SOLDIERS OF IDF VS ARAB TERRORISTS

SOLDIERS OF IDF VS ARAB TERRORISTS

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Chief Rabbinate On Tachanun On Yom HaAtzmaut

The Rabbanut just sent out a clarification of how to deal with the various aspects of Yom HaAtzmaut and Yom Yerushalayim due to them being pushed up and not celebrated on their original dates.

The Rabbanut writes:
As is known, this year Yom HaAtzmaut falls out on Friday. In order to prevent desecration of Shabbos that would be caused by the various events as a result of being so close to Shabbos, it has been decided to make the celebrations and ceremonies earlier to Thursday 4 iyar.
Yom HaZikaron is therefore also made earlier, pushed up to Wednesday 3 Iyar.
With that, the minhag to not say tachanun on Yom HaAtzmaut will be followed this year as well as it is every year on the original date of Yom HaAtzmaut, on Friday the 5th of Iyar. The change in the date is only relevant to the various events, and not regarding the tefillot.
Yom Yerushalayim, which is on 28th of Iyar, this year falls out on Sunday. The Rabbanut has decided that this day also, in order to avoid potential desecration of Shabbos when preparing for the various events, events will not be held on Saturday night but will be delayed until Sunday.
However, also on this day, the prayers of Yom Yerushalayim are not changing. The tefilla said on the night of Yom yerushalayim will still be said on Saturday night, and the prayers said by day will be said Sunday morning as every year.  



The statement by the Rabbanut relates to which day tachanun should be skipped - Friday. Does that mean that tomorrow, on Thursday, tachanun should be said, as usual for 4 Iyar?

As well, they make no reference to specifically hallel or the other special prayers (e.g. Torah reading, etc.) - are they included in the statement that they should be said on Thursday night-Friday, and not on Thursday? The shuls I am familiar with holding special holiday services for Yom HaAtzmaut are doing so on Wednesday night-Thursday, and not on Friday. In previous years I remember the holiday prayers being said on the cellebrated day, and not on the original date.

Because the Rabbanut statement of clarification was so unclear, the Rabbanut issued another clarification shortly after the first.

In this reclarification, the Rabbanut explains that tachanun should not be said on Wednesday mincha of Yom HaZikaron, Thursday being Yom HaAtzmaut and on Friday 5 Iyar.


The Rabbanut still said nothing specifically about hallel and the other prayers, but it seems to me that they are continuing to mandate hallel and the prayers for Thursday, and are just adding that on Friday tachanun should not be said despite that not being the celebrated day.