Volume 19 Number 49
Produced: Wed May 10 23:16:08 1995
Subjects Discussed In This Issue:
Meggilah and Hallel
[Joe Goldstein]
Sefer Hamoadim and Purim Sheni
[Shmuel Himelstein]
Sefiras HaOmer
[Chaim Schild]
Sfira and Yom Haatzmaut
[Akiva Miller]
Sfirat ha'omer & Yom Ha'Atzmaut
[Gilad J. Gevaryahu]
Yom Ha'Atzmaut
[Zvi Weiss ]
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From: Joe Goldstein <vip0280@...>
Date: Wed, 10 May 95 11:20:02
Subject: Meggilah and Hallel
in response to Mordechai Zvi Juni's request as to where the Gemmorah
says that reading the meggilah is instead of Hallel, See Meggillah 14 a.
In response to the comment of Rabbi Riskind, that the days of Sefirah
were days of happiness until, the deaths of the students of Rebbi Akiva.
However, today they are reverting to days of happiness, as with Yom
Maatzmaut and Yom Yerusholyim, Quoted by Yehuda Eisenberg)
It is true that the days of Sefirah were days of happiness. However,
That was because the days from Pesach THROUGH Succos were all days of
grea joy. Hence one who brough BIKKURIM durim tha time brought BIKKURIM
and read the special Vidduy of thanks. After Succos Bikkurim was still
brought to the Bais Hamikdosh, However No thanksgiving Vidduy was said.
Therefore the period of the 3 weeks Culminating in Tisha Be'av was also
included in that time of happiness. Does anyone think those days
are reverting to days of happiness? Those days WILL revert when
MOSHIACH comes, May it be soon. Therefore, the days of Sefirah Still
are not days of Happiness. The "holidays" Of Yom Yerusholayim and
Haazmaut do not change the observance of sefirah in any way. There
is NO GODOL of the stature today to create a yom tov that can
override the laws of sefirah that have been in practice for generations.
(I am NOT addressing the saying of Hallel on those days or any other
"Minhag" that have been started for those days. If someone wants to
give thanks to the Ribbono Shel OLOM for the creation of the state
or for the recapturing of Yerusholayim, Give thanks, use the occasion
to get closer to the RBS"O. But do not change and discard the
established MINHAGIM of Klall Yisroel|)
THANKS
JOE (EXT 444)
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From: Shmuel Himelstein <himelstein@...>
Date: Tue, 9 May 1995 15:05:19 GMT
Subject: Sefer Hamoadim and Purim Sheni
Sefer Hamoadim lists numerous cases of Purim Sheni, i.e., specific
deliverances of Jews throughout the world. If one goes through it, one
will be surprised by what Jews DID add to the Tefillot. Below is a
partial list on their own private Purms, all taken from the above
source (almost all, incidentally, forbid the sayining of Tachanun on
these special days):
Avignon - a special Al Hanisim prayer was added, the Nusach being such
as to have one think that it was recited where the standard Al Hanissim
is said.
Ostraha (1734 or 1768) - special Piyyutim were composed.
Florence (1790) - Including the reading of Hallel!
Kavalian (?) (1713) - a special Al Hanissim was recited.
Angora - the reading of the full Hallel and the reciting of other
Tehillim.
Kandia (?) (1538) - special prayers were composed and accepted after
the rabbi convened 25 leaders and they adopted the rules. These prayers
are to be said by their descendants even if they leave the community.
Carpentras (1512) - "Hallel Hagadol" is recited.
Hebron (1741) - no Tachanun was recited, and all refrained from
working.
Ancona (1690) - "Hallel gamur benigun gadol, belo bracha."
Livorno (1742), the saying of "Hallel Hagadol," but NOT the regular
Hallel - "ve'chain ra'ui la'asot."
Vidin (?) (Bulgaria) (1878) - the saying of Hallel.
I suppose all that the above shows us is that there are precedents for
those who say AND for those who do not say, but there is certainly no
monolithic rule that no one ever recited Hallel on specially significant
days of deliverance. On the other hand, unlike Yom Ha'atzma'ut, all of
the above were celebrated on the actual day of the deliverance, and
whether 5 Iyar was actually an ACTUAL deliverance (as opposed to opening
the way for millions of Jews to be delivered) is another question.
Shmuel Himelstein
from Jerusalem the Golden
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From: <SCHILDH@...> (Chaim Schild)
Date: Wed, 10 May 1995 15:14:53 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Sefiras HaOmer
Why do we say each night Hayom............LA'Omer (with a Lamed) while
we say lag BA'Omer (with a beis) for the holiday ?
Chaim
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From: <Keeves@...> (Akiva Miller)
Date: Tue, 9 May 1995 23:43:41 -0400
Subject: Sfira and Yom Haatzmaut
In MJ 19#39, Lon Eisenberg asked about Yom Haatzmaut:
>4. How can we suspend observance of the mourning of sefeirah for
>this event (especially if we don't even celebrate it on the correct
>date)?
In MJ 19#46, Gilad J. Gevaryahu answered:
>As was shown, in a beautiful and elaborate way by Akiva Miller
>(MJ19#39), there are ample precedents to suspend the observance of
>the mourning of the sefirah for such holidays as Yom Yerushalyim, Yom
>Ha'Atzmaut, etc.
I am flattered by the reference to my posting in that issue. But Mr.
Gevaryahu did not answer Mr. Eisenberg's question. As my posting there
shows, the many varied customs all have one important - indeed, crucial
- thing in common: no less than 33 days of mourning (where a partial day
is counted as a day, using the rule of "miktzas hayom k'kulo"). Those
who celebrate on these days, and do not mourn, must make them up
somehow.
Yom Yerushalayim falls after Lag Baomer, and so poses a problem only to
some of the customs. But Yom Haatzmaut is a day of mourning according to
every single one of the eleven customs I mentioned. And so I repeat
Mr. Eisenberg's question: If you do not mourn on Yom Haatzmaut, then
when is your 33rd day?
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From: <Gevaryahu@...> (Gilad J. Gevaryahu)
Date: Wed, 10 May 1995 17:17:17 -0400
Subject: Sfirat ha'omer & Yom Ha'Atzmaut
Akiva Miller says:
>But Mr. Gevaryahu did not answer Mr. Eisenberg's question. As my posting
>there shows, the many varied customs all have one important - indeed,
>crucial - thing in common: no less than 33 days of mourning (where a partial
>day is counted as a day, using the rule of "miktzas hayom k'kulo"). Those
>who celebrate on these days, and do not mourn, must make them up somehow.
>Yom Yerushalayim falls after Lag Baomer, and so poses a problem only to some
>of the customs. But Yom Haatzmaut is a day of mourning according to every
>single one of the eleven customs I mentioned. And so I repeat Mr.
>Eisenberg's question: If you do not mourn on Yom Haatzmaut, then when is
>your 33rd day?
We have here two issues: 1. One should mourn during the sefira for 33 days;
and, 2. One is obligated to thank God by rejoicing if a miracle happened to
him (i.e. Yom Ha'Atzmaut)
"Thirty-third day in the period of the counting of the Omer ("Lag"=33),
corresponding to the 18th day of Iyyar. This day is celebrated as a
semi-holiday, although the reason for the celebration has not been
definitely ascertained. The reason most commonly given is that the
plague which raged among the disciples of R. Akiba during the period of
the "omer" (Yeb.62b) ceased on that day (Shulhan Aruk, Orah Hayyim,
493,2). There is, however, no foundation in the Talmud for this
tradition..."(The Jewish Encyclopedia, Vol. IX, p.399-400) Rambam does
not know about this 33 days of mourning, it emerges as a custom past his
time and it started among the Ashkenazic communities.
It was suggested by some historians that this Ashkenazic minhag, came
into being as a result of the first crusaders attack against the Jewish
communities of the Rhine valley of 1096 which happened on Iyyar-Sivan
(Gezeirot ttn"u) (See the historical account in Enc. Jud V.5
p. 1137). Some suggested that it was celebrated as a semiholiday since
the time of the geonim (B.M.Lewin, Ozar ha'Geonim 7(1936),
140-1). According to many, the story about the R. Akiba plague was
superimposed here later. The Talmud did not state that the R. Akiba
story had anything to do with Lag ba'Omer unless one employs textual
emendations. Part of the reason for the many minhagim (customs) as to
the 33 days could probably be traced to its late coming into normative
Judaism. Note that we do not count 33 days under some traditions, since
the days from the first count till the end of Pesach are Chag, where one
is required De'Oraita to rejoice "ve'samachta be'chagecha". No shaving
during chol-hamoed has nothing to do with sefirat ha'omer. Is this a
case of an aggadah which became minhag which became din?
"On the other hand it is an obligation and a mitzvah to set a memorial
day to commemorate the miracle of Yom Ha'Atzmaut" (Kol MeVaser, Part I,
Siman 21) This Sho"t by Meshulam Rattah, discusses over many pages all
the halachic issues of the blessing of She'hecheyanu on Yom Ha'Atzmaut,
and of the Hallel. For him the issue of the 33 days was not even an
issue to discuss, because it is obvious t hat the answer is the a great
miracle of Yom Ha'Atzmaut takes precedent. You can find it on the Bar
Ilan CD-ROM.
Gilad J. Gevaryahu
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From: Zvi Weiss <weissz@...>
Date: Tue, 9 May 1995 12:04:14 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Yom Ha'Atzmaut
Various comments re Yom HaAtzmaut:
1. The comment that Kriat Hamegillah is equivalent of Hallel (kriatah zo hee
hilulah, I think) is in the beginning of Masechet Megilla (I beleive the
first Perek). Note that it is one of SEVERAL reasons for not reciting
Hallel on Purim (others include the fact that the miracle was in Ch"ul and
that we were still subjegated to Achashverosh).
2. I do not understand the logic that because the days of the Omer were ONCE
joyful, the current circumstances (i.e., the establishment of the Medina)
are considered a "return" to that state. That was also a time when we
had the Beit Hamikdash standing, as well... My concern is that the
"fervor" of the event should not overwhelm the halachic analysis that
is required to justify this sort of change.
3. The fact that the Knesset "sets" the day to celebrate Yom Ha'Atzmaut
hardly sounds like a proper basis for determining when this event should
be celebrated from a religious perspective. It is good that the Knesset
was sensitive enough to respond to the concerns about Chillul Shabbat
that were raised (and I wonder if people such as Shulamit Aloni would
even care about such issues...) but that should not drive our commemor-
ation from the religious viewpoint. When I spoke to R. Schachter about
this, the Knesset's action was not even mentioned.
4. There is a difference between stating praise at the time that an event
occurs and in terms of subsequent anniversary celebrations. While it
may very well have been legitimate to state Hallel *at the time* in 1948,
it is not clear that this applies as well to the subsequent anniversaries
of the event. More to the point, what was the basis of the poster who
stated that Hallel is simply treated as "psalms of praise" and (apparently
nothing more). I recall hearing the Rav ZT"L state several times that
Hallel is to be recited where ever there is a "Gilui Shechina" or Divine
Revelation of sorts. Again, regardless of how strongly we support the
Median and regardless of how grateful we are to Hashem for this wonder-
ful gift, can we honestly state that the events in question are in conso-
nance with "Gilui Shechina" and deserving of Hallel? Again, my concern is
that the "romantic fervor" seems to be overwhelming the Halachic Process.
5. The same comment applies to adding in Psalms in Shacharit. I would like
someone to cite a precedent for this practice that properly corresponds
to Yom Ha'Atzmaut.
I would like to add that -- as critical as I am of some of these practices,
I am even more cirtical of the Religious Leadership who studiously avoid
telling us what IS the proper way to celebrate Yom Ha'Atzmaut. While *I*
personally think that Yom Ha'Atzmaut should be a day of Se'udot Hoda'ah
with lots of Limud Torah and Divrei Torah. While I think that we should
be expressing our gratitude to Hashem by a rededication to Mitzvot (esp.
those relating to Eretz Yisrael) in a most public way, the majority of
Poskim seem to go out of their way to AVOID any "celebration" of this
wonderful event. And, IMHO, *that* is even MORE wrong than the
celebrations. At least the celebrations represent a (possibly misguided)
way of expressing thankfulness and appreciation to Hashem. The *lack of
celebration* (extending even to the recitation of Tachanun) seems to be
saying to Hashem "we don't care"... And, *that* (to me) is a TRULY
horrible attitude....
--Zvi.
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End of Volume 19 Issue 49
