The Shu”t Oneg Yom Tov (end of siman 1) answers the contradiction with a different approach. He says: When we forbid one who doesn’t have any dirt prepared from doing shechitah on Yom Tov, we aren’t saying the shechitah is prohibited, we are simply pushing it off to a time when the shechitah can be done in the optimum manner with kisuy hadam, as at a later point in time the shechitah can be done with kisuy hadam. However, when it comes to wearing a four cornered garment, if we push wearing it off to a time when one can attach tzitzis, it only helps for the wearing of the garment then, it doesn’t help for the wearing of the garment retroactively. Therefore, we don’t push off allowing the wearing of it now, as one can wear it both now and later, and pushing it off doesn’t gain anything regarding the wearing of it now. And in regard to now (i.e. on Shabbos) there is no reason to forbid, as the Torah never said, “don’t wear a garment without tzitzis”, rather it says, “when you wear a garment attach strings.”
By shechitah which can only be carried out once, we push it off to a time when it can be done in the optimum manner, however, by tzitzis where each wearing is a new and independent wearing, we don’t gain by pushing it off.
According to this approach, it would seem that it’s forbidden to travel from Yerusholayim to another city, if due to the journey one will be onus and, in a situation, where he won’t have a minyan for Yom Tov Sheini. As only by tzitzis are we lenient, as one doesn’t gain anything by not wearing the tzitzis on Shabbos.
The Distinction of the Arugos HaBosem and Avi Ezri that It’s Forbidden to Start a Mitzvah, If One Knows He Won’t Be Able to Finish
The Shu”t Arugos HaBosem (Yoreh Deah 31:2) and Avi Ezri (End of Hilchos Shechita) make a distinction between the mitzvah of tzitzis and kisuy hadam, based on the Rishonim who learn that kisuy hadam is the finishing off of the mitzvah of shechitah (see Rosh, Chullin 6:6). They explain: If one knows he can’t do kisuy hadam, it’s forbidden to shect as one knows he can’t finish the mitzvah. However, by tzitzis the mitzvah is to put tzitzis strings on a garment one is wearing, however, wearing the garment and putting on tzitzis are not two parts of the same mitzvah, therefore, even if one knows he can’t put tzitzis on, it doesn’t prohibit him from wearing the garment.
According to this distinction, in our case of the avreich, since there is no connection between traveling before Yom Tov from Yerusholayim to the yeshiva where there is no minyan for Yom Tov Sheini, and davening with a minyan on Yom Tov Sheini, it would seem that one may travel and put himself in a situation of onus.
Going on Vacation to a Place Without a Minyan
The above question is very practical when it comes to going on vacation to a place where there is no minyan. R’ Shlomah Zalman (Halichos Shlomah Vol. 1, 5:4) takes on that if one is going for health, for a mitzvah, or for parnosah, one may be lenient. This is also clear from Shu”t Shevet HaLevi (6:21) who writes: If one is going just for תענוג בעלמא – “pleasure and enjoyment”, then it’s obvious that it’s forbidden. It’s clear that if one is going for one of the reasons mentioned by R’ Shlomah Zalman then it would be allowed.
According to this, in our case when the avreich wants to go to his old yeshivah for chizuk on Shavuos, it’s not considered תענוג בעלמא, rather it is considered a mitzvah, therefore, it would seem that we can be lenient.
Is It Fitting for Bnei Chutz La’aretz to Make Their Own Minyan in Eretz Yisroel on Yom Tov Sheini
We can add another argument to be lenient. The poskim discuss if Bnei Chutz La’aretz in Eretz Yisroel should make a minyan on second day Yom tov, or if perhaps they should daven alone. The Kaf HaChaim (496:38) brings the Shu”t Avkas Rochel (26) who writes: The minhag already from early days is that they make a minyan, and no one ever complained about this. However, the Avkas Rochel asks, that surely such minyanim should be forbidden due to machlokes, i.e. such minyanim lead to fights.
The truth is, the Shu”t Radvaz (4:77) only allows a Ben Chutz La’aretz to daven quietly, as people won’t notice if he is davening weekday davening or Yom Tov davening, however, he doesn’t allow davening out loud. This is also clear from the Pri Chodosh (496) who writes: When he went from Eretz Yisroel to Mitzrayim he was careful that those people in Chutz La’aretz wouldn’t notice that he was davening something different to them.
It's noteworthy that the Beis Yosef in Shulchan Aruch doesn’t mention what he wrote in Shu”t Avkas Rochel. The gedolei zemaneinu already speak about this at length (see Yom Tov Sheini KeHilchasoi, Perek 2, sif 2, who brings all the various opinions about this).
We see there are poskim who hold that a Ben Chutz La’aretz in Eretz Yisroel shouldn’t make his own Bnei Chutz La’aretz minyan on Yom Tov Sheini, therefore, certainly in our case we can allow the avreich to travel on erev Yom Tov to his yeshiva. Although this will cause that he won’t have a minyan for Yom Tov Sheini and he will miss out on krias haTorah, it’s not such a problem as there are those who say such minyonim shouldn’t be happening anyway.
(The above write-up is based on Madanay Yom Tov, Vol. 4 siman 136)
