A rare and historic chalitzah ceremony was held Monday evening by the Beis Din of the Machzikei Hadas kehilla in Antwerp, Belgium, with the participation of the city’s Rabbanim, lomdei Torah, talmdidei chachamim, and hundreds of attendees who gathered to witness the rare event.
It was the first chalitzah ceremony held in Antwerp in nearly 40 years.
The ceremony was held in a large hall to accommodate the large crowd led by the city’s Rav, HaGaon HaRav Aharon Schiff, and Dayanim, HaGaon HaRav Amram Henig, HaGaon HaRav Zekiel Polak, and HaGaon HaRav Eliezer Shimon Eckstein. The eidim were HaGaon HaRav Asher Sternbuch and HaGaon HaRav Shalom Greenfeld.
At the request of HaRav Schiff, HaGaon HaRav Aharon Dovid Dunner, Av Beis Din of London, traveled especially to Antwerp to preside over and conduct the chalitzah ceremony, since he has presided over several chalitzah ceremonies in the past.
The day before the ceremony, members of the Beis Din visited the site to determine the precise location where the ceremony would take place, in accordance with halacha.
In honor of the rare event, the Beis Din especially printed the Seder HaChalitzah of the Maharam, a talmid of the Rema, and distributed copies to all those in attendance.
Preparations for the ceremony required extensive planning. HaRav Dunner brought the specially crafted leather chalitzah shoe.
The dayanim placed the special shoe on the foot of the avreich who had traveled from France. The almanah then removed the shoe, recited the Yehi Ratzon, and spat onto the ground before him. The crowd then proclaimed three times in a loud voice: “Chalutz HaNa’al! Chalutz HaNa’al! Chalutz HaNa’al!”
At the conclusion of the ceremony, those present recited the tefillah: “May it be Hashem’s will that Jewish women never again come to require either chalitzah or yibum. Amen.”
(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)
14 Responses
I remember being present at a Chalitza in London in 1976. Although Rav Henoch Padva zl was an outstanding Gaon and Posek, he was hesitant to lead the ceremony himself and waited for The Minchas Yitzchak, Dayan Y.Y. Weiss zl, to visit London and he then conducted the procedure.
I’m just curious!
Altho8gh it is a mitzva still yet it is an embarrassing to the man and to the lady. Why is this done in public? Can somebody pleasevshed some light.
I’m just curious! Although it is a mitzva still yet it is an embarrassing to the man and to the lady. Why is this done in public? Can somebody please shed some light.
Why was this procedure conducted in the evening? It is supposed to be the woman’s 1st spit in the morning which is her natural saliva, without having yet drunk anything that day.
It also makes no sense why a Frenchman would go to Belgium for this, because since Belgium’s Health department is arresting a Mohel over perceived health violations, I would surmize the health department shall also arrest these people for spitting in public which is a perceived health violation.
“hundreds of attendees who gathered to witness the rare event”
Why? Because it’s rare? It’s not a happy event for the people involved.
Why the need to gather and watch?
Yaapchik- true but I have no doubt they asked both of them before if they were willing to allow people to witness it, since it is a super rare mitzvah. I’m sure if either of them said no then it would just be beisDin
Yaapchik,
The reason why many people were there is because it does not happen often BH. This way when it does happen, you’re able to see it to know what really happens. I would hope that the woman was not embarrassed and if she was, that she be rewarded by HKBH for any embarrassment as it was all לשם שמים.
I would suggest you start learning Daf Yomi because then you’ll really end up appreciating something like this. May we never need another one!
No, besides the fact that idealy mitzvos should be done with many in attendance, ראה יומא ע’ ע”א (that is is a mitzva for everybody to watch), it is particular halocho that chalitza should be done in a very public, and annonced setting.
There is an Inyan to have Chalitzah done b’Rabim, and to go and observe it. This because the Pasuk says, “ויקרא שמו בישראל בית חלוץ הנעל”. There shold be at least a Minyan. This is referenced in the article when it describes the appropriate reaction of the attendees. I myself went to Tel Aviv years ago to witness a Chalitzah.
As far as being embarrased, the Almanah is usually more embarrased than the brother. However, the Dayanim explain to her what Nachas Ruach this brings to her late husband’s Neshama. Also, of course, it allows her to remarry. (In this case the brother seems fairly young. so perhaps she has much of her life ahead of herself – BEZ”H with Zera shel Kayama.
According to the picture, the almonah decided to skip the procedure or just mailed in the spit like they do for DNA analysis.
@Yaapchik and @yblkwd maybe it’s time to learn Masechta Yevomos.
Chalitza is supposed to be done in a public area so everyone will know that the “yevoma” is free to get married and there is no more Zeeka to the Yovom.
It just so happens that the family, specifically the 21 year old Almanah initially asked that it be done in extreme privacy. I’m not sure if embarrassment is the correct word here but it’s obviously EXTREMELY uncomfortable for the parties involved. After the Rabbonim explained to her the importance of having it done Davka B’pumbi, they relented. This sacrifice will obviously stand them in the good graces of our father in heaven.
… recited the Yehi Ratzon …
Excuse me, what?! What yehi rotzon, when yehi rotzon?! This is just such utter stupid nonsense! The chumash says exactly the words she must use, and none of them are “yehi rotzon”! The halacha says that both the widow and the brother must use the exact words that are in the chumash, no more and no less. So no “yehi rotzon”, no “lesheim yichud”, nothing extra.
And I repeat 147’s question, why was it in the evening. Or rather, I am fairly confident that it was NOT in the evening, and this report is wrong.
AAQ,
Really? Everyone here was remarking about the embarrassment of the almonah and the Yavam. And you had to make the inanest remark.
BTW, why don’t you find out if dripping the salvia is me’akev that it needs to be done at the same time.