{"id":5189,"date":"2010-02-04T05:00:17","date_gmt":"2010-02-04T03:00:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ph.yhb.org.il\/en\/?p=5189"},"modified":"2010-02-04T05:00:17","modified_gmt":"2010-02-04T03:00:17","slug":"05-04-05","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ph.yhb.org.il\/en\/05-04-05\/","title":{"rendered":"5 \u2013 Establishing Yom HaAtzmaut as a Lasting Holiday"},"content":{"rendered":"

There is a mitzvah<\/em> to establish a holiday, to rejoice and praise God, on a day when Jews were delivered from distress. This is what prompted the Rabbis to establish Purim <\/em>and Chanukah <\/em>as everlasting holidays. Even though it is forbidden to add mitzvot<\/em> to the Torah, this mitzvah<\/em> is an exception, for it is derived from a logical inference (a kal va\u2019chomer<\/em>): when we left Egypt and were delivered from slavery to freedom, God commanded us to celebrate Pesach<\/em> and sing praise to Him every year; all the more so [must we celebrate] Purim<\/em>, when we were saved from death to life (Megillah<\/em> 14a). This is what the Rabbis relied on when establishing Chanukah<\/em> as well (Ritva, ibid.). The Chatam Sofer<\/em> explains (Yoreh Deah<\/em> end of 233, Orach Chaim<\/em> 208) that since this mitzvah<\/em> is derived from a kal va\u2019chomer<\/em>, it is considered a biblical commandment. However, the Torah does not prescribe exactly how to make a holiday; therefore, one who does anything to commemorate these great salvations fulfills his biblical obligation. It was the Rabbis who determined that we read the Megillah<\/em>, prepare a festive meal, send portions of food to others, and give charity to the poor on Purim<\/em>, and light the candles on Chanukah<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Many Jewish communities throughout the ages kept this mitzvah <\/em>of instituting days of joy in commemoration of miracles that happened to them. Many of them used the name Purim<\/em> in reference to these days, like \u201cFrankfort Purim<\/em>\u201d and \u201cTiberias Purim<\/em>.\u201d Some communities had a custom to eat festive meals, send portions of food to one another, and give alms to the poor on these days. Maharam Alshakar<\/em>(49) writes that the enactments made by these communities have binding force, obligating all of their descendants to keep them, even if they move to a new community. Other Acharonim<\/em> concur (Magen Avraham<\/em> and Eliyah Rabbah<\/em> 686:5)4<\/a><\/sup>.<\/p>\n

The great gaon<\/em>, Rabbi Meshulam Roth (Rata<\/em>), writes: \u201cThere is no doubt that we are commanded to rejoice, establish a holiday, and say Hallel<\/em> on [the fifth of Iyar<\/em>], the day which the government, the members of the Knesset (who were chosen by the majority of the people), and most of the greatest rabbis, fixed as the day on which to celebrate, throughout the Land, the miracle of our salvation and freedom\u201d (Responsa Kol Mevaser<\/em> 1:21)5<\/a><\/sup>.<\/p>\n

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[4]<\/a> The Pri Chadash<\/em> (Orach Chaim<\/em> 496, Kuntras HaMinhagim<\/em> 14) disagrees with Maharam Alshakar<\/em>, writing that we should not establish new holidays after the destruction of the Temple, when the Rabbis canceled the already-existing holidays enumerated in Megillat Ta\u2019anit<\/em>. However, the Chatam Sofer<\/em> (O.C.<\/em> 191) proves that we should create new holidays; saying the fact that they canceled, after the destruction, the festive days mentioned in Megillat Ta\u2019anit<\/em> is no proof, for they canceled only the holidays that were connected to the Holy Temple. The Chatam Sofer<\/em> adds and relates that he himself celebrates \u201cFrankfort Purim<\/em>,\u201d on the 20th<\/sup> of Adar<\/em>, because he was born there, even though he had since moved elsewhere. It is also well-known that the Rambam<\/em> established holidays for himself and his offspring in commemoration of salvations that he experienced \u2013 for example, surviving a storm at sea. A similar account is found in Chayei Adam<\/em> (155:41). The author of Yaskil Avdi<\/em> (vol. 7, O.C.<\/em> 44:12) cites many examples of the institution of \u201cPurim\u201d<\/em> days in various communities and consequently rules (vol. 8, omissions 4) that we may establish Yom HaAtzmaut<\/em> as a holiday. Two more important sources on this issue from the Rishonim<\/em> are: Ibn Ezra<\/em>, Bamidba,r<\/em> 10:10; Rabbeinu Tam<\/em>, cited in Tosafot Ri<\/em> to Berachot<\/em> (8a in the Rif<\/em> pages).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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[5]<\/a> In his Responsa Kol Mevaser<\/em> (vol. 1, 21:2-3), the brilliant Rabbi Meshulam Roth (about whom our master HaRav Tzvi Yehudah HaKohen Kook said that he was the gadol ha\u2019dor<\/em> after the passing of HaRav Kook, zt\u201dl,<\/em>) explains \u2013 based on the Ramban<\/em>, the Ritva<\/em>, and other Rishonim<\/em> and Acharonim<\/em> \u2013 that the foundation of the mitzvah<\/em> to establish Yom HaAtzmaut<\/em> as a holiday is the kal va\u2019chomer<\/em> [mentioned above]. Therefore, establishing it was not in violation of \u201cYou shall not add<\/em> [to the commandments]\u201d (Devarim<\/em> 13:1), for the prohibition against inventing a holiday refers only to holidays that do not commemorate a salvation. Based on the kal va\u2019chomer<\/em>, however, we are obligated to institute holidays that commemorate salvations. Rabbi Roth adds that a prophet is forbidden to establish a new holiday based on prophecy. The need to come up with a special scriptural exposition regarding Purim<\/em> (Megillah<\/em> 7a) was [only] in order to canonize the Scroll of Esther.<\/p>\n

Pay attention to Rabbi Meshulam Roth\u2019s reliable statement that Yom HaAtzmaut<\/em> was instituted by the majority of the greatest rabbis. Granted, they argued about reciting Hallel<\/em> with a blessing, but the majority of the greatest rabbis agreed on the basic obligation to give thanks and rejoice. The Chatam Sofer<\/em> writes (O.C.<\/em> 191, s.v. mihu<\/em>) that one might violate the prohibition of adding on to the commandments by establishing a holiday for all of Israel. This does not contradict our thesis, because he means that one may not establish a nationwide holiday to commemorate a miracle that happened to one individual community. We are, however, obligated to establish a holiday for all of Israel for a miracle that happened to the Jews as a whole. See also Rabbi Rakover\u2019s Hilchot Yom HaAtzmaut VeYom Yerushalayim<\/em>, which includes articles on the mitzvah<\/em> to establish a holiday on Yom HaAtmaut<\/em> written by the Chief Rabbis and other great Torah scholars.<\/p>\n

Some ask, why did Yehoshua neglect to establish a holiday to celebrate the conquest of Eretz Yisrael<\/em>? The answer is that the holiday of Pesach<\/em> commemorates both the redemption from Egypt and Israel\u2019s subsequent entry into the Land. This corresponds to the fifth expression of redemption [see Shemot<\/em> 6:6-8]. Rebbe Tzaddok HaKohen <\/em>of Lublin posits that the holiday of Tu B\u2019Av<\/em> (the fifteenth of Av<\/em>) was established for this reason. Also see below, note 7.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

There is a mitzvah to establish a holiday, to rejoice and praise God, on a day when Jews were delivered from distress. This is what prompted the Rabbis to establish Purim and Chanukah as everlasting holidays. Even though it is forbidden to add mitzvot to the Torah, this mitzvah is an exception, for it is […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[54],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5189","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-05-04"],"yoast_head":"\n5 \u2013 Establishing Yom HaAtzmaut as a Lasting Holiday - Peninei Halakha<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/ph.yhb.org.il\/en\/05-04-05\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"5 \u2013 Establishing Yom HaAtzmaut as a Lasting Holiday - Peninei Halakha\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"There is a mitzvah to establish a holiday, to rejoice and praise God, on a day when Jews were delivered from distress. 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