About 2,000 people participated in a special Independence Day maariv at the Kosel on Wednesday night, the eve of 4 Iyar 5772. Among the mispallalim was Rishon L’Tzion HaGaon HaRav Shlomo Moshe Amar Shlita. After the tzibur completed Shmona Esrei, as the chazzan was about to recite the bracha on Hallel, the chief rabbi told Rav Uri Sriki, head of the Machon Meir Beis Medrash that one may not recite the bracha.
“What is written in this pamphlet is incorrect” the chief rabbi explained. “One may not make a bracha on Hallel and if one does, it is a ‘bracha levatala’.
After the two discussed the inyan for a brief period, the decision was made not to make the bracha in the public forum to avoid a dispute. In past years, Hallel was recited at the Kosel festive maariv.
Rav Amar explained that in Morocco, they did make a bracha on Hallel but in Eretz Yisrael, they adhere to the p’sak Halacha of Maran HaGaon HaRav Ovadia Yosef Shlita.
After Sriki told those present after the chief rabbi left that he did not feel it is proper to dispute the chief rabbi in a public forum but he maintains one should say a bracha. He rejects Rav Amar’s position because he is speaking about Hallel on Rosh Chodesh but here, when the entire Hallel is recited, one should say a bracha. “Next year we will recite a bracha. It will take time but eventually, we will even persuade the rabbonim” Rav Sriki concluded.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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10 Responses
There’s a precedent. We didn’t make a bracha when saying hallel on Shabatai Zvi’s birthday.
Baruch Hashem that Talmidai Chachomin can communicate, offer opinions and discuss halachic issues without burning tires, screaming, physical and verbal attacks.
Kudos to the two Rabbanim.
The practition of ‘religious’ Zionism seemingly entails making up one’s own mind on how to rule in religious matters.
I follow the shita of David ben Gurion regarding Hallel on Yom Ha’atzmaut, which is to not say Hallel. However, I do not follow his shita regarding other minhagim, such as not davening at all 😉
He rejects Rav Amar’s position because he is speaking about Hallel on Rosh Chodesh but here, when the entire Hallel is recited, one should say a bracha.
Ha gufa kashya, who told you to say the whole hallel? Hallel on Yom Ha’atzma’ut is at most a minhag, not a mitzvah. How can you say “vetzivanu” when there is no mitzvah to say it?
The issue is a machlokes rishonim whether one can say brochos on minhogim, such as hallel on Rosh Chodesh. The Sefardi poskim say no, the Baalei Hatosfos say yes. The minhag of Western Sefardim (Moroccans and Spanish/Portuguese) is like the Baalei Hatosfos, but Eastern Sefardim hold that it’s a brocho levatoloh. This applies not just to hallel but to all minhogim where Ashkenazim and Western Sefardim are meikil and say a brocho, while Eastern Sefardim are machmir.
Great idea, Rav Sriki. Lets persuade our senior Rabbanim how to pasken. That’s well within the tradition of the Halachik process for dorei doros, right?
Rav Sariki dosnt chap the whole sugya-nice man but a Tam
To Torahyid:
You’ve gone through Rav Sriki’s published teshuvah on the topic?
If you read the original article, you’ll see that Rav Amar was npt discussing Hallel on Yom Ha’atzamaut per se, but whether all Sefaradim in EY have to follow Rav Ovadia Yosef’s reading of the Mechaber.
Just because “a lot” of people say Hallel doesn’t make it a “minhag”. A lot of Jews eat turkey on the last thursday in November does that make it a minhag? Israels independence day is a strictly secular day instituted by secular people. Considering how well jews are treated in the US maybe we should say Hallel on July 4th? Oh that of course sounds ridiculous but in actuality its one and the same.
in all honesty. can some1 explain to me how it is justified halachically to say hallel on the 4th of iyar? even if u justify it on the 5th, how does the etzem hayom and the supposed chiyuv hallel transfer to 4th of Iyar?