Page 57 - Tzurba M'Rabanan Volume1

ןנברמ אברוצ ׳ב הרז הדובע תוכלה · 55

what is written there [on the tombstones], this tombstone will אוהה הבצמה כ”א םש בותכש המ םיארוקו
cause a few transgressions, and if so, an item that will cause a הריבע םרוגש רבד כ”או תוריבע המכל תמרוג
sin should definitely be removed. .הצוח ךילשהל יואר יאדוו

The later poskim argue with the Maharam Schick and state that according to the strict letter of the law there
is no prohibition. Nevertheless, they agree that it is proper to write the Hebrew date as well.

p Responsa Yabia Omer 3, Yoreh Deah 9 ט ד״וי ,ג קלח | רמוא עיבי ת"וש 4 .

I was asked about those that write documents and letters to תורגא םיבתוכה םיבתוכה תודוא יתלאשנ
others using the secular date: Should one protest to them due to ןיינמל ךיראתה םיבתוכו ,םהירבחל םיבתכמו
the prohibition of following the ways of the gentiles, or is there םושמ םהידיב תוחמל שי םא :םירצונה
no definite prohibition… there is no violation of “following רוסיא הזב ןיא וא ,"וכלת אל םהיתוקוחבו"
in their ways” unless one acts in one of two ways.
םהיתוקחבו םושמ רוסאל ןיאש …ןידה ןמ רומג
1) Either one follows them regarding something where .םיקלח 'במ 'אב אלא ת"ל
the reason is not clear, as is hinted by the word “chok.” As is עמשמדכ הלגנ ומעט ןיאש רבדה אוה ןושארה
explained by Rashi and Ramban in Parshat Kedoshim – that
one does something in a strange way, which has no clear ,םישודק 'פ ן"במרהו י"שרפש ומכו .קח ןושל
rationale, only because the gentiles do so – this would suggest םעט וב ןיאש הנושמ רבד השוע אוהש ןויכש
that a person follows them and agrees with their ideas, for if יאדו הארנ זא ןכ םיגהונ םהש ינפמ אלא הלגנ
not why would one act in such a strange manner? This is also המל כ"לאש ,םהל הדומו םהירחא ךשמנכ
implied by the Smag… ג"מסב מ"כו .םהה םיהומתה םהירבדכ השעי
2) The second way would be following them regarding .'וכו
something which is licentious in nature done by the gentiles. וגהנו .'וכו תוצירפ וב ךיישש רבד אוה ינשהו
Therefore, regarding writing the secular date, where there is a ,יזעולה ךיראתה תביתכב כ"או .'וכו ם"וכעה וב
clear reason, for he does so to publicize the date in the most בורל ןכ השוע אוהש ,אמעטב אתלימ אכיאד
effective manner both for those of the covenant [i.e., Jews]
and those who aren’t, the concern of… why is he following ימלו תירב ןב אוהש ימל ךיראתה םוסריפ
in their ways doesn’t apply, and there is clearly no problem of יאמאד …תנעט אכייש אלו .תירב ןב וניאש
“following in the ways of the gentiles.” 1 ןאכ ןיאש יאדוב .םיהומתה םהישעמכ השוע
.וכלת אל םהיתוקחבו םושמ רוסיא
I also see in many writings of batei din (Jewish courts) in the
diaspora that they write the secular date correlating to the ל"וחבש ד"ב השעמ המכב האורה יכנא םגו
Hebrew date. Therefore, according to the strict letter of the שדחו םויל םיאתמה יזעולה ךיראתה םיבתוכש
law there is no problem. Those who want to be lenient have ןיאש אנידל רקיעה ןכלו .ירבעה ךיראתה תנשו
what to rely on, however “in order to be good and not be שי הזב םיליקמהו .ןידה ןמ רוסיא םוש הזב
called evil,” if there is no great necessity one should write ירקת לא בוט תויהמ םלוא ,וכומסיש מ"ע םהל
the month and year according to the Hebrew calendar, םישדחה בותכל שי ,לודג ךרוצ ןיאש לכו ,ער
especially in our Holy Land. But if there is a necessity it
would be best to write the date according to the creation ונצראב הפ טרפבו .לארשי ינב רפסמל םינשהו
of the world in addition to their date. My humble opinion דבלמ בותכל בוט רבדב ךרוצ שישכו .השודקה
I have written. .יתבתכ ד"עלנהו .םלוע תאירבל םג םרפסמל

1. It should be noted that in the earlier part of this teshuva, Rav Ovadia also offers another reason for leniency. He says that if a person does not use the
secular date specifically because of its significance with regard to the birthdate of Christianity’s founder, but simply because that is what the rest of
the world uses, it is permitted, since in any case there is significant scholarly debate as to whether this count is in fact historically correct.

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