Hak’hel took place on Sukkot right after the Shemita year: “Every seventh year, at the time of the Shemita year, at the Festival of Sukkot, when all Israel comes to appear before the Lord your God” (Devarim 31:10-11). Based on the phrase “when all Israel comes,” the Sages extrapolate that the verse refers to the beginning of the festival, as that was when everyone came to Jerusalem (Sota 41a). However, the Sages did not want to hold the assembly on the first day of the festival, because that day is Yom Tov, and it would be forbidden to erect the platform on which the king stood. Putting it up before the festival was not a good option either, because that would have led to crowding in the Temple courtyard when everyone came to offer sacrifices. Therefore, Hak’hel was postponed until right after the first Yom Tov (Rashi). Alternatively, it can be derived from the verse’s use of the word “ba-mo’ed” (translated above “at the time”), which can be understood to mean “in the festival,” that Hak’hel took place in the middle of the festival, not at the very beginning (Tosafot).
Some say that Hak’hel took place at night, right after the first Yom Tov (Tiferet Yisrael). Others maintain that it took place the next day, on the first day of Ḥol Ha-mo’ed (Aderet).
The Hak’hel assembly put the stamp of sanctity on the concluding Shemita cycle. The gathering of the entire nation then to hear the Torah conveyed a powerful message: everything connected to Torah has eternal value, while everything else is eventually lost and forgotten. This message strengthened and enlightened Israel to continue following the Torah’s ways for the next seven-year cycle.
Since Hak’hel took place on a pilgrimage festival, the Sages derived from a gezera shava that men who are exempt from making the pilgrimage and offering the festival sacrifices (Peninei Halakha: Mo’adim 1:15) are also exempt from Hak’hel. Therefore, the deaf, mute, blind, lame, and tamei are exempt from Hak’hel, as are slaves. Elderly and sick men unable to walk from Jerusalem to the Temple Mount are exempt as well. However, women are obligated in Hak’hel even though they are not obligated to make the pilgrimage.
Parents are obligated to bring a minor with a disability to Hak’hel, just as they were obligated to bring the rest of their children. This was true even if the disability would exempt the child from the obligation to undertake the pilgrimage himself as an adult (Minḥat Ḥinukh 612:4). The uncircumcised are also obligated in Hak’hel (MT, Laws of Pilgrimage Offerings 3:2).
Even if someone could not hear the king read – whether because he was forced to stand very far away due to the crowds or because he was hard of hearing – he was still expected to focus his attention on the reading. Rambam elaborates: “It was established by Scripture only to strengthen the true religion. One is meant to see himself as if he is being commanded directly by God, right now. The king is a messenger, conveying the words of God” (MT, op. cit. 3:6 as interpreted by Leḥem Mishneh ad loc.).
