Former and Latter Rains - The Spring Festivals

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II. The Spring Festivals are like the Fall Festivals


Passover is introduced by Purim and concluded by Shavuot, the Feast of Weeks. So, too, Succoth, the Feast of Tabernacles, is introduces by the awesome days, which include Rosh HaShana, the Feast of Trumpets, (Yom Teruah) and Yom HaKippurim, the Day of Atonement, and is concluded by Shemini Atzeret, the Eighth Assembly.

Pesach (Passover) is one long Yom Tov, and therefore does not require a new recitation of the full Hallel each and every day, whereas Succoth is eight different Yomim Tovim, each of which warrants a recitation of the full Hallel. The fact that the Musaf is identical on all seven days of Pesach, but changes each day of Succoth indicates this distinction.

The following charts graphically illustrate this relationship between the spring and the fall festivals:

[Tu B’Shevat Chart Goes Here]
small gap

[Rosh HaShanah Chart Goes Here]