The Hallel Debate: Sephardic Perspectives on Yom Haatzmaut

Every year there is a major debate amongst the religious community as to how much emphasis Yom Ha'atzmaut should be given in the synagogue. In most prayer books there are special prayers to be said on the evening of Yom Ha'Atzmaut which includes parts of Leha Dodi and tehillim, one sung to the tune of the HaTikva.

While many Ashkenazi haredim will not acknowledge Yom Ha'Atzmaut, amongst the Sephardim the debate is more about the nature of the day. During the day there is a debate amongst Sephardim about whether to say Hallel with a blessing or without.

While many Ashkenazim antagonists of Zionism will declare that we can not celebrate such 'secular' events, this appears to have little basis for this in historical fact. There have always been many days added throughout Jewish history where the authorities have instructed they be commemorated in prayer and with the recitation of Hallel.

In the US, two of the oldest synagogues in America (both Sephardi), Mikveh Israel of Philadelphia and Shearith Israel of New York, actually omit tahanun (another significance of a joyful day) and recite Hallel.

Amongst the Sephardi authorities in Israel there is almost complete agreement that Yom Ha'Atzmaut is a joyful day which should include prayers of thanks and gratitude.

full article here http://cgis.jpost.com/Blogs/sephardiperspective/entry/the_nature_of_i_yom

Monday May 05, 2008

Posted by Ashley Perry (Perez)

* Note Comments at the bottom of article are quite insightful as well.

Anyone who lives in Eretz Yisrael is considered a Tzaddik

In honor of Yom Hazikaron and Yom Haatzmaut I wanted to include some words honoring all Am Yisrael who have fought hard for the ability for me and my children to be here in Eretz Hakodesh. The excerpts are taken from the amazing work Eim Habanim Semeichah, 1943 authored by Rabbi Yisachar Shlomo Teichtal an Orthodox Rabbi writing while in hiding during the Holocaust

Anyone who lives in Eretz Yisrael is considered a tzaddik (righteous individual) even though it does not seem that way. For if he was not a tzaddik, the Land would vomit him out as it says, And the Land vomits out its inhabitants (VaYikra 18:25) Since the Land does not vomit him out he must be considered a tzaddik, even though he is presumed to be wicked 114

114 Chesed LeAvraham, Ma'ayan 3, Nahar 12 * It seems to me that there is a Talmudic source for the words of this divine Kabbalist whose every utterance was said with Ruach HaKodesh. It can be found in Avodah Zarah (26a) in the statement," Come and see the difference betwee the theives of Babylonia and the highway robbers of Eretz Yisrael..."

Nachal LeYisrael written by a great Torah scholar for Eretz Yisrael cites this Chesed Le Avraham and adds the following

Thus, it is cleast that we do not properly understand the true nature of the inhabitants of Eretz Yisrael with our physical eyesight. For man sees what his eyes behold while Hashem sees the heart. Therefore we cannot judge or degrade specific individuals and certainly not the entire community even those who do not find favor in out eyes and do not act in a manner befitting our nation

The author adds that we see from Chazal that the omnipresent is pleased by the acts of today's builders (reffering to the Chalutzim as he demonstrates in length in chapter 3 of his book), then it is certainly forbidden to slander them. Hence he who is not careful to guard his tongue about this, does not guard his soul from troubles. He will be included in the decree all who provoke me shall not see it (Be Midbar 14:23). May Hashem protect us from them and their associates. (Eim Habanim Semeicha page 27, 28)

Autistic boy Dani brings down Hashems message to Am Yisrael on our participation in Birkat Hachamah

Mike Horton http://www.jerusalemshots.com/com_en9_8763p8.html

Am Yisrael, Hakadosh Baruch Hu is so happy with all the prayers that took place at Birkas Hachamah (the blessing of the sun), seeing that throughout the world, thousands upon thousands of Jews streamed into the streets, stood in the street early in the morning and made the bracha - it showed Hashem that truly a lot of Jews are awaiting the coming of Moshiach. Thus in very central places throughout the world; Jerusalem, Bnei Braq, New York, Los Angeles, Lakewood, Monsey, London, in all the places the sun was bright and easy to see and particularly in Jerusalem the sun was strong, pleasant and spiritual, one could sense a certain unnatural element, a Heavenly element. But Am Yisrael, open your eyes well; it's all over. continued at link below

http://www.dani18.com/index.php?show=P108E

The beginning part, until the its all over line was very inspiring. I know that I experienced Birkat Hachama with such joy, and also felt that the sun had a special brightness and warmth that day. I davened that morning completely out loud with such a different exuberance. It is special to even imagine that Hashem was smiling back at us, and as we are still human, a little acknowledgment when we are on the right path is helpful .(Not to negate the subtle acknowledgment that Hashem sends daily to show us that we are on the right path if we are attentive). To wake up and bless Hashems creations with such a full heart and then at night during the Seder.. to thank Hashem for his wonderous miracles...what a better day could exist? It felt like some small percentage of the joy that we will experience when Moshiach comes. May we hold onto all the light from all of our experiences of Hashems revelation and use it to break through the klipot of darkness

We were all there - Words for Yom Hashoah

Holy yidden, as I sit here in Yerusahalyim 20 minutes before the sirens on Yom Hashoah with much pain and grief in my heart I want to offer everyone a reminder to take some time out on Yom Hashoah for reflection. Just yesterday I told someone that I was feeling a little distant from the commemoration of Yom Hashoah until I pulled of my shelf the book Eim HaBanim Semeichah (for those of you who have not read it, it deeply inspired my Aliyah 4 years ago and its words written during the horrors of the Holocaust hold just as much Truth today).

I know that there are a variety of approaches as to how to commemorate the day, including the concept not to mourn on Nissan and that we commemorate in connection with Tisha B'Av, however my internal reality is nevertheless saying Stop and contemplate.

Either as descendants of holocaust survivors or as descendants of soul of Am Yisrael, we as a nation have an obligation in personal and national healing from this collective trauma.... To take to heart what the spiritual lessons of the times may have been... To put an intention towards Healing and Rectification (Tikkun).

After lighting a candle in memory my tears flowed. Underneath the tears the words Hashem Hashem kel rachum vchanun erech apayim rav chesed be emet (the line from the torah that Hashem gave Am Yisrael to do teshuva following the golden calf) kept coming to me.

Hashem please cleanse us from our past...From not knowing you, trusting you, and our own intuitions. For wanting to fit in so much with our surrounding cultures that we forgot to place you and torah wisdom first...for not running home to Eretz Yisrael...Please Hashem forgive us for closing off and believing you had abandoned us. Please assist us in our teshuva. Please strengthen us to follow in you ways of Emet next time.

On true freedom

Confine me not in cages
Of substance or of spirit.
I am lovesick,
I thirst, I thirst for G-d,
More than the deer for water brooks.
Rav Kook

Freedom

To sing and dance with Hashem. No boundaries.... from ourselves... or others. Hashem is our only true guide. No human limits from reaching our G-d given potential. Freedom to be who and what Hashem intended for us. To seek our Emet and Hashems Emet. To soar high above Olam Ha Sheker until we reach Olam Ha Emet. To sing amd dance with Hashem.

We got in a discussion at our seder table about what it means to be truly free and how being a "servant" of Hashem can constitute true freedom.

Shomo Carlebach in his book Lev Hashamayim, thoughts on Pesach, offers some profound insights. He says that even though we got our freedom as a present from Hashem it is something that we need to work on daily.

He says that there is something in every man that pushes him to be a slave of someone or something. The question he asks is who are you a slave/servant to? Because only a servant of Hashem is truly a "Ben Horin", a Free man. Only a person who is a servant of Hashem is completely free to be who and what they are meant to be.

Rabbi Nachman says that man needs to ask himself all the time this question. Am I servant of Hashem or of man. You can't be both he says. Chazal teach that when you toil in torah you are the freeest man in the world. Why? because you know how to distinguish because what is good and what is not. Therfore you don't have to listen to anyone from the outside who tries to push you from what you know, you just need to listen to your neshama and what it tells you is true. Says Shlomo, if you are a slave to man you are under the whim of what they see fit so you are truly a slave. Only if you are a servant of Hashem are you truly free.

And the greater the freedom , the greater will be the level of holiness. "I will rejoice in the Lord, I will exult in the G-d of my salvation" (Hab. 3:18) Rav Kook The lights of Penitence, the Lights of Holiness, The Moral Principles, Essays, Letters and Poems

These 5 factors will redeem us again

R' Elazar said, Five factors led to the Israelites redemption from Egypt:

1) suffering: "The Israelites groaned because of their work"
2) repentance: "and their cries reached Heaven...";
3) mercy: "G-d saw the Israelites";
4) the merit of the Forefathers; and
5) the end of the time limit which He had set: " and He knew" (Shemot 2:23, 25)

It will be the same in the future as well: When you are in distress (1) In the end of days (5), you will finally return to Hashem your G-d (2) He is a merciful Power (3) He will not forget your fathers' covenant (4) (Devarim 4:30-31)

All 5 of these components lead to redemption. For example if there was complete repentance, even before G-d's appointed time redemption would follow: "Today if you listen to his voice" (Tehillim 95:7) Yet in an age where there is no complete repentance all five factors are needed for the redemption to come.

The Chafetz Chaim asks how our generation is going to merit being redeemed when previous generations were so much more devoted to G-d. The simple answer he says is that previously the proper time had not yet arrived, and also perhaps their suffering had not reached the climax it has now. He says that as we can hope that all the other aspects of redemption have been already met with a little arousal to repentance we can anticipate that the redemption will approach.

The merit of our repentance will cause G-d to take pity upon us, and to recall His covenant with the Avot and redeem us forever "You will return to Hashem your G-d and obey him. He is a merciful G-d... and He will not forget the covenant of our ancestors." (Devarim 4:30)

He emphasized that each of us on his own must arouse himself to repent and those capable of doing so must arouse others (See also Chomas Hadas, Chaps 1,6)

He also sites a source from The Ramban ( Hilchot Taanit):

Those who do not cry out to G-d over misfortune attributing it instead to chance have developed a cruel attitude. Such people become entrenched in their own evil ways, and further misfortune visits them. "If you remain indifferent to Me, then I will be indifferent to you with a vengeance"

*Source Chofetz Chaim Hagada Let my People Go page 72-73


Am Yisrael, we have to wake up. Reading this Hagadah from the Chofetz Chaim, it as if he is still living and speaking directly to us. The fact that he has come to several Rabbis in their dreams to say that Moshiach is right around the corner, helps us link his words of urgency then to even more urgency now, as we are many more years closer to Moshiach's arrival. Hashem wants us to return to him... to cry out... to ask what we can do to get closer. We do not need any specific tefilot, we just need open hearts and have a desire to connect. Pesach is a time for this prayer as the complete exodus is recreated. If we open our hearts with full longing and desire Hashem will do the rest and may even split the sea for us once again. Am Yisrael there is no time to wait.

Tefila for Pesach (an excerpt link to follow)

I beg of You, my Merciful Father, draw us to You so that we will serve You with a powerful desire, with true longing. On this night, let my soul yearn to race after You, my heart and flesh will pine for You and sing to You. Every fiber of my being will rejoice on this day that You draw me out of exile. You will enclothe me in a pure body from Gan Eden, just as the faithful shepherd Moshe was enclothed in a pure body when You sent him to release Your children from bondage. And when his body returned to its original state, his heart was completely devoted to you. He was drawn after You like water until he ascended to receive the Torah, until he ascended to Your holy chambers.

I beg of You, Hashem, Lord of hosts Who does wonders and knows all, You send down the dew of resurrection on this night to atone for all of our sins and return us to Gan Eden, our source. Oh, Hashem, that we would only really pray on this night, the night when Adam HaRishon called to his children and revealed his secret to them as he trembled! It is a day on which You send down the dew of resurrection, which can cancel out the decree of death. He said, “Please, merciful and beloved children that shine like the very heavens, have mercy on me as well as yourselves. Have mercy on all the coming generations and make your prayers your sacrifices. Pour out your hearts like water before the One who dwells on high.”

If you would like access this incredible prayer written by Ha Rav Elizer Berland shlit"a for
Pesach http://shuvubonim.org/pray2.html . Thanks Zhus Avos Yagen Aleinu

An Important exchange

A life changing letter from the Rimnitzer Rebetzin to Jonathan Pollard. Take a couple minutes to read, her poignant words can speak volumes to every Jewish soul. Thank you for locating and posting this,  Shirat Devora http://shiratdevorah.blogspot.co.il/2011/04/pollard-and-moshiach.html