In the course of his weekly shiur this week, HaGaon HaRav Yitzchak Yosef warned that those who visit Meron on Lag B’Omer, which falls out on Erev Shabbos, should be careful not to cause the policemen securing the area to be mechallel Shabbos. “This year, Lag B’Omer falls out on Thursday night and Friday,” HaRav Yosef said. “There are police officers there, they need to direct traffic and preserve order, and they’re required to work there.” “If people remain at Meron until the afternoon, the policemen will be forced to remain there also. And then they’ll return to their homes, it will already be close to evening or already nighttime and they’ll be mechallel Shabbos. That means that someone who made the effort to come to daven at the kever of Rashbi caused police officers to be mechallel Shabbos.” “Evryone needs to consider this. What will they answer in the Beis Din shel Maaleh – that he went to daven and caused the police officers to be mechallel Shabbos? Everyone should leave early and return early and be home already by the afternoon. That way, by the afternoon there will be less people at Meron and the policemen won’t be needed.” Rav Yosef also mentioned the issue of geniza (shaimos). “Many people at Meron throw out papers with all types of pessukim and brachos. The Va’ad HaGeniza requested that I warn people about this. This is a zilzul of devarim shel kodesh. Some people say that if I didn’t read it, then it doesn’t have kedusha. That’s not correct and it’s not accepted by everyone. Ultimately, these papers have pessukim and other divrei kedushah, and people should be careful about this.” Rav Yosef concluded by bemoaning the fact that so many yeshivos and kollelim are empty on Lag B’Omer, although visiting Meron is not a mitzvah. “What would Rav Shimon Bar Yochai say? He surely wouldn’t have agreed to this.” Rav Yosef also mentioned how his father, HaGaon HaRav Ovadia Yosef, z’tl, would complain about the fact that yeshivos and kolleim were empty and he used to purposely deliver a shiur at his kollel Chazon Ovadia on Lag B’Omer. “The avreichim would complain…but they were afraid of him and they stayed.” (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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