Q:
What kind of nes earns the right to make a brachah on, to say Hallel and make a brachah?
A:
The nes has to be ascertained and corroborated by the words of the Sanhedrin.
Because let’s say if a nes would happen in Williamsburg and the Hisachdus Harabonim would come together and they would say, “We saw this nes and we proclaim a nes.” But the Agudas Harabonim across the river in Manhattan, they didn’t see the nes, so they might not sign up on that nes. Boro Park might have a nes, but that doesn’t mean that in Crown Heights they’ll subscribe to that nes. And that’s why today we can’t make a brachah. But in the days when we had one united Sanhedrin and they were very great men and they weren’t taken in by anything and they were able to investigate and ascertain and finally, if the chachmei haTorah would decide that this is a nes to make a brachah then it’s going to be a nes for a brachah. But if the Knesses, the parliament of Eretz Yisrael decides it, forget it! They’re not the ones who declare what a nes is. And even the Minister of Religions in the Knesses cannot declare what a nes is.
And therefore we have to be careful when we say Hallel. We can’t say Hallel just for what irreligious people or atheists declare as a nes. Hallel must be said only at the command of the Sanhedrin. And even if you’ll find some frum Jews who say you should say Hallel, don’t pay any attention to them. Say, “Who is going to start a new thing in the Am Yisrael when we don’t have a central Sanhedrin of gedolei haTorah?”
So therefore we can’t do such things. We have to wait until עד יבוא יורה צדק, and he’ll teach us according to the psak of the gedolei hador in the Sanhedrin.
(November 26, 1981)
