1- Gemara discusses the few leniencies of the second day of Yom Tov as opposed to the first day.
Burials. If the body is in danger of decomposing one may use non-Jews to perform the burial on the first day. But on the second day, despite the Takanah of ‘Yom Tov Sheini Shel Goluyos’ we allow the burial to be performed by the regular Jewish Chevrah Kadisha.
2- We discussed the Gemara’s ruling that at a certain point in history they retracted this leniency. The reason being that Jews had government jobs and were given days off for Yom Tov. If the government would find out that a full fledged Jewish burial was performed on the second day Yom Tov they would withdraw the vacation day in the future.
3- We mentioned the Gemara in Shabbos 139b that also prohibited the burial on the second day Yom Tov in the city of Bashkar since they, the inhabitants are not Bnei Torah! The reason given is that this may lead to other leniencies.
“Bashkar is Akad” (Yuma 10a)
Tosfos cites a story that occurred in the city of Melon, France where a man passed away on the second day Yom Tov and they planned to bury him. Rabbeinu Tam rebuked them saying “The Bashkar people are not Bnei Torah and and you are?!!”
4- Our Gemara speaks one who forgot to make an Eiruv Tavshilin prior to two day Yom Tov of Thursday and Friday. Here we also see a leniency and the suggestion is to make it on Thursday (first day of Yom Tov) and make a ‘te’nai’ – condition:
“If today is Yom Tov then tomorrow is not and one can cook tomorrow for Shabbos regardless, if tomorrow is the real Yom Tov then today is not and there is no issue in making the Eiruv Tavshilin on the day before Yom Tov. “
We discussed on why one need and can make a Brocha.
5- In conclusion to the Sugya of two days Yom Tov we discussed at length the famous and perplexing opinion of Reb Saadia Gaon and Rabbeinu Chananel regrading the calendar.
We find that they both held the opinion that Jews always, from Matan Torah onwards, used a calendar to establish the days of the month. The sighting of the new moon was not used to establish when Rosh Chodesh was!
This runs counter to whatever we find in the many Mishnayos and pages upon pages of Meseches Rosh Hashana.
We read the text written by Rebeinu Bachya who answers the many questions on this mind-boggling opinion.
His major point is that all the Gemaras, where it states unequivocally that the norm was for two witnesses to come and testify to Beis Din, applied only for a limited time when the Tzedukim disputed the calendar and the Chachamim wanted to show that the calendar will indeed jive with the moon sightings.
We barely touched the surface of this topic and also discussed as to why, if we always used the calendar, did the people living far from Yerusholayim observe two days? Why not use the calendar and know exactly when Yom Tov occurs!
We read the text of the Rambam who writes about the opinion of Reb Saadia Gaon that:
“I wonder on how a person can dispute and say the the Jewish religion is not based on the moon sighting….. and I believe that he (Saadia Gaon) himself did not believe in what he said….his intention was to use this statement against his opponents in any way available to him whether utilizing the truth or the opposite since he saw no way out of this dilemma while debating others….”
See here Mishana 6.
ואני תמיה מאדם יכחיש הראות ויאמר כי דת היהודים אינה בנויה על ראיית הלבנה אלא על החשבון בלבד והוא מאמין אלו הכתובים כולם ואני רואה שהרואה זה אינו מאמינו אבל היתה דעתו בזה המאמר להשיב אחור בעל דינו באי זה צד יזדמן לו בשקר או באמת כיון שלא מצא מציל לנפשו מהכרח הויכוח ומה שתאמין אתה המעיין כי העיקר דתנו בנוי על /הראייה אם לא תראה הלבנה נשלים שלשים יום לחדש שיצא ולשון המשנה והגמרא ומעשיות רבות ממה שאירעו בזה הענין באורך השנים כולם יעידו באמיתת זה הענין