Interesting Psak: Purim in Bet Shemesh

Every year the debate arises in Bet Shemesh as to which day of Purim should be celebrated. Bet Shemesh always celebrated on the 14th of Adar, like most cities, because it is an unwalled city. There have always been some people who felt that in Bet Shemesh Purim should be celebrated on the 15th as well, like a walled city, due to its proximity to the ancient remains of Bet Shemesh and Yarmouth that was walled. These opinions have somewhat increased over the years with the expansion of the new neighborhoods of Bet Shemesh with RBS Gimmel and Daled (C and D) actually sitting on and adjacent to the ancient walled city of Tel Yarmouth.

According to Kikar, a group of avreichim asked the posek Rav Shlomo Zafrani to investigate the matter and come to a decision.

Rav Zafrani investigated the mater and looked over the ancient remains and the topography and decidedto pasken that in Bet Shemesh, including in Gimmel and Daled neighborhoods, Purim should continue to be celebrated on the 14th of Adar and not at all on the `5th, not even from a position of uncertainty.

If they are already going to bring such a decisive psak on the matter after going out and investigating it would be nice for them to at least summarize his reasoning.

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