Yom Ha'atzmaut - Iyar 5

Yes, that's what today is. The question is, what does it mean.

As an idealistic and zionistic frum Jew, I must say that I grew up with a huge sense of meaning for Yom Ha'atzmaut. Unfortunately, in many, if not most circles, the day is defined by the davening questions. What does your shul do? We say whole hallel with a bracha, we say half hallel without a bracha, we said tachanun (no way!!!), neturei karta not only say tachanun but kinus and slichos. etc. etc. It's amazing how certain groups of Jews that will find ANY excuse not to say tachanun say it davka today. lol. Bottom line.... it's a major source of davening controversy.

Well, ready or not.... here's my opinion:

We are taught in the gemara that there is legitimacy to saying hallel or shevach v'hodaa on a day "shenaasu bahem nisim l'yisrael" and on a day when miracles occurred for our people/ancestors, etc. It's part of our overall being, who we are, to be makirei tov. (Please click here and/or here to see previous posts of mine on the subject)

With the exception of the Satmar Rebbe ZTL who says it was a "maase satan", I think everyone else agrees that what happened in 1948 cannot be categorized as anything else but a miracle. Whether you support the State of Israel or not, that you have to admit. Based on that, it would seem that hallel on this day makes sense. However, being that the day was not established by the Anshei Knesses Hagedola, we should probably only say half hallel (similar to rosh chodesh) and especially being that safek brachos l'kula, we probably shouldn't make a bracha.
All that said and done, what are you saying? by saying half hallel without a bracha? A few chapters of tehillim. That shouldn't kill anybody, but yet......

The argument most of the opposition has, is that the state of Israel is not a frum state and in fact it's run by mechalelai shabbos, etc. I won't deny that. However I will point out that the Rambam in Hilchos Chanukah explains that one of the reasons that we celebrate Chanukah is because that victory was "machzir shilton l'yisrael yeser mimaasayim shana", that due to the victory of Chanukah we regained controlling power of Eretz Yisrael for over two hundred years. Anyone who knows their Jewish History is aware, that those were far from the "Golden Ages" as far as Jewish leadership is concerned. Between Yannai and Herod, they did more to kill the chachamim than preserve, let alone, grow Torah. Now granted, Ben Gurion, through Sharon and Olmert are no tzadikkim, and yes, they may have cut funding to the yeshivos, but I don't think you can compare ANY of them to the kings of the post-Chashmonaic era. Yet, the Rambam says that the fact Eretz Yisrael was under Jewish rule, even under the above mentioned reshaim, that it warranted day(s) of hallel and shevach.
I have seen the arguments of the Satmar Rebbe, who went so far as to say that the Holocaust was caused by the efforts to establish the State of Israel even before it happened. Thankfully, I have also learned the arguments against him as well, which in my opinion are quite solid.

These last few years my opinions have deviated slightly. One of my biggest issues came when I discovered that there is some flexibility with the date. If Iyar 5 comes out on Shabbos it become a nidche to Sunday. If it comes out on Friday it also pushed off to avoid possible chillul shabbos because of the celebration of the day. I think that's very nice, BUT if we are saying to say hallel because on THAT established day nissim occurred to/for the Jews. How can that day change? It makes no sense. There is no problem saying hallel on shabbos, why change that?
Also, I was discussing the day with a friend this morning, and my friend was quick to point out that events of the last year and the way the government has treated the pioneers and settlers of Gush Katif and the frum Jews in general has left a bad taste in everybody's mouth. There is no question that's the case. I can't disagree.
The way I look at the day however, we are celebrating the past and the miracles that hashem did for us, which is not really affected by today's rulers. I think even the neturei karta will admit (ok, they won't admit it, but they know it's true) that their lives are easier now living in Israel under Israeli control than if the land was under Arab rule.
Whether it's the aschalta d'geula or not, I choose not to get into that, but there is no question in my mind that having a Jewish, albeit non-religious state, is better than not having a Jewish state at all. We now have full access to all of the mekomos hakedoshim that we barely had access to for hundreds of years and that's just the tip of the iceberg.
Still, here in America, I don't agree with listening to music today if one normally doesn't during sefira, but in Israel, I don't feel as strongly about it, after all they feel the direct impact of the nissim much more than we do.
I hope this will not get me stoned by my neturei karta or Satmar brethren. Luckily they are busy fighting other battles now. Watch them unite to fight Yom Haatzmaut before going back to their own in-fighting. lol. Happy Yom Haatzmaut!!!


The above opinion is just one man's opinion and does not reflect the views of blogworld in general.