Hagaon HaRav David Yosef Shlita continues to speak out strongly against chareidim taking part in the Lag B’Omer festivities in Meron beginning on motzei Shabbos. Rabbi Yosef is an outspoken critic of beginning the events on motzei Shabbos for he insists this is directly responsible for widespread chilul Shabbos.
Rabbi Yosef points out that this year, the non-frum delay observing Memorial Day to avoid chilul Shabbos, questioning why frum Jews cannot do the same regarding Lag B’Omer. He calls the actions of chareidim who insist on lighting bonfires on motzei Shabbos “hypocrites” for they are the first heard to condemn the chilul Shabbos of others.
In the opening of a weekly shiur, the rav added “When the state was established, the date was decided upon for Memorial Day and Independence Day, with the latter being 5 Iyar and the former on 4 Iyar.
“This year, 4 Iyar was on a Sunday and it was already decided back then, in order to keep the days back-to-back, realizing there is much to do to prepare and there was a fear of chilul Shabbos. Hence, the decision was made to push off Memorial Day to avoid the chilul Shabbos, as was the case this year”.
“The non-frum agreed [to push off Memorial Day to avoid chilul Shabbos] so why can’t the chareidim agree regarding motzei Shabbos Lag B’Omer?”
“Is there a mitzvah in the Torah that we must light a bonfire on Lag B’Omer? However, this still results in significant chilul Shabbos among police and others. What do you want from police? The police must be present to preserve law and order as well as safety. Just look at what occurred as a result of fewer police at the levaya of Rav Wosner – people were killed! Instead of being critical of police, we should be critical of the actions of chareidim, those who are trying to turn this into a new mitzvah, that they must head out immediately following the termination of Shabbos and this demand police prepare in advance”.
Rabbi Yosef added “This is simply hypocrisy. How can it be that people are scornful, cause thousands to desecrate Shabbos, cause buses to desecrate Shabbos, yet fail on their ow. Why not learn from seculars? The secular people agreed to postpone Memorial Day and Independence Day only because they thought there would be no desecration of Shabbos. And we are not as considerate? What is this? This is hypocrisy! ”
“This is disgraceful. Postpone it! Postpone lighting the bonfire until 4:00AM. Close the entire complex [of the Rashbi before to avoid chilul Shabbos] until midnight. If someone believes he will get ‘tanur rishon’, in Gehenom he will realize the spot is closed. To maintain a minhag that results in tens of thousands to be mechalel Shabbos” the rav concluded.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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4 Responses
He nailed it.
Is seems that the main object of the Rav’s scorn is the Boyaner Rebbe, for it is the Boyaner who lights the first bonfire.
And what happens when Purim is on Sunday?
I have to object to Rav Yosef’s argument on several levels.
1) Yom HaZikaron was NOT set up when the state was established. It was originally celebrated in conjunction with
Yom HaAtzmaut (5 Iyar) and not moved to 4 Iyar until 1951.
2) I SERIOUSLY doubt that Ben Gurion and his ilk were at all concerned about the desecration of shabbos. If I am wrong, I would love to see the evidence.
3) It’s not like the (secular) cops he’s worried about violating shabbos would otherwise be keeping shabbos anyway! This way they are at least doing something that directly aids in promoting Torah.
4) I take DEEP offense at the comparison of Lag B’omer celebrations that are steeped in our religious traditions for (at the very least) half a millenia to a secular holiday whose date has absolutely ZERO religious significance and whose was chosen arbitrarily. IOW it doesn’t matter a whit what day Yom HaAtzmaut is celebrated on. It DOES matter what day Lag B’Omer is observed on. Sorry Rav, the comparison is absurd to the point of being ridiculous.