Yom Kodesh v'Yom Chol - Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik

How does Judaism distinguish between holy days and commemorative ones? What transforms a date on the calendar into a day of spiritual significance? In this shiur, the Rav draws a sharp contrast between yom kadosh and yom kavuah, unpacking the halachic, philosophical, and experiential differences between Shabbos and holidays like Chanukah and Purim. Along the way, he reflects on the dignity of work, the dialectical tension between individuality and community, and the relationship between human initiative and divine action in the unfolding of Jewish history. Chapters: 0:00 Yom Kodesh vs. Yom Tov 36:17 Work and Cessation: Togetherness and Aloneness 50:38 The Dialectic of the Individual and the Community 1:31:49 Creation, Redemption, and Human Initiative