Leading Rabbi Reverses His Previous Rulings and "Paskens" that Hallel SHOULD be said on Independence Day night

 

The rabbi of Kiryat Arba and a leading religious Zionist rabbi, Rabbi Dov Lior, ruled to say the Hallel prayer with a blessing on the night of Israeli Independence Day.

Rabbi Lior explained that "in the past, I was apprehensive based on those who opposed Former Chief Rabbi Shlomo Goren and therefore ruled that because there is doubt, not to say the Hallel prayer with a blessing on the night of Independance Day, but now I think that one should act according to Rabbi Goren OBM and say Hallel with a blessing on Independance Day."

He emphasized that one should recite the prayer with a blessing "even though there are rabbis who rule otherwise."

The reason for this, he explains, is "the importance of giving thanks for the miracle and since in the middle of this night the rule of the British Mandate ended, and the Jewish kingdom came into effect."

"Hallel" is a prayer of thanksgiving, consisting of a compilation of Psalms, traditionally said on Jewish holidays and the first of every Jewish month. After the establishment of the state of Israel, the Chief Rabbinate called on Jews to say the prayer on Independence Day without a blessing.

 In 1974, the Chief Rabbinate under Chief Rabbi Shlomo Goren changed its ruling and added the blessing to the prayer. Rabbi Goren also ruled to say the prayer at night with a blessing, but that ruling was not widely accepted.