ir459@sdcc6.UUCP (ir459) (04/22/85)
BS"D 28 Nissan
Yom Ha'atzmaut (Israel Independence Day) is approaching
and I have a few questions regarding its practice from a
religious standpoint. The custom within Israel, I am told,
is to say Hallel at night and during the day as well.
Tachanun, the prayers regarding our sins, which is normally
said is omitted, and a special Torah reading with a maftir
and haftorah, followed by musaf is added to the normal
course of prayer.
The above is done because Israel Independence Day is
given the same status as a Yom Tov, like Pesach. The shul
where I daven (pray) follows the customs of Chabad, which in
contrast does nothing special for this day. What I am curi-
ous about is the history of when this special seder was
instituted, are there any variations to the above, if indeed
I have stated it correctly in the first place, and what was
the justification for saying Hallel at night, which is done
on Pesach because the Exodus from Egypt happened at night (I
think).
Since Israel Independence Day rapidly approaches I'd
like to wish every one a happy and festive Israel Indepen-
dence Day. Certainly an American Jew might sometimes feel
that the events in Israel do not matter much, but the impor-
tance to Klal Israel of any community of Jews mandates our
concern. This is so much more true for people with friends
and relatives who have made Israel their home and must risk
their lives in its defence.
Please respond either by the net or by mail.
Richard Thorne ir459%sdcc6@sdcsvax.arpateitz@aecom.UUCP (Eliyahu Teitz) (04/29/85)
> Yom Ha'atzmaut (Israel Independence Day) is approaching > and I have a few questions regarding its practice from a > religious standpoint. The custom within Israel, I am told, > is to say Hallel at night and during the day as well. > Tachanun, the prayers regarding our sins, which is normally > said is omitted, and a special Torah reading with a maftir > and haftorah, followed by musaf is added to the normal > course of prayer. > > What I am curi- > ous about is the history of when this special seder was > instituted, are there any variations to the above, if indeed > I have stated it correctly in the first place, and what was > the justification for saying Hallel at night, which is done > on Pesach because the Exodus from Egypt happened at night (I > think). I am not going to get involved in the discussion I got into last year regarding the saying of hallel on yom ha'atzmaut ( and whether it is halachically permissible or not ). Rather, just let me say, that there are many customs when it comes to how to commemorate Israel's Independence Day. Each view has rabbis to support itself. So no matter what anyone does he is right. What we must avoid, no matter how we feel, is sin'at chinam ( causeless hate ). We should let each person commemorate the day as he or she sees fit, and accept it, no matter how much we might disagree. Eliyahu Teitz.