The Chief Rabbinate of Israel has announced its decision regarding this year’s observance of Lag B’Omer. The discussion surrounded concerns that lighting bonfires on motzei Shabbos at official events will lead to chilul Shabbos on Shabbos afternoon as preparations will be made.
The Chief Rabbinate Council adds the Ministry of Education has pushed Lag B’Omer vacation from Sunday to Monday, and it feels this was correct, calling on the tzibur to light bonfires on Sunday night and not motzei Shabbos.
The Rabbinate adds that for those insisting on lighting bonfires on motzei Shabbos nonetheless, not to begin before 22:30.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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3 Responses
I can’t understand us Chareidim who will protest Chlull Shabbos of a few hundred at a parking lot. This Motzei Shabbos, Thousands of police, security, bus drivers taxis
vendors, will all be Mechallel Shabbos, so that we can be from the asara rishonim in Meron
mfmf: Do you also protest the weekly chillul Shabbos of the police or is there something about La”G ba’Omer and Meiron that bothers you?
Shuali:
What are you talking about, the normal day to day needs for police, army and other emergency service which doesn’t stop on Shabbos and to some extent* is not considered chillul Shabbos?
Do you also tell doctors, first responders and other people who have to carry a cell on Shabbos that they can’t make havdola?
Here we have a major amount of avoidable “vhillul Shabbos” and since it is genuinely avoidable (by pushing off the start of festivities) I venture to say that it does fall into the category of “real”/”full” chillul Shabbos and not that of operational needs (even though the facts on the ground make it real operational needs too).
*operational needs are not, of course members of any of these services my still be mechallel Shabbos when they do things that are not needed immediately on Shabbos, however a God fearing Jew who learns the Halachos involved can definitely do shifts in said services on Shabbos in a way that he/she won’t be mechallel Shabbos.