HaGaon HaRav David Yosef Shlita, a member of Shas’ Moetzas Gedolei Yisrael released harsh statements against chareidim for their insistence of beginning Lag B’Omer festivities on motzei Shabbos, resulting in massive chilul Shabbos by police and others compelled to prepare hours before Shabbos ended.
Rav Yosef called on avreichim not to participate in motzei Shabbos events at the tziyun of the Rashbi because of the chilul Shabbos that resulted. His words were echoed last week by dati leumi poskim including HaGaon HaRav Yaakov Ariel Shlita.
“They reported that a half million people arrived in Meron on Lag B’Omer. Believe me this is not a mitzvah assei and I have gone through Chumash hundreds of time. I do not know where this originates, this mitzvah assei [to go to Meron]… Hundreds of thousands including avrichei kollel? An entire day to travel to Meron and return to be at the kever for five seconds – is this what Rabi Shimon Bar Yochai wants from us” stated Rav Yosef.
Rav Yosef was aware that many hearing his harsh words were among those who traveled to Meron. “I am aware that what I am saying to you is unpopular but I am not seeking popularity. I stand by my words which are emmes.”
Rav David Yosef added “Maran Posek Hador my father HaGaon HaRav Ovadia Yosef ZT”L never visited Meron on Lag B’Omer and he spoke to me about his pain regarding the many traveling to Meron and the waste of time associated with it.”
Rav Yosef explains that if the chareidi tzibur would have announced that no one was going to begin traveling to Meron until the predawn hours on Sunday morning, police could have waited to motzei Shabbos to begin preparations. “However, since many felt compelled to be there an hour after Shabbos ended police had to begin preparations during Shabbos. Can we say we are not responsible for this?”
Rav Yosef added that in his opinion it was prohibited to ride the buses on motzei Shabbos for doing so resulted in one benefiting from chilul Shabbos.
He added the lack of tznius in Meron is another reason for avreichim to distance themselves as well as the tremendous waste of time and the lost limud Torah.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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16 Responses
Same goes for the stuff that goes on here. Big waste of time and mixing of the genders.
Good point
No one invited the police. The zionist police would strive to be mehallel Shabbos even if Lag BaOmer is on Tuesday. It isn’t like the police are there to be helpful, they are there to show the flag and make it clear to the participants that the hilonim medinah rules Eretz Yisrael, not the Jews.
i saw way more sefardim last night at the kever than litvish yeshiva bachurim, please bother your own tzibbur.
He is right, of course. Light the bonfires late Sunday afternoon.
Does the tzibur that showed up early after Shabbos in Meron have an answer to Rabbi Dovid Yosef’s taana that they caused the security forces to commit chillul Shabbos? This going to Meron on Lag B’Omer is a fetish comparable to going to Uman in the Ukraine for Rosh HaShana.
We are ending the mourning period of R’ Akiva’s students, and it seems that some have gotten nothing out of it. They still don’t respect other’s religious needs.
And waste of money that could educate and feed the needy?
I would love to know what Moreinu Harav Steinman and the other Chareidi Gedolei Hador said on this matter. I recall in my (black hat) yeshiva days our Rabbonim urged us not to go to Meron and that was even without Chillul Shabbos issues bring involved.
According to Rav Ovadia, lag baomer is one of the days of the omer that is included in aveilus. He follows the Mechaber, maran rav yosef karo in shulchon oruch. So, I would definitely see him frowning on this custom, even if there was no chilul shabbos and bittul torah questions.
The azkenazim, especially the Chasidim, who are chareidim need to explain how this entire arrangement can be accomplished without chillul shabbos. I am not sure that the arrangements need to be made on Shabbos but if it is trully so, then why won’t they postpone the meduras?
Don’t lump all chareidim together. No self-respecting misnaged would be involved in this.
But you don’t have chilol shabbos
When Lag BaOmer begins on Motzei Shabbos, the hadlakah doesn’t start until very, very late – plenty of time for police to get there after Shabbos if they cared to. All the police do there is maintain a presence – everything else, including all the barricades, is done and up way before Shabbos starts.
So what’s the deal?
With all do respect to the Rav (and I don’t mean that sarcastically), how exactly did the police know in advance that so many people would be coming motzei Shabbat in order to be m’chalel Shabbat with preparations. Let’s say everyone and their mother listened to the Rabbanut and didn’t come until Sunday morning – the police still would have been just as m’chalel Shabbat. Did they have a time machine to go into the future and see how many people were going to show up? Unless they made Egged tell them how many tickets had been sold or something I’m not buying it.
“talmud student says:
May 18, 2014 at 1:46 pm
i saw way more sefardim last night at the kever than litvish yeshiva bachurim, please bother your own tzibbur.”
What chutzpa to talk down to, or about a talmid hacham whether he is sefardic or ashkenazi, yemenite or hasidish, etc etc, if you dont agree you still dont disrespect someone greater than you. and yes he is greater than you. while you are here making sinat chinam he is trying to prevent chilul shabbos.. you listen to the words of talmidei hachamim and if you dont agree you dont run your mouth. ***did you forget why we are in this period of mourning during the sefira period- lo nahagu kavod zeh l’zeh…
Assurnet: that’s why Chazal say חכם עדיף מנביא