The Message of 5 Iyar

When is Yom Ha’atzmaut?

Like every other Jewish holiday, it has a date on the calendar: 5 Iyar.

As Rabbi Meshulam Roth (1875-1962), one of the prominent rabbinical supporters of celebrating Israel’s independence, noted:

“Indeed, there is no doubt that the 5th of Iyar, which was established by the government and the members of the Parliament, who are the elected representatives of the people, and the majority of the great Rabbis to celebrate through the land, to commemorate our salvation and our freedom – it is a mitzvah to make it a day of happiness and Yom Tov and to recite Hallel.” (Kol Mevaser 1:21)

This year, though, we will celebrate Yom Ha’atzmaut on 6 Iyar.

The Knesset decided that the national commemoration and celebration of Yom Hashoah, Yom Hazikaron and Yom Ha’atzmaut should never begin or end in proximity to Shabbat. This was to ensure no preparations or arrangements would ever take place in a way that would violate Shabbat. In the event that any of these days would fall on Friday or Sunday, then the holidays would be pushed off a day or moved earlier. While the dates are significant, in a Jewish State, Shabbat must come first.

The commemorations of Yom Hashoah and Yom Hazikaron don’t engender any significant discussion of Jewish Law. They’re “easy” to move. Celebrating Yom Ha’atzmaut, however, involves religious rituals like reciting Hallel as well as festively celebrating during the Omer period, when such celebrating does not take place. Doesn’t the day matter?

Some rabbis say the date matters.

If 5 Iyar is the date of Yom Ha’atzmaut, then that is the only day to celebrate Yom Ha’atzmaut. This means there are some communities who will celebrate Yom Ha’atzmaut this year on Monday, while Israel – and most other communities - celebrate on Tuesday. Sounds pretty Jewish, no?

Rabbi Shlomo Goren noted that Yom Ha’atzmaut is bigger than a date on the calendar. We have a religious responsibility to celebrate the miracle of Israel in our time. That’s not about a date. It is about the fact that we have a State of Israel.

What exactly happened on 5 Iyar in 1948?

That is when David Ben-Gurion and the Provisional Council declared a State of Israel. It was an exhilarating moment, but it was immediately followed by war. Why did the Rabbis declare this date the holiday? Why not celebrate the end of the War of Independence?

5 Iyar marks a miraculous moment in Jewish history.

The declaration of the State of Israel was a display of courage that transformed the Jewish people. It was the moment – just three years after the destruction of the Shoah – that facilitated an ingathering of the exiles and triggered the building of a country that boggles the mind to this day. It was also the unleashing of a spirit that we still use today that can never be extinguished.  

Celebrating the events of 5 Iyar - regardless of whether we celebrate on 4 or 6 Iyar – is an annual reminder that we need bravery, perseverance, and faith. Especially after October 7, in the midst of the fighting, pain, heartbreak, and despair, we need to recognize and, yes, celebrate, that the courage needed to declare a state is the courage that will ensure we prevail and always have a state.

Rabbi Yehuda Amital, founder of Yeshivat Har Etzion, would often speak about people’s impatience as reflected in various movements and slogans with the word “Now.” Peace Now. Moshiach Now. He advised some perspective from his own personal experience of surviving the Holocaust and then fighting in Israel’s War of Independence. Have some patience. During the Shoah, he would never even have dreamt he’d be fighting in the army of a Jewish State. That miraculous transformation, that powerful ability to transcend is only possible with 5 Iyar.

On Monday, President Biden gave a strong speech condemning antisemitism and supporting Israel. He decried people forgetting the Holocaust and already even forgetting the horrific events of October 7. Then, on Wednesday, he said he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if it launches a major invasion of Rafah. It’s outrageous and betrays the sentiments of the first speech. Thankfully, many members of Congress have pushed back against the President’s speech, and we must all encourage our leaders to support Israel having what it needs to defeat Hamas.

These days, it can feel like one step forward; two steps back. But nothing can undo what happened on 5 Iyar. Thank God, we have a State of Israel. There is no turning back. There is only going forward.

When we celebrate Yom Ha’atzmaut on Tuesday, it will feel different. We feel weighed down by the current situation in Israel and by what seems like less support and stability for Israel and Jews here in America. Nevertheless, when we celebrate, we should think back to the incredible courage and strength unleashed on 5 Iyar in 1948. The genie is out of the bottle. We have that power, and, with God’s help, Israel and the Jewish people will keep moving forward to better times and even greater redemption.