How about this for an "Only in Israel" situation -
During the "Nine Days", Channel 2 of Israel Radio, along with the religious stations of Kol B'Rama and Radio Kol Hai, will be broadcasting 28 siyumim. This is in coordination with Rabbi Brod of Chabad. It seems the late Lubavitcher Rebbe encouraged public siyumim for the 9 Days.
(source: Haredim)
It raises an interesting question - whether l'chatchila a person can consider that being part of a siyum so he can eat fleishigs during the 9 Days. I guess Chabad might hold yes. But even for Chabad it might not be l'chatchila and might just be for those who are eating meat anyway, this makes it b'dieved ok.
The amazing part of this is that the siyumim are on the radio, and not just on the religious stations but the general radio station is going to be broadcasting them! All this so that people eating meat will have heard a siyum rendering it permissible, without the slightest of effort.
I have never seen a chabadnik eat meat at such a siyum. Eating was not the reason the Rebbe OBM encouraged them. It was AFAIK to increase simcha connected with Torah during an otherwise sad time.
ReplyDeleteIMHO, a more appropriate thing to broadcast this week would be messages relating the tragedy of the churban, especially something to make it relevant to the non-religious public. Providing loopholes for people who by and large couldn't care less, especially for something so minor, seems to be a waste of energy. Better they should eat meat without having questionably participated in a siyyum, but understand the significance of avoiding meat, than be provided with a questionable way out of this "issur".
ReplyDeleteChabadnik-
ReplyDeleteThen why davka siymuim? Any public learning of Torah would increase simcha.
Yoni - perhaps, but I think it is more to be mezake the people who would be eating meat anyway. this way at least they [might] have heard a siyum rendering it permissible.
ReplyDeleteindeed the halakhic issue is questionable at best.
ReplyDeletebut Rafi's point and it is a good one, is "what a gevaldige zach, that in today's day and age, there exists a place - Israel - where yiddishkeit (even if not 100% accurate) is given a public display."
The Rebbe promoted extra torah study during the three weeks as it says Tzion Bmishbat tipadeh, in addition extra study about the beis hamikdash;Yechezkel, midos, hilchos beis habechirah and siyumim.
ReplyDeletein sefer minhagim lubavitch it says "The Rebbe Rashab used to time the festive conclusion of his study of various Talmudic tractates to coincide with the Nine Days from Rosh Chodesh Menachem Av until Tishah BeAv. The meal that honored each such siyum, however, included neither wine nor meat."
Many in the world made siyumin and then ate meat the rebbe rashabs idea seems to have been that this is a good minhag to make siyumin but we don't have to eat the meat.
rather the siyum of a cheilek in torah halachickly brings a level of simcha that we are able to draw into the nine days to help transform them into a day when Tisha bav will be a moed!
Doesn't the siyum only allow meat eating by those who would normally attend the siyum? And aren't you not allowed to "schedule" a siyum for the nine days in order to eat meat?
ReplyDeleteDoesn't the siyum only allow meat eating by those who would normally attend the siyum? And aren't you not allowed to "schedule" a siyum for the nine days in order to eat meat?
ReplyDelete