Supreme Court President Asher Grunis announces the nation’s courts will open on Thursday, day 2 of Rosh Hashanah at 18:00 due to the fact this year, the Yomtov connects to Shabbos. Justice Grunis feels the three-day Yomtov is sufficient reason to compel the courts to open on 1 Tishrei 5774.
Responding to the decision is Hebron resident, activist and attorney Itamar Ben-Givir, who sent a letter to the chief justice in which he expresses “sadness and shock over the decision, which will lead to widespread chilul Yomtov.” Ben-Givir adds he fears the decision compromises the Jewish character of the nation.
Ben-Givir calls on Grunis to retract his decision or at the very least limit the decision to “pikuach nefesh” cases while all other cases will be held until motzei Shabbos or Sunday.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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10 Responses
I don’t get it. Thursday is not “day 2 of Rosh Hashana”…??!!
Just to be masbir what the issue is: The law in Israel states that anyone can be held in prison for up to 48 hours without a trial, but after 48 hours, if they are held without a trial, they can automatically be let free no matter what the charge. Thus, if there are three days b’ritzifus where the courts don’t work, then all the criminals arrested late Erev Rosh HaShana and on the first day of Rosh HaShana will be let free. (But then again, since when does this country care about letting hardened criminals go free?)
This is the typical irony we continue to find in the so called jewish state. big kiddush hashem for no tennis on yom kippur followed by opening state offices on rosh hashana. crackers
“2. Reb Chaim HaQoton says…”
Thank you for explaining this situation.
Also, I don’t know if this means they will be open on Friday, the second day, or just Thursday evening. In any case, perhaps they are somech on shitaso of Rabeinu Efraim (a talmid of the Rif) and the baal ham’or who believed that bizman hazeh, bnei Eretz Yisroel should keep only one day of R”H.
So, wouldn’t it be better for them to be open on the second day, which is derabbonon? Not that they necessarily think along those lines. Or have only non-Jewish justices doing arraignments?
The last election was a “re-set” of national priorities. Don’t be surprised to see Shabbos and Yuntuf being disregarded totally. Israel has never really been a Jewish state, and now they are giving up even the illusion of being a Jewish state.
I am advised that there is a law in the Knesset that on 3 days holydays the Court must be open one day for arrest cases. Chief Judge Grunis therefore did not break any new ground and it would have been prudent for you to have checked before running this inflamatory story.
No problem. Rosh Hashanah is a yoma aricha. So it’s twenty-four long hours. Add Shabbos and you have 48 hours.
The instruction is only to open courts for הארכת מעצר where (i) the detained person will not waive his right to be brought before a judge until motzaei shabbat and (ii) the police feel that there is a sufficiently weighty reason that warrants not allowing the detainee to go free early on a technicality under the circumstances. In the past the Supreme Court has ruled that only פיקוח נפש warrants opening a court on shabbat or chag and there is absolutely no reason to believe that this ruling will not be followed. This seems to be a storm in a teacup manufactured to get someone some free publicity.
this isnt the first time rosh hashana fell out on a thurs & friday, what happened last time?