Worse than kitniyot
Kitniyot is a small problem compared to another questionable Pesah practice: observing two days of chag in Erets Yisrael.
Personally I find this highly offensive to the kavod of Erets Yisrael. I'm not alone. Rav Kook too held this way:
In Celebration of the Soul by Rav Moshe Zvi Neriyah (founder of Bnei Akiva youth movement and a disciple of Rav Kook), he writes about a the Keren Kayemet's second seder for American visitors in 1934. They ask Rav Kook to sponsor and supervise the seder.
The same people who so scrupulously--and publicly--observe two days of chag would scream to high heavens if I were to drive around their town in the USA on the second day of Pesah in my kipa while they were davening mussaf on the second day of chag.
... But they have no qualms about public displays of Galuth (Exile) in Erets Yisrael. IMNSHO, if they want to observe restrictions of the second day of chag, then they should do it at "home", i.e., wherever they are staying during their visit and daven with the locals--and do their own thing for their Silent Shomona Esrai.
I hope that the Beth HaWaadh of Machon Shilo put this on their agenda for next year. This is a huge chilul HaShem that should end ASAP.
Personally I find this highly offensive to the kavod of Erets Yisrael. I'm not alone. Rav Kook too held this way:
In Celebration of the Soul by Rav Moshe Zvi Neriyah (founder of Bnei Akiva youth movement and a disciple of Rav Kook), he writes about a the Keren Kayemet's second seder for American visitors in 1934. They ask Rav Kook to sponsor and supervise the seder.
He refused, insisting that the second seder was an institution of the Diaspora and would violate the honor of Erets Yisrael.Then the organizers turned to one of the Rav's students and asked him to supervise the seder--and promised to compensate him generously--but that he needed Rav Kook's approval. Unaware that the Rav had already rejected the idea, the student approached the Rav. Rav Kook was sensitive to his student's financial situation and arrived at a decision:
I will authorize the event, but only if the band of the Jewish Institute for the Blind is invited to play at the seder. Furthermore, the publicity must clearly emphasize the band's appearance. Everyone know that instruments are not played on a festival and that therefore a Pesah seder with musical accompaniment is not a seder.In the good old days, this was the common practice. As the shuth of minhag kitniyot has increased, we can see that the same outlook as affected *real halacha*.
The same people who so scrupulously--and publicly--observe two days of chag would scream to high heavens if I were to drive around their town in the USA on the second day of Pesah in my kipa while they were davening mussaf on the second day of chag.
... But they have no qualms about public displays of Galuth (Exile) in Erets Yisrael. IMNSHO, if they want to observe restrictions of the second day of chag, then they should do it at "home", i.e., wherever they are staying during their visit and daven with the locals--and do their own thing for their Silent Shomona Esrai.
I hope that the Beth HaWaadh of Machon Shilo put this on their agenda for next year. This is a huge chilul HaShem that should end ASAP.
Comments
The only other justification might be if these are American minyanim serving American visitors so that they can observe their respective minhagim while *visiting* E"Y. Otherwise, it doesn't make any sense.
Keep up the good work.
I am not saying that Rabbanim aren't paskining this way; I am saying that this paskening is problematic.
I think it may be problematic for Americans to do 2 days in Israel but I never heard of Israelis doing 2 days.