As reported on YWN, stores in the Beis Yisrael/Meah Shearim neighborhood near Yeshivas Mir Yerushalayim have been ordered to close their doors at 11PM each night, leaving hundreds of Bochurim with no place to go shopping for food as they leave Night Seder.
The ban has been enforced by the Hanhala of the Yeshiva, local Rabbonim and Kashrus organizations.
The Yeshiva announced they will be serving refreshments between 11 and 11:30PM each night in the yeshiva dining room.
However, this arrangement has left many bochurim frustrated as they get acclimated to the new reality. This came to a head on Wednesday night, 10 Teves, as many would have liked to get something fresh to eat ahead of the fast beginning Thursday morning.
As can be seen in the attached photos, the doors to Nechama Bakery were closed at 11PM sharp, in keeping with the new policy. This was despite a sizable crowd gathering outside seeking to enter the store. The bakery had previously been open 24 hours a day, often with fresh baked goods throughout the night.
The following is the text of an announcement from the Mir Rosh HaYeshiva, Horav Lazer Yudel Finkel Shlita, announcing and explaining the new policies regarding local eateries. The letter, seen this week hanging on the walls around the Yeshiva, is attached in both it’s original Hebrew, and English translated formats.
Divrei Torah need reinforcement. We wish to reinforce the Takana that my father, Maran Rosh Hayeshiva ZT”L established. He gathered the whole yeshiva and cried out from the depths of his heart about the many restaurants and food stores in the area, especially those that are open until late at night, which are a great disturbance to growth in Torah and Yiras Shamayim of the Bnei Hayeshiva. Gathering around these stores during all hours of the day and especially during the sedarim of the Yeshiva, cause much spiritual damage and a tremendous weakening in limud hatorah.
Lately, the situation has become much more rampant. B”H, the local Rabbanim and the Kashrus organizations, especially the Badatz of the Eida Hachareidis and Rabbi Rubin, have reinforced the Takana to close all these stores no later than 11:00 p.m., and we must strenghthen ourselves and stand on guard without without any compromises.
Therefore we wish to emphasize that:
1. It is forbidden to enter at any hour of the day any food store/restaurant that is opened after 11:00 p.m. – including Thursday night and Motzaei Shabbos
2. It is forbidden to enter any food stores/restaurants that do not have a hashgacha on their products.
By abiding by these rules, may we be zoche to grow in Torah and Yiras Shamayim and raise the banner of Torah and those who toil in it.
Harav Eliezer Yehuda Finkel
Rosh Hayeshiva
To all the Bnei Hayeshiva and its visitors, I hereby join the Rosh HaYeshiva shlita’s holy call.
Harav Aharon Chadash
Mashgiach
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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31 Responses
Am I missing something? They had all day to buy things to eat after night Seder so why is this a crisis? You make it sound as if hundreds of bochrim will have to suffer with starvation. Bochrim it’s time to take a responsibility in life as you prepare for marriage. As Chazal say if you don’t go shoppping Erev Shabbos you won’t have food to eat on Shabbos.
@avi732 that was my first reaction but the truth is its tough on the yeshiva guys because nechamas bakery is one of those places you go a bunch of times a day-basically if your bored and buy a rugalah-its addictive stuff!(you should try it if you dont know what im talking about) so theyre not necessarily stocking up on food in their dira-more like go there and eat in and around the store-so its their chill place for after night seder. its a chaval the Hanhala doesnt approve of such “chill time”…..better than hanging out in ben yehuda….
its not called “irresponsible” on their part
In other breaking news, someone blocked a driveway in Boro Park this morning.
I think this ‘terrible gezeirah’ merits a fast in it’s own right.
Makes me wonder how I managed in my yeshiva days when there weren’t shops open round the clock…
All these commentators (mostly from the other thread) apparently never went to yeshiva. No one said they’re gonna starve or go hungry, but the idea is when you’re sitting and learning all day (which is beautiful) sometimes you need to get out a little at the end of the day. You need a change of scenery, a break from yeshiva made food, maybe meet up with friends who learn elsewhere. Maybe you need a break. Some people learn better knowing at 11 after Seder they’re gonna go out to eat. There aren’t many (or really any) outlets over there for the bachurim. If i was there now i would be very very upset. It would be very hard for me to swallow.
Who am I to comment but I think like #1, Avi732.#2, J92 also makes a lot of sense though too. After all it’s his yeshiva and he sets the rules – even for 22 year lods. I just wish he’d made the end time at 12:00 midnight precisely for the point J92 made. After all it’s likely that they’ll now leave the B”M en masse to beat the 11:00 deadline as Rav Hutner zatza”l used to say, ” Boys Vill Be Boys!”
I don’t get the point your trying to make by posting this article, are you chas v’shalom trying to argue with the Mirer Rosh Yeshiva. I hope not
why can’t the close at 11:30? I don’t understand!!!
something tells me bachurim will be leaving early from night seder and this takana will be יצא שכרה בהפסדה close 11:30
in rechov yafo the stores are open till late
I truly find it a bit odd that of all the hundreds of yeshivis in that area , the mir was the only one to have to write this letter. To have to control bochurim who are already dating is mind boggling. Either the bochrim are very immature or the hanalah has thier own personal agenda. Either way its a sad state of affairs.
Bkaufman613
December 28, 2017 5:46 am at 5:46 am
I don’t get the point your trying to make by posting this article, are you chas v’shalom trying to argue with the Mirer Rosh Yeshiva. I hope not.
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Are u chas vsholom not listening to the gedolim when they clearly said not to be on the internet? I hope not.
The tone of this article seems to be critical of the Hanholo of Mir as being unfair to Bochurim. Just look at the headline. This is not OK.
So far only Bkaufman613 has picked up on this.
Could anyone who reads this article and feels this way please make an effort to leave a comment saying so.
I can’t wrap my head around controlling others instead of controlling yourself. It doesn’t sound or feel Jewish.
. the article seems to be mocking the takana of the yeshiva. shame on the writer and its disseminator.
. the article implies the bachurim now wont have a snack before the taanis. they can always head to the yeshiva dining room, snacks provided, free.
get on your phone order food and have it delivered to your dira
Takes2-2Tango…..”. Either way its a sad state of affairs.”
It may get worse. The others will start to follow the Pied Piper… Copycatting is in , in the frum world, or didn’t anybody notice?
“… they can always head to the yeshiva dining room, snacks provided, free….”
How about, maybe they don’t want yeshiva snack food? How about, they want a nice meal once in a while, like…. say…. You and I, and other humans.
It’s a crime? That’s right, bochrim ! Be happy with school snacks, your minds should be on learning. Never mind a good meal, that’s devious yetzer hora incitement.
“…get on your phone order food and have it delivered to your dira…”
Yes Sir ! Right away, Sir. Anything else, Sir ?
1. they clearly wrote food will be available in dining room.
2. being able to sit and learn is a privilege not a right.
3. after so many years of absoloutly no rules in the Mir at least they have found a way to stop one issue.
You know what they say about those late night eating habits. These Rabbonim are trying to keep the bochurs in shape
The Haredi reaction to be more and more reactionary will not increase the love of torah nor its observance. If someone wants a break to get something to eat they will now go to other neighborhoods. Previous generations were focused on lessening the burden on the community but instead this current haredi generation is Israel seeks to rob the youth of the ability to support themselves, control them and push out more and more restrictions. In the end this ban will be proven to have been damaging not only to the talmidim and the businesses that will be forced to do with less but to the whole torah community.
I’m a bit shocked: Why this Takoneh? And why חללה לא להיכנס לחנות שפורצת גדר גדול זה ?
People or shops owners can’t do what they think is right?
Emes Says,
If the Rosh Yeshiva, Bdatz and Rav Rubin came to a consensus to close the eateries at 11;00 PM ,how dare we even think that Daas Torah made a mistake!!!!!
Faygy, I was thinking the same. Making rules for the bochurim is one thing, but what right does the Mir or anyone else have to limit a business’s parnassah? What about a person coming back from work at midnight & wants to buy a hot roll, why is that option taken away from him?
Oh, but I forgot. They don’t work. Silly me.
“How about, maybe they don’t want yeshiva snack food?”
So, nobody is forcing them to eat it. surely they are aware of the saying, poor planning on your part, does not constitute an emergency on my part. they knew of the takana, if they wanted rugelach, a danish or whatever else from the stores, they should have made their purchases earlier during bein hasdarim.
They couldn’t walk a few blocks to malchei yisroel to buy food there?
It’z chutzpah on the part of the bocherim to even attempt to purchase food past 11 PM, when they know full well that their rabbomin instituted a prohibition against it. However, when these same rabbonim decree that it’s assur to work or join the IDF, then their word are to be followed at all costs. Seems like they are choosing the following only the psak which work in their favor. Doesn’t look good for anyone.
emesays
December 28, 2017 11:51 pm at 11:51 pm
Emes Says,
If the Rosh Yeshiva, Bdatz and Rav Rubin came to a consensus to close the eateries at 11;00 PM ,how dare we even think that Daas Torah made a mistake!!
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Since when are hasgacha companies considered dass tayra? The aida and rubin are both for profits companies and therefore should not be part of the dass tayrah equation!
The real issue is the irresponsible way in which YWN creates their headlines, purposely trying to create scandal where it doesn’t exist just to get more people to read their articles. Oh no, these poor self sacrificing Yeshiva boys are starving due to the tyranny of their callous and extreme roshei Yeshivas. It’s worse than North Korea! Grow up YWN and have a little yiras shamayim before you post headlines that you know will cater to the knee jerk reaction of the ignorant masses to mock any daas Torah that goes against their poorly thought out idea of what is truly “sensible”. I probably just wasted my time posting this because I doubt the editors are even intelligent enough to understand what I’m talking about or even read the comments.
According to one of the linked articles he stores are drawing noisy crowds that disturb the residents. In fact, according to Israeli law it is prohibited to make noise after 11PM. In some places residents look at their watches and precisely at 11 call the police. At least at one time 2-4PM was also quiet time.