Monday was Yom Ha’Atzma’ut at YU…

[hatam_soferet]

Mar Gavriel tells us:

Most of the world is observing Yom Ha’Atzma’ut (Israel’s Independence Day, that is) on Tuesday, because Yom HaZikaron is the day before Yom Ha’Atzma’ut and when Yom HaZikaron is due to be on a Sunday we push the whole lot up a day – Yom HaZikaron on Monday and Yom Ha’Atzma’ut on Tuesday – so as not to encourage people to drive to the memorials when it is still Shabbat.

Consideration 1: According to Rav Hershel Schachter (top bod at Yeshiva University), halakhic Yom Ha’Atzma’ut can never fall on any date other than 5 Iyyar, because that is the actual date on which the miraculous event occurred. So no pushing it off to Tuesday – if 5 Iyyar is a Monday, Yom Ha’Atzma’ut is a Monday, end of story.

Consideration 2: But this Monday was Ta‘anit Behab. Almost no one today still fasts, but a number of communities still recite the associated Selichot.

So — on Monday, the main YU Beis Medresh minyan recited Selichot AND Hallel. Not something one generally sees.

Mirrored from hasoferet.com.