Should We Say Hallel on Yom HaAtzma'ut?

Rab Judah said in Samuel's name: The Song in the Torah was uttered by Moses and Israel when they ascended from the [Red] Sea. And who recited this Hallel? The prophets among them ordained that Israel should recite it at every important epoch and at every misfortune — may it not come upon them! and when they are redeemed they recite [in gratitude] for their redemption.

(10a) For R. Johanan said in the name of R. Simeon b. Jehozadak: There are eighteen days on which an individual completes the Hallel: the eight days of the Feast [of Tabernacles], the eight days of Hanukkah, the first Festival day of Passover and the Festival day of the Feast of Weeks. In the exile [one praying individually completes the Hallel] on twenty-one days: the nine days of the Feast [of Tabernacles], the eight days of Hanukkah, the two Festival days of Passover, and the two Festival days of the Feast of Weeks.

Why this difference that on the Feast [of Tabernacles] we complete Hallel on all the days, and on the Passover Festival we do [10b] not do so on all of its days? — The days of the Feast [of Tabernacles] are differentiated from one another in respect of the sacrifices due thereon, whereas the days of Passover are not differentiated from one another in respect of their sacrifices.

Let it then be read on the Sabbath which is distinguished by its sacrifices? — It [Sabbath] is not called a festival.

But what of New Moon which is called a festival, let the complete Hallel be said on it? — [New Moon] is not sanctified as to [prohibition of] labour, as it is written: Ye shall have a song as in the night when a feast is hallowed, i.e., only the night sanctified towards a festival requires a song, but the night which is not sanctified towards a festival does not require a song.

Then let the Hallel be said on the New Year and on the Day of Atonement, both of which are called Festival and are sanctified by [the prohibition of] labour? — That [is not possible] because of R. Abbahu, for R. Abbahu said: The ministering angels said before the Holy One, blessed be He: Why do not the Israelites sing a song before you on the New Year and on the Day of Atonement? He answered them: Would that be possible; the King sits on the throne of Judgment, with the books of those destined to live and destined to die before Him, and Israel singing a song before Me?

But there is Hanukkah, on which neither one nor the other [condition applies] and the Hallel is said? — That is due to the miracle.

Then let it be said on Purim, on which, too, a miracle occurred? — Said R. Isaac: [It is not said] because no song [Hallel] is said for a miracle that occurred outside the [Holy] Land.

To this R. Nahman b. Isaac demurred: But there is the exodus from Egypt, which constitutes a miracle that happened outside the Land, and yet we say Hallel? — As it was taught: Before Israel entered the [Holy] Land, all the lands were considered fit for song to be said [if a miracle had occurred in their boundaries]; once Israel had entered the Land, no other countries were considered fit for song to be said. R. Nahman, however, answered: The reading [of the Megillah] that is its [Purim's] Hallel. Rava said: It fits quite well there: Praise ye servants of the Lord, but not servants of Pharaoh; but here ‘servants of the Lord’, not servants of Ahasuerus, and we are still servants of Ahasuerus! But according to R. Nahman who says the reading [of the Megillah] is its Hallel, was it not taught that after Israel had entered the Land, no other land was considered fit to sing Hallel about? — After Israel was exiled they [the other countries] were restored to their original fitness.

If you say, when it says that an individual says full Hallel on 18 days, why does it specify "an individual," for it implies that a tzibur [a minyan] does say full Hallel even on other days? However, the incident with Rav [who was concerned on finding a community reciting Hallel on Rosh Hodesh until he realized that they were reciting only abridged Hallel] was in a tzibur, and even so, they abridged it. Perhaps they specified "an individual" to be inclusive -- that even an individual davening alone says full Hallel [on the 18 days]; one can also say that even a tzibur that does not include all of Israel is considered an individual, because it is said in Tr. Pesahim [quoting as above from Pes. 117a]. Therefore, it specifies "an individual" such that, when not all of Israel is present, we do not recite full Hallel except on those days. However, for a redemption of all of Israel, we will definitely recite it [full Hallel].

And that which is taught in Tr. Ta'anit, "an individual should not begin, but if one begins, one should complete" -- when not all of Israel is present, this is considered an individual; even a tzibur, if they are redeemed from a misfortune, and they begin, they should complete. And Rabbeinu Hananel explains that "one should not begin" means with a bracha.

What was written in Halachot G'dolot also seems to me correct, that where not all of Israel is gathered, this is considered an individual with respect to Hallel, because it was established with respect to the slaughtering of the Paschal Sacrifice that it was a tzibur of all Israel, as it says in Tr. Pesahim. But here, on these 18 days, there is not a tzibur [of that sort], but something like an individual by contrast with all of Israel.

It is taught in a baraita: An individual should not begin reciting hallel on a New Moon, but if one has begun one should complete it.

It was taught by a Tanna, "An individual should not begin [Hallel] with a bracha at a time when they recite them, such as Rosh Hodesh and Hol HaMo'ed Pesah, and if one errs and blesses, 'Blessed are You, Adonai our God, King of the Universe, Who sanctified us by His commandments and commanded us to recite Hallel,' one should finish it." And this is the meaning of "if one starts, one should finish. And this is what is binding on us, that there is no obligation.

R. Tanhum said: Bar Kappara expounded in Sepphoris, Why is every mem in the middle of a word open, whilst this [Isa. 9:6] is closed? — The Holy One, blessed be He, wished to appoint Hezekiah as the Messiah, and Sennacherib as Gog and Magog; whereupon the Attribute of Justice said before the Holy One, blessed be He: 'Sovereign of the Universe! If Thou didst not make David the Messiah, who uttered so many hymns and psalms before Thee, wilt Thou appoint Hezekiah as such, who did not hymn Thee in spite of all these miracles which Thou wroughtest for him?' Therefore it [sc. the mem] was closed.

(1) In [the era of] the Second Temple, the Greek kingdom issued decrees against the Jewish people, [attempting to] nullify their faith and refusing to allow them to observe the Torah and its commandments. They extended their hands against their property and their daughters; they entered the Sanctuary, wrought havoc within, and made the sacraments impure.
The Jews suffered great difficulties from them, for they oppressed them greatly until the God of our ancestors had mercy upon them, delivered them from their hand, and saved them. The sons of the Hasmoneans, the High Priests, overcame [them], slew them, and saved the Jews from their hand.
They appointed a king from the priests, and sovereignty returned to Israel for more than 200 years, until the destruction of the Second Temple.

(2) When the Jews overcame their enemies and destroyed them, they entered the Sanctuary; this was on the twenty-fifth of Kislev. They could not find any pure oil in the Sanctuary, with the exception of a single cruse. It contained enough oil to burn for merely one day. They lit the arrangement of candles from it for eight days until they could crush olives and produce pure oil.

(3) Accordingly, the Sages of that generation ordained that these eight days, which begin from the twenty-fifth of Kislev, should be commemorated to be days of happiness and praise [of God]. Candles should be lit in the evening at the entrance to the houses on each and every one of these eight nights to publicize and reveal the miracle.
These days are called Chanukah. It is forbidden to eulogize and fast on them, as on the days of Purim. Lighting the candles on these days is a Rabbinic mitzvah, like the reading of the Megillah.

(6) [We thank You] for the miracles, for the redemption, for the mighty deeds, for the deliverances and for the wars that You performed for our fathers in those days at this season.

(7) On Chanukah: In the days of Matisyahu, son of Yochanan the High Priest, the Hasmonean and his sons, when the evil Greek kingdom rose up against Your people Israel to make them forget Your Torah and to turn them away from the statutes of Your will— You, in Your abundant mercy, stood by them in their time of distress, You defended their cause, You judged their grievances, You avenged them. You delivered the mighty into the hands of the weak, many into the hands of the few, defiled people into the hands of the undefiled, the wicked into the hands of the righteous, and insolent [sinners] into the hands of diligent students of Your Torah. And You made Yourself a great and sanctified name in Your world. And for Your people, Israel, You performed a great deliverance and redemption unto this very day. Afterwards, Your sons entered the Holy of Holies of Your Abode, cleaned Your Temple, purified Your Sanctuary, and kindled lights in the Courtyards of Your Sanctuary, and designated these eight days of Chanukah to thank and praise Your great Name.

An individual to whom misfortune has happened and who has been saved from it is permitted to establish a practice for him/herself to recite Hallel each year on that date but should not recite a bracha on it ....

... The residents of a city may establish, by agreement and oath, on themselves and their successors, to make a Purim on a day when a miracle was performed....

(1) על משענתו (lit., with that on which he relies) — i. e. his former healthy state and vigour (Mekhilta d'Rabbi Yishmael 21:19:1; cf. Onkelos). (2) ונקה המכה [WHEN HE RISES AGAIN…] HE THAT SMOTE HIM SHALL BE FREED — But could it enter your mind that this person who has not killed anyone at all should be subject to the death penalty? Why, then, is it necessary to state this? But it is intended to teach you that he is kept in prison until we discover whether the other is completely healed or not, and what the verse implies is this: when this man rises again (אם יקום) and walks in the street in his former vigour, then he who smote him shall be freed from prison, but so long as the other has not risen from the sick-bed etc. the man who smote him is not freed (Ketubot 33b; Sanhedrin 78b).

Four are required to give thanks [by reciting Gomel]: those who travel by sea when they reach land, those who travel in the wilderness when they reach a settlement, one who was sick and is healed, and one who was imprisoned and leaves....

(1) When they reach land. Specifically when they complete their voyage, and this does not include those who arise when the ship reaches a port and the passengers go on land for a day or two, or until the time for the ship to travel further. For this one does not recite the bracha, for one has not yet been saved from the danger entirely. And the same applies to those traveling in the wilderness, and on their way they pass a city; they do not recite a bracha for this either. (2) Who is healed. And is already walking in his/her former healthy state.