On this past Motzei Shabbos, Israel moved from daylight savings time to standard time, changing clocks on hour back.
In the Torah sheet ‘Divrei Siach’ it states a number of people asked HaGaon HaRav Chaim Kanievsky Shlita, who is known to be very meticulous regarding the use of time, what he does with the hour gained on the night of the time changeover.
“The question is not a question for Rav Kanievsky has never changed his watch as is the case in Lederman Beis Medrash. Mincha at Lederman is 12:30PM year round and Rav Kanievsky begins his day at 2:00AM all the time. For the rav time does not change and for those who change their clock, mincha at Lederman during the summer months is 1:30PM” the Torah sheet reports, adding “The rav was once again what he does and he explained ‘Because some meshuginers in the government decided to change the clock I have to listen…’”
The explanation continues that the clock change led to confusion on several occasions, including once when Rav Kanievsky set a time for a chavrusa with the latter on one time and Rav Chaim on his regular time. In another case, there was confusion pertaining to Rav Chaim serving as a sandek at a bris.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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7 Responses
There were some years that the state instituted DST (they use the British term “Summer Time” here), and the Chazon Ish reportedly did not change his clocks. This is probably the real reason Rav Chaim doesn’t either. BTW, Rav Chaim Kanievsky does not wear a watch, claiming that the Chazon Ish also did not.
I heard that the Chofetz Chaim did not have a clock in his house and I don’t think he had a watch.
It has been proven that DST doesn’t save anything. That’s why Russia stopped it. Israel started it about 30 years ago or so because they wanted to be “like” other countries.
It was nice however to start vatikin minyan at 6:25. A late shlof and still make vatikin.
I’m curious — if these people don’t have watches or clocks, how were they able to measure zmanim? did they (or their wives) just light candles a “while” before shkiya? Did they know when to make it to shul? Did they just guess when chatzose was to make sure to eat the afikoman in time? Of course the tannaim, amoraim, rishonim, etc also didn’t have clocks, but nowadays I feel that we really rely on them for this…..
R’ Chaim quotes a psak of the Chazon Ish that a wrist watch is a beged isha and is therefore not permissible for a man to wear. There is no inherent issue with using a clock to tell time.
#5 M – I assume that, unlike us, these Gadolim didn’t wait for the last minute to perform a mitzva. I’m sure Shabbos is taken in well beforehand and as far as Netz, there are simanim that chazal give to know when that time is.
As far as DST I also wish this stupid concept would be abolished. Most of the world does not observer it.