Hagaon HaRav Benzion Mutzafi, a leading Sephardic Posek in Eretz Yisroel, has ruled that it is a Mitzvah to report to the police anyone selling or playing with firecrackers. The rav issued the ruling in response to a question from one of his Talmidim, who asked if it was permissible to notify the police due to the widespread sale and use of firecrackers.
“Absolutely. It is considered a mitzvah of ‘Ve’ahavta L’rayacha Kamocha,” and also about saving the weak,” Rabbi Mutzafi replied. “There are many small children, mothers, babies, people suffering from heart disease, weak people, who might hear the sounds of the firecrackers, panic and scream.”
Rabbi Mutzafi also emphasized the importance of considering the well-being of individuals who have served in Gaza and may be suffering from anxiety and shell-shock. “Even them, when they hear the sounds of explosions, will instinctively get a fright. It is a great Mitzvah to avoid harming or scaring anyone in Israel, especially these days,” he said.
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6 Responses
Sometimes you wonder why some feel a need to ask such a question when the answer is obvious to a rational yid. If you see ANYONE, yid or goy, engaging in behavior that is both self-destructive and and extremely dangerous to others, you do whatever you can to protect the well-being of the individual and the tzibur.
I have mixed feelings on this one.
I guess if it were clear cut it wouldn’t require Da’as Torah to weigh in, though.
I do recall similar rulings in the past.
To be clear, I didn’t play with firecrackers as a kid, but I do remember the feeling of wanting to have them.
For an example of what can happen please read Follow my Leader by James B Garfield.
And for anyone thinking the scenario in that book is unlikely, just two days ago some neighborhood kids asked me to help them light a short fuse firecracker in the streets near my home. Despite my recommendation to spend another couple bucks to replace it or just to throw it out altogether, the parent of one of the children involved was encouraging them to try to get it lit.
Thankfully, the firecracker in question either turned out to be a dud or the children were simply too incompetent to get it lit, and they did eventually dump it in the trash.
Gadolhadorah:
Sometimes you wonder why some feel the answer to such a question is so obvious when the consequences are obvious to a rational Jew. If you see anyone engaging in behavior that is both self-destructive and and extremely dangerous to others, you do whatever you can to protect the well-being of the individual and the tzibur, but that doesn’t mean you have an automatic heter to send them to the Zionist wolves.
My kids were so overjoyed & filled with glee when I explained to them that since we’re Baruch Hashem Ashkenaz Yidden the psak doesn’t apply to us.
I agree, firecrackers and other explosives are not always small and can cause harm. I know some one who lost his hearing from them on Purim.
Kuvult – I hope your children and no one else gets hurt/blinded, etc. from your firecrackers on Purim or any other time. I bet if you would ask any Ashkenazi Rav, he would also say they are asur.