<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" ><tr><td valign="top" style="font: inherit;"><DIV>I wrote about Yom Ha'atzmaut today on my my blog. Excerpts:</DIV>
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<DIV>Today is the the 5th of Iyar. This is the anniversary of Israeli Independence. And it ought to be celebrated with great joy in Klal Yisroel...<BR><BR>I bring it up because of the issue of saying Hallel. Rav Ahron Soloveichik held that no matter when the actual celebration takes place Hallel is to be said on the 5th of Iyar. This was the Minhag he established when he was Rosh HaYeshiva of the Hebrew Theological College, where it is still celebrated on that day. And later in Yeshivas Brisk.<BR><BR>I do not follow my Rebbe’s Minhag in this because I do not believe that Hallel is warranted. I agree with those that say we cannot establish public Mihagim like this in our day. Rav Ahron concedes to the extent that no Bracha should be made. But he feels that it is appropriate to recite the Pesukim fromTehilim which comprise Hallel. We have recaptured Eretz Yisroel for the first time since we lost it 2000 years ago upon the destruction of the 2nd Temple.
There were clearly many Nisisim Nistarim – hidden miracles that enabled Israels’ small army and even smaller arsenal to overcome mighty armies and great odds. He felt that this is a highly significant event for which Hallel must be recited.<BR><BR>Although I do not say Hallel on this day, neither do I say Tachanun. It is indeed significant that we have the land of Israel back in Jewish hands. And that ought to be recognized in some way by all Jews – religious or otherwise. </DIV>
<DIV><BR>HM<BR><BR>Want Emes and Emunah in your life? <BR><BR>Try this: http://haemtza.blogspot.com/<BR><BR>--- On <B>Sun, 4/18/10, Saul.Z.Newman@kp.org <I><Saul.Z.Newman@kp.org></I></B> wrote:<BR></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: rgb(16,16,255) 2px solid"><BR>From: Saul.Z.Newman@kp.org <Saul.Z.Newman@kp.org><BR>Subject: [Avodah] Sobering Thoughts as Israel's Independence Day Approaches<BR>To: avodah@aishdas.org<BR>Date: Sunday, April 18, 2010, 9:11 PM<BR><BR>
<DIV id=yiv1362844040><BR><FONT face=sans-serif size=2>possibilities---</FONT> <BR><BR><FONT face=sans-serif size=2>1. the whole enterprise is evil, and the sitra achra will go to all lengths to fool the frum jews who 'fell for it'. ie in this scenario the NK-satmar position is the correct one , the DL jews fell in , the zionists are the erev rav/tools of the satan ; and all the non-frum jews don't come into the cheshbon</FONT> <BR><BR><FONT face=sans-serif size=2>2. be'itta achishena. at a time when 90 % of jews fell away from the torah derech, the frum jews had not enough merit to bring mashiach. but churban always is followed by respite. here, the task was to build a sheerit lapleita. some saw this a holy task , others parve. in any case , it was sufficient cause to cause irreversible theological
and practical pirud between supposedly torah jews --allowing all sides to hate their brethren leshem shamayim.</FONT> <BR><FONT face=sans-serif size=2>this removes all sides' zchyos ,and it is truly chessed that it is allowed to stand</FONT> <BR><BR><FONT face=sans-serif size=2>3. using the bilaam-iyov-yitro analogy, it would seem that one extreme or the other should be the correct answer [ ie either a holy enterprise or the work of the devil]. those taking the iyovian approach of shev-val-tedaber clearly are asking for trouble...</FONT> <BR><BR><FONT face=sans-serif size=2>i am sure there are a million other choices, though the RBSO has yet a different playbook....<BR><BR></FONT><FONT face=Arial size=1><BR></FONT></DIV><BR>-----Inline Attachment Follows-----<BR><BR>
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