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Mishna Brura referring to State of Israel?
Question
Dear Rabbi Ari Shvat, while I agree wholeheartedly with most of your answer to the post titled "Can’t stand Israel!", I am nevertheless puzzled about one detail of your answer: You wrote "[...] Mishna Brura and all agree that one need not rip any longer, because the State of Israel halachically (!) removes the status of churban, and brings the status of ge?ula". How can the Mishna Brura refer to the halachic status of the "State of Israel" when it was written years before the State was founded, at a time when it wasn’t even clear yet if and when a state would arise?
Answer
Please see the Mishna Brura (561, 2) inside for yourself which translates as follows: " 'In their destruction (one must rip)'- Even if Jews live there, as long as the Yishmaelites (Arabs) rule over them, it's considered 'in their destruction'."
True, the Mishna Brura didn't merit to see the State of Israel, but as always, he lays down the general rule and every generation must apply it to their situation (in fact, the Mishna Brura is really just quoting R. Yosef Karo- the Beit Yosef and others who lived 500 years ago!). The rule is simple: if there is Jewish, not Arab, control over the area, we are no longer in a status of churban (destruction) and need not rip. Even if we aren't satisfied with the level of halachic observance in certain aspects of the State of Israel, nobody can claim that it’s under “Arab rule”. This psak is accepted today even by the charedi community as well, and I have never heard of anyone doing kriya today on the cities of Judea (only some, like R. Moshe Feinstein, while agreeing regarding the other cities, disagree with the Mishna Brura just regarding the Kotel and the Temple Mount, feeling that there, it's not enough to have Jewish rule, but one rips as long as there is no Beit HaMikdash).
In short, you may have heard of some who rip at the Kotel, but since Israeli rule, not on the rest of Yerushalaym nor on the other cities.
With Love of Israel,
Rav Ari Shvat

Rabin’s murder day
Various Rabbis | Cheshvan 12, 5776

The Current PM and Antisemitism
Rabbi Ari Shvat | Elul 6, 5779

Israel
Rabbi Yoel Lieberman | Tammuz 18, 5779

resistance and giving away the Land of Israel
Rabbi Ari Shvat | Adar 6, 5772

Rabbi Ari Shvat
Lectures at various yeshivot, michlalot and midrashot. Has published many books & Torani articles and is in charge of Rav Kook’s archives.

A Day is a thousand years
Adar I 23, 5771

Bircat baalat habayit 2
Adar I 23, 5771

Orla
Shevat 19, 5771

Writing a Torah Scroll in English
Adar II 25, 5771

Food, medications and Yom Kippur
Rabbi Yoel Lieberman | Av 13, 5780

Rinsing Mouth on Yom Kippur
Rabbi Chaim Tabasky | 8 Tishrei 5766

Eating in Shiurim
Rabbi David Sperling | Tishrei 7, 5775

Taking medicine on Yom Kipur
Rabbi Elchanan Lewis | 28 Av 5766
Is a ger with a Levi father a Levi?
Rabbi Gideon Weitzman | Elul 26, 5783
hagomel in Yom kipur
Rabbi Daniel Kirsch | Tishrei 9, 5784
