Dr. Aaron Adler

Hallel on Yom HaAtzmaut The ’s Official Position

-RCA. They were all questions deal ויהי בנסוע ,In my forthcoming book For a full overview, see Rabbi Shmuel Seventy Conversations with ing with public policy on the part of 1 – הארון HaGaon HaRav Yosef Dov Soloveit- the RCA. One question, dated in the Katz, The Chief Rabbinate of – 70 early 1950’s, sought the Rav’s opinion years since its Foundation, 2002, Vol. 2, chik zt”l, (Urim Publications and OU (Hebrew), pp 950-1, Notes 153-6. See also Press), I deal with 70 conversations I regarding the reaction and proper Rabbi Hershel Schachter, Divrei HaRav, held with the Rav during my 1974-76 procedures of the RCA towards Isra- 2010, pp 175-6. tenure as the Rav’s chauffeur in New el’s Independence Day. Specifically, 2 Negating this point vehemently, see Rabbi York City. In the following excerpt of should be recited or not? The , “The Relationship of Rav’s extremely brief four-Hebrew- the Gaon Rav Yosef Dov Soloveitchik to .חמש דרשות, this edited conversation, it appears ,” (Hebrew) in 2012 that the Rav did, indeed, entertain word response was: “They said and In his Thinking Aloud (2009), p. 199, Rabbi David Holzer (the Rav’s driver of .(הם אמרו והם אמרו) ”an official position on the question of they said Hallel for Israel’s Independence Day. the late 1970’s) published a 1978 un-edited In conversation, I asked the Rav what convoluted open conversation on the he meant by using this Talmudic Rav’s various opinions regarding Yom HaAtzmaut practices. phrase.5 The Rav responded that he he position of HaRav Yosef 3 In 1976, Rabbi Bernstein, the veteran had nothing to do with the establish- Rabbi, educator, and Jewish leader, was Dov Soloveitchik zt”l ment of Israel’s Independence Day. It elected to the Presidency of the Religious (popularly known as “The was the Chief Rabbinate of Israel that Zionists of America - Mizrachi. TRav”) regarding the recitation of instituted the saying of Hallel that 4 The published book version, Challenge they said and Mission: the Emergence of the – הם אמרו ,Hallel on Israel’s Independence day. Therefore English-speaking Orthodox Rabbinate, .appeared in 1982 הם אמרו Day is somewhat ambivalent. Many there should be a holiday, so הם אמרו והם , In Talmudic terms, the phrase have claimed to have witnessed the – they have the authority to say what 5 means that the Sages who ordained a ,אמרו .Rav do this or that (full Hallel, half should be done or said on that day Hallel, before , after Kaddish, The Rav explained that this was not restriction also had the authority to relax 1 this restriction in specific cases. See, for etc…). Some have suggested that this a private halachic inquiry, but rather example, Yoma 8:1 and Tosafot ambivalence demonstrated a less- one of public nature. As a question as Yom Tov et al. than-enthusiastic attitude towards such emanated from Israel, the Chief 6 In conversation with Rabbi Aharon the State itself.2 Rabbinate must serve as the resident Lichtenstein, I was told that the Rav did מרא not grant the Israeli Chief Rabbinate מרא דאתרא דאתרא Rabbinic authority ( ) in this During the mid-1970s, Rabbi Louis 6 status on all subjects. But he did case. agree that on questions regarding Hallel Bernstein’s doctoral dissertation was on Israel’s Independence Day, the Chief accepted by the Gradu- In his “Davening with the Rav,” 2006, Rabbinate did serve in this function. So, ate School of .3 This p. 115, Rabbi Mendi Gopin reports too, regarding the Rav’s opinion on the on the Rav’s customs in Boston’s personal status of the Ethiopian Jewish academic work dealt with the impact community immigrating to Israel in the of the Rabbinical Council of America School : “On 1980’s, the Rav opined that the RCA [RCA] on the formation of modern Yom HaAtzmaut to recite the whole should follow the instructions of the Orthodoxy in America.4 Hallel without a beracha, and on Yom Israeli Chief Rabbinate. Yerushalayim to recite whole Hallel This dissertation contained an with a beracha at the beginning and appendix with eight printed halachic the end.” This is completely in line responsa from the Rav (as Chairman with the Rav’s directives to the Rab- Rabbi Dr. Aaron Adler is a former student of the Halacha Commision) to the binical Council of America from the of, and special assistant to, Rabbi Joseph Executive Director and officers of the 1950’s. B. Soloveitchik

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