In preparation for the Rashbi celebration that will begin this coming weekend, the great rabbis of Sephardic Judaism are calling for the Aliyah to be brought forward or delayed - from Thursday night until the end of Friday night, or after Shabbat during the weekdays.
In a letter published by Rishon LeZion, Rabbi Yosef, to which were also added the signatures of the Rabbi Tzedakah, Rabbi Nissim ben Shimon, a member of the Council of Torah Sages, the Gaon Rabbi Shlomo Mahfoud, and the Rabbi of Bnei Brak, Rabbi Ben Shimon, the Rabbi, clarify that the aliyah during these days is considered an aliyah on the day of the jubilation.
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""Since this year the day of the celebration of the divine Tanna, Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, begins on Friday night, the 18th of Iyar, 5785, until the beginning of Shabbat, and there are among you, the House of Israel, who desire to take part in the celebration of the righteous on this terrible day.
""However, the urgency of time and the hour of the Arashak may cause many setbacks and is a correction that leads to spoilage, when many of the faithful of the House of Israel will find themselves in turmoil on the eve of Shabbat, and even the authorities in charge of order on Mount Meron will be forced, God forbid, to the point of actually desecrating Shabbat in order to ensure the peace of those who celebrate.".
""Therefore, it is right and proper that those who customarily visit the Divine Tanna, the Rashbi, on the day of Hilulah, should advance their ascension from Thursday night until the end of Friday night, as well as after Shabbat during the days of the week that are close to and visible from the day of Hilulah, and the divine Tanna's right will protect them and all the members of their household.".
""And certainly it is a day of celebration, and as is customary on Zion Day, there are commemorations and a pilgrimage to the grave on the days of remembrance of relatives who come to the place of need even on adjacent days, and God forbid, it causes obstacles such as fear of desecration of Shabbat, and more because due to the shortness of time, they can come into danger and the scarcity of hours will not accommodate most of the pilgrims.".
The rabbis add and warn: "You must also be careful and be very careful for your souls, not to enter a place of danger in places of stress, and the one who warns and is careful will increase their safety like a river and a stream.".
In addition, the rabbis call on yeshiva students who are diligent in their Talmud not to go to Meron on the day of Hilula, and that their studies should not be canceled in order to go to the holy city.
