Why Do Charedim Oppose Saying Hallel on Yom HaAtzmaut?

For many Religious Zionist communities, Yom HaAtzmaut is celebrated in shuls with a special davening. Most notable—and controversial—is the recitation of Hallel, sometimes with a bracha, as a way of expressing thanks to Hashem for the establishment of the State of Israel.

But across the Charedi world, you will not find Hallel said on Yom HaAtzmaut—not in yeshivos, not in batei medrash, and not in Charedi shuls. And the reason is not a lack of gratitude or denial of the goodness Hashem has granted. It is, first and foremost, a matter of halacha.

Let’s explore this carefully.

When Does Halacha Say to Recite Hallel?

The Rambam (Hilchos Chanukah 3:6) lists the criteria for establishing a day on which Hallel is recited. These include:

• The day must be established by Chazal or Nevi’im as a mo’ed.
  
• It must be a day in which a miracle occurred for all of Klal Yisrael, with clear and overt Divine intervention.
  
• The miracle must have led to a complete salvation—not partial or temporary.
  

The Gemara in Pesachim 117a teaches that Hallel is said only:

"בכל יום שאין בו מועד, אין בו קרבן מוסף, ואין בו איסור מלאכה – אין בו הלל" In other words, Hallel is reserved for days like Yom Tov, which are both festive and instituted with certain Torah statuses.

Hallel was never instituted for historical or political victories that lacked these characteristics—even those involving some level of miracle.

Can We Add Hallel on New Occasions Today?

Even in theory, adding new holidays or tefillos into the formal nusach haTefillah is highly restricted. The Gemara in Brachos 33a states:

“כל המוסיף גורע” — “Anyone who adds (to prayer) detracts.”

The Rambam and later the Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chaim 219:1) caution against adding new blessings or texts unless established by the Sanhedrin or universally accepted minhag from early generations.

The Mishnah Berurah (219:6) is explicit:

"אין לקבוע יום שנעשה בו נס קטן כיום טוב לקביעת הלל." "One may not establish a day of small miracle as a Yom Tov warranting the recitation of Hallel."

Even Chanukah, where we do say Hallel, was established by the Sanhedrin during the period of prophecy and ruach hakodesh.

Today, in the absence of Sanhedrin, and certainly without consensus, there is no halachic mechanism to introduce new tefillos with a bracha.

Saying Hallel with a Bracha: A Serious Halachic Problem

The halachic rule of "safek brachos l’hakel" (when in doubt about making a blessing, we refrain) is a foundational principle. The Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chaim 167:5) rules that if one is unsure whether a bracha is required, he should not say it, to avoid the severe prohibition of bracha levatala—a bracha in vain, which includes the danger of taking Hashem’s Name in vain, one of the Ten Commandments.

When it comes to Hallel on Yom HaAtzmaut:

• The event is not universally recognized as a miracle.
  
• The day is not a Yom Tov established by Chazal.
  
• Most Jews—Sephardi, Ashkenazi, Chassidic, and even many Dati Leumi—do not say Hallel at all, or say it without a bracha.
  

Therefore, saying Hallel with a bracha is, at best, a safek—and at worst, a full prohibition.

Even Rav Yosef Dov Soloveitchik zt”l, one of the leading Rabbinic figures in the Religious Zionist world, opposed reciting Hallel with a bracha on Yom HaAtzmaut. In one well-known address, he reportedly said:

“We must be cautious in changing the structure of tefillah. The nusach haTefillah is sacrosanct and cannot be altered to match political events.”

Who Opposes Saying Hallel on Yom HaAtzmaut?

From the Charedi world:

• Rav Moshe Feinstein zt”l (Igros Moshe, O.C. 5:20) strongly opposed instituting new religious rituals not rooted in the tradition of Chazal.
  
• Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach zt”l rejected saying Hallel, even without a bracha, explaining that the day does not fulfill halachic requirements.
  
• Rav Elyashiv zt”l and Rav Shach zt”l held that it was completely assur to institute Hallel on Yom HaAtzmaut.
  
• The Chazon Ish zt”l was especially firm in maintaining the boundaries of halachah and guarding against introducing modern reinterpretations of holy practices.
  

Even from the Religious Zionist world:

• Rav Aharon Lichtenstein zt”l, Rosh Yeshiva of Har Etzion, was reported to say Hallel without a bracha, reflecting his caution in halachic matters.
  
• Rav Yehuda Amital zt”l at times refrained from reciting Hallel altogether, depending on the situation and the year.
  
• The Sephardic Chief Rabbi, Rav Ovadia Yosef zt”l, ruled that it is forbidden to say Hallel with a bracha and discouraged even the recitation without one in most cases (Yabia Omer Vol. 6, O.C. 41).
  

Is It a Lack of Gratitude? Not at All.

Gratitude is a cornerstone of the Torah. Charedim thank Hashem every day—for life, for safety, for Torah, for Eretz Yisrael. But the way we express that gratitude must be anchored in halacha.

We do not change tefillah to match emotions. We don’t add brachos because of national excitement. We say Hallel when the Torah tells us to say it—not when newspapers do.

Charedim express their hakaras hatov through tehillim, learning, and living a life of Torah. And that’s the greatest thanks of all.

Conclusion: Halacha Above All

The decision not to say Hallel on Yom HaAtzmaut isn’t cold or unfeeling. It’s careful. Reverent. Loyal to the halachah we’ve received from generations before us.

The Charedi world doesn’t believe the modern State of Israel fulfills the criteria of Geulah. And even if one saw it as a miracle or a turning point—it still wouldn’t be enough to override centuries of halachic precedent.

We thank Hashem every day. We hope for Geulah with every tefillah. And we wait, patiently and humbly, for the day when we’ll all say Hallel—with a bracha—in the rebuilt Beis HaMikdash.

Sources & Footnotes

1. Rambam, Hilchos Chanukah 3:6 – Criteria for reciting Hallel based on national salvation.
   
2. Pesachim 117a – Hallel is reserved for days with Yom Tov characteristics.
   
3. Shulchan Aruch, O.C. 219:1 and Mishnah Berurah 219:6 – Prohibition of adding Hallel for minor or personal miracles.
   
4. Shulchan Aruch O.C. 167:5 – The rule of safek brachos l’hakel: when in doubt, do not say a bracha.
   
5. Igros Moshe, O.C. 5:20 – Rav Moshe Feinstein’s ruling against altering tefillah structure for political events.
   
6. She'eilas Shlomo, Vol. 2, 42 – Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach’s opinion on Hallel on Yom HaAtzmaut.
   
7. Yabia Omer, Vol. 6 O.C. 41 – Rav Ovadia Yosef’s ruling against saying Hallel with a bracha.
   
8. Testimonies from students of Rav Soloveitchik, Rav Lichtenstein, and Rav Amital – Their nuanced positions on Hallel, often refraining from saying it with a bracha or altogether.
   
9. Brachot 33a – The principle that one may not add to the words of prayer lightly: “Kol hamosif, gore’a.”