Speaking with Kol Berama Radio’s Moti Lavi on Sunday, 1 Rosh Chodesh Adar II 5774, HaGaon HaRav Elyakim Levanon spoke about the Million Man Atzeres. The bottom line of the rav’s remarks is that one should participate in the atzeres if at all possible.

Rabbi Levanon is the mora d’asra of Yishuv Elon Moreh, rosh yeshiva of the header yeshiva and rav of the Shomron. He expressed his pain over statements made by people representing chareidim and their harsh tone and vocabulary in their criticism of dati leumi rabbonim. Nevertheless, the rav believes the Million Man Atzeres is a matter of kovod HaTorah and he personally will do his utmost to attend, planning to be there. He spoke out against any effort to curtail limud Torah in Eretz Yisrael.

He added that due to the enormous expense of chartering bulletproof buses for talmidim of his hesder yeshiva and the time involved, 90 minute travel in each direction, he decided to avoid a day of bitul Torah and they will dedicate the day’s limud to kovod HaTorah rather than attending. The rav instructs any talmidim absent from yeshiva to attend the event.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)