1,064. Limits of Rejoicing

Shvisas Yom Tov 6:19

Even though eating and drinking on yom tov is part of the mitzvah, one should not spend the whole day eating and drinking. The appropriate course of action is to get up in the morning and go to shul for services and the yom tov Torah reading, after which one should go home and eat. Next, one should go to the study hall and learn Torah until midday. After midday, one should daven mincha and then go home to eat and drink for the rest of the day until nightfall.

Shvisas Yom Tov 6:20

When one eats, drinks and rejoices on yom tov, he should not get too drawn to drinking wine and acting lightheaded under the mistaken impression that increasing these things increases the mitzvah to rejoice. These things are not actually rejoicing, they are forms of foolishness. We were not commanded to act foolish on yom tov. Rather, we are obligated to rejoice in a manner that serves our Creator. Accordingly, Deuteronomy 28:47 says, “Because you did not serve Hashem your God with happiness and a glad heart and with abundant prosperity.” We see from this that our service of God entails joy, and it is not possible to serve God when one is involved with lightheadedness or drunkenness.