The Chief Rabbinate of Israel released a psak halacha that all soldiers in the fighting are exempt from fasting on Tisha B’Av and all the customs and halachos of aveilus. The Rabbinate psak mentions the mesirus nefesh of the soldiers.
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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9 Responses
Obvious ,but Kol hakovod
Even when you know the halacha only a Rov has the koach to pasken
“Even when you know the halacha only a Rov has the koach to pasken.”
Where did you learn that nonsense from? Doesn’t the Rav pasken for himself? Don’t you pasken for yourself if you washed negel vaser properly? Put your Tefillin on correctly?
The prerequisite is that you need to know the intricacies of the Halacha. If you do, then you can pasken even for yourself.
#2: Your statement is categorically false. Do you ask a Rav every morning if you should say Modeh Ani? Do you ask a Rav every time you go to the bathroom if you should say Asher Yatzar?
If you have to ask a Shaila about Pikuach Nefesh, even safek Pikuach Nefesh, then you are putting lives in danger.
#2’s point is essentially valid. As great as these Rabbis may be, they are merely employees of the Zionist State, not poskim for Klal Yisrael.
Moreover, the Zionist Rabbis mentioned that these soldiers are “mosrim nafsham limaan Am Yisrael viEretz Yisrael”.
Of course, there is no halachic permit to give up one’s life for Eretz Yisrael. This is Zionism, not, liHavdil, Torah.
Shoomie well said. I understand why they have to wear shoes, but why should they be able to eat? Didn’t Jews always fast when they went out to war? Not only on Tisha B’Av but at any war they fasted and put their faith in Hashem. That’s why we fast Taanis Ester, to commemorate that the Jews of Shushan fasted for the war. I don’t understand this psak at all. They should fast all the more so on Tisha B’Av {if they can, obviously}. Also this is just a plain psak without any sources or support, the way tshuvos were written traditionally.
It is a Eis Tzara and perhaps they should support more fasts upon the rest of the community, like the RMBM says to do in a Eis Tzara. Not annul Tisha B’Av.
My humble opinion.
Not every soldier knows the intricacies of halacha. Many may be keeping halacha for the very first time.
For most this means nothing.