Hallel On Yom Ha’atzmaot?

Halacha Moment
May 5, 2022
3 min read

Updated: Apr 30

The Daily Halacha Moment - Yom Ha’atzmaot

״כל השונה הלכות בכל יום - מובטח לו שהוא בן העולם הבא״ (נידה עג ע״א, מגילה כח:)

“Anyone who studies Halachot every day is guaranteed that he is destined for the world-to-come” (Megilla 28b, Niddah 73a)

Question:

May one say Hallel with a Berachah on Yom Ha’atzmaot?

Answer:

We are privileged and blessed to witness the existence of the State of Israel in our generation a profound miracle orchestrated by the hand of Hashem. Despite the dire predictions of world leaders and military experts, who confidently declared that the Jewish people would be annihilated and the fledgling state would be erased from the map, the opposite occurred. Against all odds, Hashem, Who governs the world and oversees all events, intervened and granted us a miraculous victory. It is only through His kindness and involvement that we were able to survive and reclaim our ancestral homeland. This miracle obligates us to recognize His hand in history and express heartfelt gratitude to HaKadosh Baruch Hu each and every day for the precious gift of Eretz Yisrael.

That said, the manner in which we express our gratitude must be aligned with halachic parameters. Regarding the recitation of Hallel on the fifth day of Iyar—commonly associated with Yom HaAtzmaut—

It is important to note that one may not recite a berachah over Hallel on this day, nor should one answer amen to such a berachah if recited. If one wishes to say Hallel as a form of personal praise and thanks to Hashem, it may be recited, but strictly without a berachah, and it should be done after the tefillah have concluded. This is because, according to Kabbalistic tradition, the order of tefillah is divinely structured and should not be altered.

Similarly, music and dancing on this day is forbidden due to Sefirat HaOmer, regardless of one’s stance on the broader question of whether Yom HaAtzmaut should be celebrated. These halachic rulings are not rooted in the ideological debate surrounding the day, but in the technical halachic considerations regarding the addition of Hallel on a day that was not instituted as such by Chazal.

Additionally, as noted in Orchot Maran, Vol. 2, p. 847, the custom of Maran HaRav Ovadia Yosef zatzal was to omit Tachanun on Yom HaAtzmaut, acknowledging the day’s significance, and to permit the recitation of Hallel without a berachah, but only after the conclusion of the regular tefillah. On Yom Yerushalayim, which falls on the 28th of Iyar, Maran zatzal likewise permitted omitting Tachanun, but not the recitation of Hallel.