Noted posek Rav Shmuel Eliezer Stern of Bnei Brak has issued an unexpected p’sak in relation to the upcoming Yom Tov of Sukkos in Bnei Brak.
Rav Stern’s pronouncement asserts, “Should the infestation [of rats and mice in Bnei Brak] not be resolved by the arrival of Sukkos, individuals would find it impossible to fulfill the mitzvah of sukkah in areas situated on the ground floor, streets, courtyards, or any location within the reach of mice, following the principle of mitzta’er [discomfort, which exempts one from the mitzvah of sukkah].”
“According to halacha, constructing a sukkah in a locale inhabited by wild animals or characterized by factors inducing fear, even if the builder himself isn’t frightened, leads to the majority’s incapability to fulfill the sukkah obligation,” the rov elucidated.
Addressing the initial day of Sukkos, Rav Stern said, “Should no alternative be available, the utilization of such a sukkah would be permissible.”
Bnei Brak has grappled with a prolonged mice and rat infestation. In June, a rat bite led to the hospitalization of a two-and-a-half-year-old girl. Awakened by her daughter’s cries during the night, the mother found her child bleeding from several wounds on her body. Medical professionals at Mayanei Hayeshua Medical Center confirmed that the injuries stemmed from rat bites.
In a separate occurrence in April, a rat bite incident transpired at a Bnei Brak childcare facility involving a toddler. Parents from the nursery reported numerous attempts to alert the local authorities about rat presence on the premises, yet their concerns were unheeded.
The childcare center involved revealed that, after receiving no response from the authorities, they took independent measures to eliminate the rodents within the building. Unfortunately, the infestation has reached such an extensive scale that even this approach has proven ineffective.
{Matzav.com Israel}