According to the p’sak halacha released by Rishon L’Tzion HaGaon Chacham Ovadia Yosef Shlita, residents of Lod must observe two days of Purim, reading the megilla with a bracha on 14 Adar and once again on the 15th, Shushan Purim without a bracha. This was the Rav’s response to an inquiry from residents, explaining they must also perform the other mitzvos of the day on both days, the 14th and the 15th, including the recitation of Al HaNissim, reading from the Torah with a bracha [on both days this year since Shushan Purim is a Monday], mishloach manos and matanos l’evyonim.
In his response, the Rav explained that observing two days of Purim in Lod is not a “midos chassidus” but it is the correct way for G-d fearing Jews to act in the city. As far back as 5747, in his response to the city’s chief rabbi, the Rav explains the gemara regarding Lod, that is was a walled city, but the chief rabbi of Lod at the time questioned if the Lod of today is situated in the same location as in the time of the gemara.
Back in 5747, when the paved road to Lod was being built, graves were found and the experts of Asra Kadisha explained they dated back to the Mishna, testifying to the location of the ancient city of Lod, the same as part of the Lod today.
The Rav brings his halachic decision in his sefer Yabia Omer (Volume 7 – Orach Chaim 60) explaining one should not change the minhag as it existed to date to eliminate any doubts, pointing out on Shushan Purim; the mitzvos are done without brachos.
In a related matter, the chief rabbis of Holon, Rabbi Avraham Yosef, a son of the Rav, ruled certain areas of Holon are also compelled to observe two days. Rabbi Dov Landa of Badatz Chasam Sofer disagrees. The Chief Rabbinate of Israel has released a message each person should act in accordance with instruction from his rav.
(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
5 Responses
Beautiful religion Judaism. One respected posek says do it this way, the other says no do it my way. And eilu v’eilu divrei Elokim Chaim. Very ultra-Orthodox shomrei torah and mitzvos to the nth degree sefardim eat beans and rice and corn on pesach. If a European Jew did that, he would burn for months in Gehenom. And the general German-Litvish minhag is to allow gebroktz on pesach. A chasidishe family cringes at the thought, hiding a plate which accidently came into contact with matzo. Most of klal yisroel wear one pair of tefilin, Rashi. To the yidden who wear Rabbeinu tam also, they are karkafta delo munach tefilin. And yet the greatest of Litvish Roshei Yeshiva did not wear 2 pair of tefilin. Wonderful religion we have here.
Minhagim do differ, but the basic beliefs do not. Two days of Purim sounds like a great idea, as long as I don’t have a 2 day fast before.
the issue of two days of purim is not one of minhag but one of halacha, look in the gemara
to # 1
oih!! it hurts to read ur comment.
u have valid qs
but there are also valid answers. many people in kiruv will be able to help you.
This is really out of my league, but let me try to answer your questions.
First, do you know of a truer religion, CH”V? I don’t.
We observe minhagim, practices that have been established in a particular community, as halacha. So a European Jew would not eat beans, rice and corn, but he would not “burn in Gehennom for months if he did”. However, disparaging the words of our sages is considered a grave sin, so if someone intentionally flaunts this centuries-old practice due to a lack of respect, that is probably not an advisable course of action.
So, to each his own; each follows the customs accepted by his community. I see any inherent contradictions between one community and the other, just because each has somewhat different practices. The Torah is the same, as are the vast majority of day-to-day activities.