot makes reference to both Shabbat and the "Chag Hasukkot" ("the Festival of Sukkot"), while the after-blessing for the haftara on Shabbat Chol Hamo'ed Pesach only refers to Shabbat.

  • Any idea what Artscroll's source for these instructions may be?

  • Why the discrepancy in the rules for the two Shabbat Chol Hamo'eds?

  • Why does the blessing on Shabbat Chol Hamo'ed Sukkot refer to "Chag Hasukkot"? Isn't the term "Chag" in the liturgy generally reserved for the days of Yom Tov and not Chol Hamo'ed?

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For some reason I have a desire to say Shabbats Chol Hamoed. – Double AA Apr 7 '14 at 8:35

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Mishnah Berurah (490:16), citing Pri Megadim, says that the difference is because each day of Sukkos is considered in a sense a separate Yom Tov, since the offerings in the Beis Hamikdash were different (each day there was one bull less than the day before). By contrast, the same offerings were brought every day of Pesach.

Therefore, he says, we end the berachah with מקדש השבת וישראל והזמנים, and mention Sukkos in the middle of the berachah. (I guess that according to that approach, there's no choice but to use the word "chag," since that's what it's called in the Torah.)

It is interesting that Nusach Ari takes a middle ground here: the body of the berachah for Shabbos Chol Hamoed Sukkos is the regular one for Shabbos (with no mention of Sukkos), but it ends with מקדש השבת וישראל והזמנים. Possibly that is in keeping with your last point, that indeed it's inappropriate to use the term "chag" on Chol Hamoed.

(Although, come to think of it, I'm fairly certain that all nuschaos do say "חג הסוכות הזה" in Musaf on all days of the holiday - in which case maybe there is no basis for such a distinction.)

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But why doesn't the hatarah on shabbat rosh chodesh get a mention of rosh chodesh in the brachot accd to your reasoning? Usually we assume only that which causes the haftarah to be read gets mentioned in the bracha... – Double AA Nov 23 '11 at 5:09
@DoubleAA: that's indeed it. The reasoning of those who don't mention the holiday on Shabbos Chol Hamoed is that there wouldn't be a haftorah were it not Shabbos. Same applies to Rosh Chodesh, then. – Alex Nov 23 '11 at 14:14
yes but if the whole reason pesach doesn't get is because it is no longer a 'new' holiday, then rosh chodesh should get just like sukkot. – Double AA Nov 23 '11 at 14:47
@DoubleAA: but Rosh Chodesh isn't a holiday at all. – Alex Nov 23 '11 at 15:00
So there are two different ways of getting into the bracha: new holiday or prompting the haftorah? Sounds a little strange. Why is 'new holiday' a relevant reason at all? – Double AA Oct 10 '12 at 1:44

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