Sep 1, 2026

History made!

The price of gas (95 Octane) in Israel is set by the government (the maximum price - gas stations can charge less if they so desire) and includes a heavy "blu tax". The price is adjusted the first of every month as per the fluctuations of the global oil markets and whatever else affects the price of gasoline.

History was just made as the price of gasoline went up to the price of 8.25nis per liter as of today, September 1 2026. 8.25nis per liter, is, at least according tot he reports I have seen, the highest ever price of gas in the history of Israel!

For those not familiar, I asked Google's Gemini to do all the conversions of liters and shekels to gallons and dollars and the price of 8.25nis per liter is equivalent to roughly $10.43 per gallon at current conversion rates.

It is always fun being part of Israel making history!




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Interesting Psak: Musical Selichot

With the imminent start of the Ashkenazi selichot season, the Torah Council of Sages, led by Rav Dov Landau and Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch, have put out a letter decrying the trend of "musical selichot" - that is selichot events that include musical accompaniment and a concert or kumzitz atmosphere.

The Rabbis discourage participation in such events and also call on the public and public offices to not arrange them or support them or fund them. They call such musical selichot "inappropriate" and in clear opposition to the actual purpose of the days of selichot being to arouse people to teshuva, to cheshbon nefesh, taking an accounting of one's behavior, for the Days of Judgement upon us. They say that these events, by their very nature, corrupt the concept of the prayers. It takes a holy and elevated concept and turns it into a form of entertainment and a show, besides for all sorts of other breeches of kedusha and tzniyut that accompany such events.
source: Hamechadesh

Far be it from me to support or argue against the above psak. I would just note from my my own experience that the "musical selichot" events I see happening (within the Haredi community at least) are all designed to be musical in the way that they think inspires the crowd to teshuva, not a form of concert or the like. 

And that being said, my shul is hosting (not arranging as it is not a shul event, just hosting) a chazzanut selichot (if that is what you might call it), this Motzash at 10pm (regular shul selichot after a shiur/sicha by Rav Ahron Pessin at 12:10) 



The event, as you can see by the logo, is sponsored by the City of Bet Shemesh. As far as I can tell this is chazanut, no musical accompaniment. I do not know if this falls into the category of musical selichot of whch the rabbis above spoke out against. I suspect not, but you can each decide this for yourselves. .



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