Hallel - Mitzvah or Minhag?

QUESTION: Is reciting Hallel a mitzvah or a minhag?

ANSWER: The Rambam (Hilchos Chanukah 3:6) writes that in Eretz Yisroel there are 18 days during the year when Hallel is recited as a mitzvah mi’divrei Sofrim (a rabbinically enacted obligation). On those days, Hallel Shaleim (the entire Hallel) is read. The eighteen days are as follows:

Sukkos (7 days)

Shemini Atzeres (1 day)

Chanukah (8 days)

The first day of Pesach (1 day)

Shavuos (1 day)

Outside of Israel, we read the entire Hallel on three additional days:

Simchas Torah

The second day of Pesach

The second day of Shavuos

On Rosh Chodesh and the last six days of Pesach, Hallel is also recited, but as a minhag and not as a “mitzvah”. In either event, both mitzvos and minhogim are binding Halachic obligations. The Talmud (Pesachim 50b) rules that a minhag that was followed by a family or community is halachically binding on later generations. The Talmud derives this from the latter part of the verse in Mishlei (1:8), “Shema, beni, mussar avicha, v’al titosh Toras imecha,” “Listen, my son, to the rebuke of your father, and do not forsake the Torah of your mother.”

There is a practical difference between Hallel which is a mitzvah and Hallel which is a custom. Hallel which is a mitzvah is recited in full (Hallel shaleim– complete Hallel), while Hallel which is a minhag is truncated to make it clear that it is not a mitzvah. The latter Hallel is referred to as chatzi Hallel (partial Hallel). The Rambam holds that a bracha is only recited on Hallel Shaleim which is a mitzvah but is not recited on chatzi Hallel since it is only a minhag. However, Rabbeinu Tam and other Rishonim disagree. (This will be discussed further in another Halacha Yomis.)

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The Gerald & Karin Feldhamer OU Kosher Halacha Yomis is dedicated to the memory of Rav Yisroel Belsky, zt"l, who served as halachic consultant for OU Kosher for more than 28 years; many of the responses in Halacha Yomis are based on the rulings of Rabbi Belsky. Subscribe to the Halacha Yomis daily email here.