With Purim just a few hours away amid the ongoing war, the Rishon Letzion, Rav Dovid Yosef, published a psak halacha emphasizing that obedience to Pikud HaOref directives takes precedence over reading the Megillah b’rov am when there is even a chashash pikuach nefesh.

In detailed guidelines addressed to “Acheinu Bnei Yisroel b’Eretz Yisroel,” the Rav stressed that safeguarding life overrides any hiddur mitzvah. He wrote that it is self-understood that we are obligated to heed the instructions of Pikud HaOref regarding security, and since there is a concern of pikuach nefesh, it is absolutely forbidden to act against those directives.

One of the primary questions raised was the fulfillment of the principle of “b’rov am hadras Melech” in a time of sirens and security alerts. While in an ordinary year there is a mitzvah to hear Krias HaMegillah with a large gathering, this year — given that security authorities have determined that large assemblies in unprotected areas may pose a danger — the Rav ruled that the Megillah should be read in a protected space or shelter. This applies even if it is not possible to gather a crowd, and even if one must read the Megillah individually without a minyan.

The Rav further clarified that one does not fulfill the obligation by listening to the Megillah via telephone, radio, or online platforms such as Zoom. One who does not have access to a kosher Megillah should read from a printed Chumash without reciting the berachos.

Special guidance was issued for chayalim serving on the front lines. For soldiers who, due to operational demands, cannot read the Megillah at night, the Rishon Letzion ruled that in a shaas hadchak they may read from plag hamincha.

In the event that a siren sounds in the middle of the kri’ah, the instruction is unequivocal: the reading must be stopped immediately, and everyone must proceed at once to a protected area or shelter. The Rav reassured the public that even if the interruption is prolonged and includes conversation, there is no need to return to the beginning of the Megillah; rather, one resumes from the place where he left off.

Concluding his psak, Rav Yosef called upon the tzibbur to strengthen themselves in emunah and tefillah on behalf of Klal Yisroel and the chayalei Yisroel. He expressed a heartfelt tefillah that the Ribono Shel Olam protect His people and perform nissim v’niflaos as in the days of Mordechai v’Esther, and concluded with a prayer for the salvation of the people dwelling in Tzion, the success of Israel’s soldiers in battle, and that we merit the swift arrival of the Goel Tzedek b’karov.

{Matzav.com}