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May 2, 2010
Lag B'Omer = Yom Ha'Atzmaut, or not
A number of years ago I wondered why we are allowed to listen to music on the night of Lag B'Omer. Growing up we always had to wait until mid-day or so on Lag B'Omer day to listen to music, yet come sundown in Israel and the music is blasting!
So a number of years ago I asked around and was told that it is the minhag of Eretz Yisrael that music can be listened to already from the night.
The following is not applicable if what I heard is correct.
However, someone I know just asked a rav what's up with the music, and the answer he received is that the night of Lag B'Omer by the bonfire is an exception to the rule. Really we cannot listen to music, but by the bonfire of Lag B'Omer it is ok. Besides for the bonfire, no music until mid-day the next day.
If this is correct, as this rav said, a very haredi rav I might add, then I have a question.
Regarding Yom Ha'Atzmaut, one of the major points of opposition to celebrating YH, even if you are not so ideologically opposed to the State, is that during sefiras ha'omer you cannot listen to music, no exceptions, even for a very happy day. The rule is no music because of mourning during a certain time period, and just because something else good happened during that period does not give cause for an exception to the "minhag" or "gezeira".
By now you can surely already figure out my question - if an exception can be made for Lag B'Omer, how does that jibe with "no exception" come time for Yom Ha'Atzmaut? Either you can make exceptions or you cannot....If you can make exceptions for what you want, then when you don't want to, at least be honest enough to give the real reason - you don't hold of the importance of the day, and don't make up stories about no exceptions.
So a number of years ago I asked around and was told that it is the minhag of Eretz Yisrael that music can be listened to already from the night.
The following is not applicable if what I heard is correct.
However, someone I know just asked a rav what's up with the music, and the answer he received is that the night of Lag B'Omer by the bonfire is an exception to the rule. Really we cannot listen to music, but by the bonfire of Lag B'Omer it is ok. Besides for the bonfire, no music until mid-day the next day.
If this is correct, as this rav said, a very haredi rav I might add, then I have a question.
Regarding Yom Ha'Atzmaut, one of the major points of opposition to celebrating YH, even if you are not so ideologically opposed to the State, is that during sefiras ha'omer you cannot listen to music, no exceptions, even for a very happy day. The rule is no music because of mourning during a certain time period, and just because something else good happened during that period does not give cause for an exception to the "minhag" or "gezeira".
By now you can surely already figure out my question - if an exception can be made for Lag B'Omer, how does that jibe with "no exception" come time for Yom Ha'Atzmaut? Either you can make exceptions or you cannot....If you can make exceptions for what you want, then when you don't want to, at least be honest enough to give the real reason - you don't hold of the importance of the day, and don't make up stories about no exceptions.
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In New York, some shuls do have live music on Yom Ha'atzmaut.
ReplyDeleteThe period of sefirat ha omer was originally a time of rejoicing from Pesach-yitziat Mitzrayim to Shavuot- Matan Torah. The curbing of rejoicing is not really mourning as in the weeks leading up to tisha b,av but rather remembering the desolation of the world of torah brought about by the death of talmidei Rabi Akiva and the failure of the Bar Kochba rebellion. The original gzeira was not on music as such but on public rerjoicing and dancing as at weddings.Poskim such as Rav Shlomo Minhahar and Rav Aviner have said that there is reason to be lenient regarding listening to and playing music in private. Besides that many have said that in our day by the grace of Hashem the period between 5 Iyyar and 28 Iyyar should be once more a time of rejoicing which supersedes the commemoration of the events from the time of Rabi Akiva. This is in the spirit of Rabi Akiva himself who when he saw the destruction of the temple laughed, and said that if the prophecy of destruction was fulfilled then surely the prophecy of redemption will be fulfilled
ReplyDeleteI have yet to look it up, but on the SIman in SA/Rema where they discuss the various minhagim of which days to keep (eg SA says until 34 of the Omer), it is implied that the issurim go until the morning of _____ (whatever you hold).
ReplyDeleteHowever, the Beer Heitiv (or so I have been told) explains that this is if one has the minhag to say tachanun on erev lag b'omer at mincha - the reason being that the "fun" starts the next morning. But for those that OMIT tachanun (like we do here in EY) the mincha before, it is an expression that the "fun" starts at night.
I don't about anyone else here but I was at the tekes the night of Yom Hatzma'ut and there was LOTS of live music there and LOTS of charedi looking people many of whom probably follow that very charedi rav you asked.
ReplyDeleteSo what gives....
The Baal HaTanya clearly paskins that leil Lag B'omer is already permitted for weddings. He is certainly a mainstream posek, even though Chabad *customs* are not mainstream. I think the Aruch Hashulhan is also of a similar position. So were a number of poskim. That's why some folks get married already on leil Lag B'omer.
ReplyDeleteWhat's more, the whole topic of what is forbidden by custom during S'firah is very unsettled. Despite the simple, definite things we are all told, this (somewhat like kitnyot) has taken on a life of its own. The mourning customs are post-Talmudic. The Rishonim gave different customs and reasons.
Ahronim also differ widely. Rav Soloveitchik reportedly shaved during Sefirat Ha-omer. Rav Aharon Lichtenstein argues convincingly that one should shave on Erev Shabbat during Sefirah. Rav Soloveitchik held that music wasn't inherently forbidden, but social gatherings even without music probably were.
There was a good review shiur on this from the Virtual Beit Midrash at Har Etzion. You may find it an eye-opener.
The source for Lag baomer is a bit stronger than the source for Yom Haatsmaut....
ReplyDeleteActually there is no source for lagb'omer in the Talmud or rishonim. The first source is R' Chaim Vital who relates that the Ari celebrated it
ReplyDelete