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Yom HaAtzma'ut / יום העצמאות

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Tag-MehirTzedek:
http://www.hebcal.com/holidays/yom-haatzmaut

Mon, 15 April 2013 at sundown (6th of Iyyar, 5773)

Israeli Independence Day. Commemorates the declaration of independence of Israel in 1948. Note that Hebcal displays modern holidays like Yom HaAtzma'ut according to the Israeli schedule. Although Yom HaAtzma'ut is normally observed on the 5th of Iyyar, it may be moved earlier or postponed if observance of the holiday (or Yom HaZikaron, which always preceeds it) would conflict with Shabbat.

Check opening of Ask JTF

http://jtf.org/forum/index.php?topic=68825.0

Tag-MehirTzedek:
http://machonshilo.org/en/eng/component/content/article/34-featured/631-do-frum-jews-celebrate-yom-haatzmaut


"Do Frum Jews Celebrate Yom Haatzmaut?"
In this short interview Machon Shilo's HaRav David Bar-Hayim delves into this question which
perplexes many observant Jews. What should our attitude be towards this day on the calendar?
The Interview in English:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xc1yHTjBfnI
The interview in Hebrew:

Tag-MehirTzedek:
One problem (or challenge) that I see in this though is that their it was different. At the other cases (Hannukah or King Hezekia) the people were rightious to begin with even though later the Hashmonaim were wicked. With the State the leaders were wicked to begin with.

Tag-MehirTzedek:
Why celebrate
Rabbi Zalman Baruch Melamed
Additional Shiurim
The Wonderful Fruits of the Land of Israel
Shabbat and Festivals
Purim Postcript
Policy, Tactics And Strategy
Travelling Abroad for Pesach
We received a letter with this question: "What reason do we have to celebrate on Israeli Independence Day and what what are religious people happy about? It is a secular country and caused many Jews to abandon Yiddishkeit"? Others compare celebrating Independence Day, to a family celebrating the birth of a baby born with a birth defect. We expected a complete redemption, and then came a country whose leaders are far from Torah and mitzvot, and doesn’t function as a religious state. It is, therefore far from perfect and has many defects.

I think there is no similarity between the parable and the State of Israel. This example is misleading and interferes with our understanding of the day. If we want to give an example, here is more accurate one: A family expected a baby for a long time. Just before the birth, the family suffered severe illnesses and emotional crises. They are then blessed with the birth of a healthy child. Aren’t they happy for because of the birth? Is the joy of birth canceled because they have other troubles? On the contrary, it is a consolation to get a live child which is healthy and happy. The sickness is not of the state but of the nation.The State of Israel did not create the nation's spiritual crisis. The crisis was before, and independant of the state. Who knows what would have happened to the nation’s spiritually without a state. We can see what has happened today to the Jews overseas. The assimilation situation there is terrible! Without the establishment of the state, which raised the stature of the Jewish people all over the world, the situation would have been much worse! The establishment of the State has enhanced Jewish identity worldwide!
We've received the State while we were in a crisis, immediately after the Holocaust, and because our low morale we did not get all of the spiritual power we could get out of our state. If our spiritual level will be higher, we can reach new spiritual hights - with the State.
But even in the current situation of the State, Israel saved half a million Russian Jews, who were being lead to a spiritual destruction. Israel is truely is a spiritual center for all Jews. Shlichim are sent from Israel to Jewish communities around the world to strengthen Judaism. There is certainly a reason to be happy, but also to a need to pray. We should celebrate the progress we have made, and pray for what needs completion.
* Written by the rabbi

Kahane-Was-Right BT:

--- Quote from: Tag-MehirTzedek on April 15, 2013, 07:51:10 PM ---One problem (or challenge) that I see in this though is that their it was different. At the other cases (Hannukah or King Hezekia) the people were rightious to begin with even though later the Hashmonaim were wicked. With the State the leaders were wicked to begin with.

--- End quote ---

However, I don't think the question of "were those particular Jews righteous" is a consideration for whether we are required to say Hallel for instance.  Or to celebrate something that impacts positively the entire Jewish people.

In addition, not all the zionists were evil.  So I take exception to the simplification of the historical process.  Yes, even though the ruling party was the Labor zionist faction operating on behalf of the Jewish Agency (leftists), still there were Revisionist zionists, the Jewish underground, and many Jews among the masses who were simple, traditional, and righteous Jews that contributed to the overall movement and the outcome - in battle, in settling the land, in working, in mitzvot and Torah, tzedaka, etc.   Contributions to this historic effort go beyond simply "The Haganah was led by Ben Gurion and won" , ya know what I mean?

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