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HOLIDAY READING

Rabbi Shimshon HaKohen Nadel

Halachic Holidays?

ollowing the miraculous birth of cites a passage in the Talmud (Rosh ‘Purim,’ for themselves and for future
the State of Israel in 1948 and the Hashanah 18b), which relates that fol- generations, on a day in which they
Fdramatic unification of Yerusha- lowing the destruction of the Temple, experienced a miracle. Rabbi Avraham
layim in 1967, the Chief Rabbinate, Megillat Ta’anit, together with all of the Danziger himself celebrated the day and
together with leading authorities, holidays it describes, became null and his family were spared after a powder
established Yom HaAtzmaut and Yom void. Accordingly, he rules that neither keg explosion destroyed a number of
Yerushalayim as full-fledged festivals, a community nor an individual has the homes including his own, claiming the
with the recitation of special tefillot, authority to declare new holidays today lives of 31 people (Chayei Adam 155:41).
including Hallel. (Pri Chadash, OC 496:14). Over the centuries, tens of communities
The question, debated by many, was: The Chatam Sofer defended the prac- and families have established ‘Purims,’
sometimes with the recitation of spe-
is it permissible to add new holidays tice of instituting new holidays, arguing cial prayers, meals, and sometimes even
to the Jewish calendar? According to that even according to the opinion that reading from a special Megillah, writ-
the Ramban, creating a new Jewish Megillat Ta’anit is null and void, the ten to commemorate the event. (For an
holiday violates the prohibition of bal holidays of Chanukah and Purim were exhaustive list, see Yom Tov Levinski,
tosif, “adding” to the mitzvot of the never nullified. Accordingly, holidays “Purim Sheni,” published in his Sefer
Torah (See Ramban to Devarim 4:2). created to commemorate a miraculous HaMoadim, vol. 6, pp. 297-321).
But throughout Jewish history, both salvation, patterned after Chanukah
communities and individuals who and Purim, are indeed permissible. The Talmud (Sanhedrin 94a) relates
experienced a miraculous salvation He concludes by noting how he and that King Chizkiyahu could have been
established ‘Purims,’ festivals to be cel- his teacher, Rabbi Natan Adler, were made the Messiah but for the fact
ebrated like Purim, in commemoration careful to observe ‘Purim Frankfurt,’ that he failed to give praise upon the
of the miracle. even when no longer living in Frank- downfall of the wicked Sancherev,
furt (Teshuvot Chatam Sofer, OC 191). King of Assyria. Chizkiyahu failed to
In the 16th century, the Jewish com- ‘Purim Frankfurt,’ also known as ‘Purim give this profound experience religious
munity of Lepanto (today Nafpaktos, Vinz,’ celebrates the downfall of the expression. We dare not make the same
Greece), established a holiday to give wicked Vincenz Fettmilch who led a mistake.
thanks to G-d for sparing them from populist uprising and a pogrom against
imminent destruction and to publicize the Jews of Frankfurt am Main in 1614, Yom HaAtzmaut and Yom Yerusha-
the miracle. Members of the commu- forcing them to flee the city until the layim possess profound religious
nity asked Rabbi Moshe Alashkar if they emperor personally intervened. Even significance and meaning. These are
were justified in creating such a holiday, today, the Jewish community of Frank- days of great Divine Providence – mir-
like Purim, to celebrate this miraculous furt celebrates the 20th of Adar, the day acles and wonders – and deserve reli-
salvation. The Maharam Alashkar ruled when Fettmilch and his followers were gious expression. By celebrating Yom
that indeed community leaders have hanged and the Jews returned to their HaAtzmaut and Yom Yerushalayim as
the authority to establish such a day, homes. Elsewhere, the Chatam Sofer holidays, we express our thanks for the
and it is binding upon members of the writes that establishing a holiday to tremendous gifts of the State of Israel
community – present and future – no mark a miraculous event is a Biblical and Yerushalayim.
matter where they reside (Teshuvot requirement, and one who does not
Maharam Alashkar, 49). do so is in violation of not performing Rabbi Shimshon HaKohen Nadel lives and

The Pri Chadash, Rabbi Chizkiyah a positive commandment (Teshuvot teaches in Jerusalem, where he serves as
da Silva, was upset with this practice, Chatam Sofer, YD 233). Rosh Kollel of the Sinai Kollel and Mara
D’Atra of Har Nof’s Kehilat Zichron Yosef.
and based his objection on Megillat The Magen Avraham (OC 686:5) and
Ta’anit, a list of 35 holidays observed Mishnah Berurah (OC 686:8) both A member of the Mizrachi Speakers Bureau
during the Second Temple Period. He record that a community can create a mizrachi.org/speakers

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