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On the Edge: The International Date Line in Halacha
An Overview of a Shiur by Rav Yosef Greenwald for Parshas Tazria/Parshas HaChodesh
(החודש הזה לכם ראש חדשים (שמות יב:א
Where is the Date Line located according to halacha? Three basic approaches are offered.
- Chazon
Ish
- 6 hours (90 degrees) ahead of Yerushalayim, which runs through Siberia, part of China, and part of Australia (though land masses are not divided in his opinion).
- Based on the Baal HaMaor (to Rosh Hashana) concerning kiddush hachodesh.
- Shabbos in Japan is observed on Sunday.
- Rav
Tuchachinsky –
- 12 hours (180 degrees) ahead of Yerushalayim, which runs through part of Alaska and the Pacific Ocean to the left of Hawaii.
- Based on the idea that Yerushalayim is the center of the world
- Shabbos in Hawaii is observed on Friday.
- Rav Tzvi
Pesach Frank/Rav Ovadia Yosef –
- We follow the regular International Date Line.
- Since the Gemara doesn’t address directly, we should follow the local custom.
- Practical Halacha Today
- Most poskim do not take a definitive stand on the issue.
- Therefore, many poskim suggest for Shabbos to keep Shabbos on the local Saturday and be machmir for melacha deoraisa on the other day.
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