Question: We are now in the intermediate days of Sukkot. If they are neither ordinary weekdays nor full days of Yom Tov, how should we observe them?
RAMI: Chol HaMoed means “the ordinary days of the festival”, but the word ordinary can mislead us. These days belong to Sukkot. Their laws allow more daily activity than Yom Tov, yet their purpose remains the celebration of the festival and drawing closer to G‑D. Today, 18 Tishrei, is one of the Chol HaMoed days of Sukkot outside Israel.
The Torah commands us to dwell in the sukkah so that future generations will remember how G‑D sheltered the Children of Israel after bringing them out of Egypt (Vayikra 23:42–43). Sitting there during Chol HaMoed gives us more than time to recall an event. It asks us to recognise, amid our own meals and conversations, that our security ultimately rests with G‑D. The mitzvah of the four species likewise accompanies the festival’s joy (Vayikra 23:40).
Our Sages guarded these days from becoming an unrestricted return to business. Some work is permitted, including work needed for the festival and, under the relevant conditions, work necessary to prevent a genuine loss. Other work must wait. The distinction calls for care: a pressing need should be considered on its facts, rather than assuming that every task we would normally do is appropriate for Chol HaMoed (Mishneh Torah, Hilkhot Yom Tov 7:1; Shulchan Arukh, Orach Chayim 530).
This year’s Sukkot makes the question especially immediate. We can eat in the sukkah, give more time to Torah, share the festival with family and guests, and rejoice with gratitude for what G‑D has given us. These are not merely pleasant ways to fill a day away from work. They are part of what the day is for.
The Talmud Yerushalmi records Rabbi Abba bar Mamal’s concern that people might stop working during Chol HaMoed only to spend the time in frivolity, instead of eating, drinking and engaging in Torah (Moed Katan 2:3). His words turn our attention from the limits on work to the use of the time those limits protect.
So we should ask ourselves, while Sukkot is still with us: Does the way I am spending today show that I am living within the festival? Chol HaMoed gives us room for necessary life, while inviting us to bring that life into the sukkah and into the service of G‑D.
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RAMI Q&A is a regular Jewish Dispatch column addressing questions on Torah, ethics, faith, culture, and the practical challenges of modern life. Each response is grounded in Jewish thought, clarity of reasoning, and fidelity to first principles, offering considered answers rather than opinion or sentiment. To submit a question, email ask@ramibenzeev.org.
Rabbi Rami ben Ze’ev was previously known as Ram ben Ze’ev. The addition of the letter י represents a personal step of spiritual refinement and deeper alignment with Torah, expressing humility, growth, and a strengthened commitment to the service of G-D. All teachings and writings are now published under this name.