Several questions relating to yom tov sheni- the answers probably overlap, but for ease of breaking up the issues i made several smaller questions. Thank you in advance.
1. What is the generally accepted reason for yom tov sheni now that there is not more issue of bes din now that there is no issue with eidim not getting to chutz la'aretz in time.
2. Why was there no issue of yom tov sheni by yom kippur
3. once there was no issue for yom kippur, why did chazal make an issue of succos - doesn't this seem inconsistent?
4. Once chazal decided that Rosh HaShonoh would be 2 days yoma arichtah, why was there still an issue with 2 days yom tov for succos
5. Why was there a second day of yom tov for Shavuos when according to everyone we would know when the right day was - 50 days from the start of the omer (even in the pesukim itslef, shavuos was not talui on a date, but rather the count of the omer).
6. Was there a 9 B"av during the second bayis? If so were there 2 days?
7. If Bes din was able to postpone eidim to prevent the niskalkelu b'shiur probelm on rosh hashonoh, why did they not just consider pushing off eidim in all months preceding yom tov to clear up any possible safek?
moshe rubin, brooklyn ny
1. The reason is "Minhag Avoseinu b'Yadeinu" (see Beitzah 4b, Rambam in Hilchos Kidush Ha'Chodesh 5:5).
2. Whether the same applies to Yom Kippur is the subject of an argument, and there were people in the time of the Rema who had a custom to fast two days of Yom Kippur for this reason (see Rema O.C. 624:5 with Mishnah Berurah #16).
3. No, it is not inconsistent, as the Ikar ha'Din is that we do not have to fast because the Rabbanan did not make a decree regarding Yom Kippur that the public will not keep (as it is Pikuach Nefesh for most people to do so).
4. Rosh Hashanah is different than Sukos as the Rabbanan consider Rosh Hashanah to be a Yoma Arichta and they do not consider this to be the case regarding any other Yom Tov. One reason for this is that the issue pertaining to Rosh Hashanah even applied b'Zeman ha'Bayis in Yerushalayim basically every year, as opposed to a regular Yom Tov Sheini which is only due to the doubt of Bnei Chutz la'Aretz regarding what is happening in Yerushalayim.
5. The Chasam Sofer (in one Teshuvah) indeed held that the second day of Shevuos is more stringent than a regular Yom Tov Sheini for this reason. However, see the Asarah Ma'amaros (he discusses this at length, and implies the second day of Shevuos is has a special reason that is only applicable to Chutz la'Aretz) referred to by the Magen Avraham (beginning of O.C. 494).
6. R' Mordecai Kornfeld pointed out to me that the Rambam in Pirush Hamishnayos said that they did keep Tishah b'Av during Bayis Sheini. See the Divrei Yatziv (O.C. 234) who discusses the opinion of the Rambam, and see Rav Zevin's Moadim b'Halachah regarding this topic.
7. There is no other Yom Tov that falls out on Rosh Chodesh, and therefore there would not be a problem on Yom Tov.
Kesivah v'Chasimah Tovah,
Yaakov Montrose