A Rav Chaim Kanievsky Miracle

19
>>Follow Matzav On Whatsapp!<<

rav-chaim-kanievskyThe city of Bnei Brak doesn’t utilize the regular water source that most of the country of Israel uses, the National Water Carrier, Mekorot. The reason for this is due to a p’sak of Maran Rav Chaim Kanievsky, who maintains that one cannot use Mekorot as a water source on Shabbos because the company is mechalel shabbos in its activities to keep their water running. Instead, Bnei Brak receives their water from an alternate company named “Mei Barak,” which, for Shabbos, utilizes a special generator that is connected to the water pumps.

The recent three-day Yom Tov of Rosh Hashanah followed by Shabbos presented a problem, as the Mei Barak system is designed to manage one day’s worth of water for the city on a normal basis, and it was estimated that the generator would not survive the three-day Yom Tov and continue pumping out the water throughout.

A representative, Rav Shevach Rosenblatt, was sent to ask Rav Chaim Kanievsky what to do in this exceptional case. It was questioned whether, for this one time, Mekorot water could be used.

Rav Kanievsky, according to sources in the Israeli chareidi press, responded that they may not use the services of Mekorot and that Hashem will help. Rav Chaim sent the questioners on their way with a bracha.

Shortly before Rosh Hashanah, the Mei Barak company came up with an idea. There is a well at the edge of Bnei Brak, just on the border of the Kiryat Herzog neighborhood. The well had been condemned by the Health Ministry because of the poor quality of the water there, but Mei Barak figured that it would try to gain use of the well. They sent a request for a one-time allowance to use the well water.

For an unknown reason, the Health Ministry allowed it.

For the three-day Yom Tov, Bnei Brak residents drank from what used to be contaminated water, and Rav Kanievsky’s bracha seemingly cleaned it for those three days.

After Yom Tov, the Health Ministry tested the water and found it contaminated.

In Bnei Brak, it has been declared that the allowance issued by the Health Ministry to drink contaminated water for three days without first testing it is a miracle. Another aspect, not mentioned in the chareidi press, is the miracle that nobody got sick from drinking the contaminated water.

{Yair Alpert-Matzav.com Israel/Rafi G-Life in Israel/Kikar}


19 COMMENTS

  1. It certainly is a miracle nobody got sick. That’s just irresponsible – both by the water company and the health ministry – to use a contaminated water source.

    If people didn’t want to use the city’s water, they could have stored water during the week for use on yom tov.

  2. R’ Chaim did not allow use of a contaminated water; ein somchin al hanes. Indeed, the proper solution would seem to have been storage. Unless, the water was only slightly contaminated and using it for three days wouln’t be a problem, and only long term use is unhealthy.

  3. Mi mo Nafshoch there was no problem:

    If people survived the water, ma tov!
    If they got sick CH”V, there was a heter to use the main water supply b/c of pikuach nefesh.

    No problem here whatsoever!

  4. The article says the BB contraption is only good for 1 day. What happens when you have a Yom Tov and Shabbos back-to-back? What happened the last time you had RH & Shabbos together?

  5. #11- first of all one must be exceptionally carefull before calling another fellow an am haaretz for if i remember correctly there is at least one oinion in the schottestien talmud tractate berachos that only one that doesnt wear tefillin can be labeled an am haaretz and if one labels another an am haaretz incorrectly in my humble opinion he may be included in the category of “mekaneh shem lachaveiro” one that places a nickname on his fellow (see Rambam in Hilchos Teshuvah what he says about one that does so). second of all Rabbi Kanievsky never said that they should put the water to use he merely said that Hashem will help. #11 if you are in any which way insulted it was not meant in that context and i beg your forgivness.

  6. They probably just used it for bathrooms and maybe dishes (which get dried) and for drinking used what was bottled before Yom Tov. (How many people drink from the sink anyways. I drink Grape Juice, wine, seltzer etc. on Shabbos and Yom Tov!) I’m sure they took this into consideration before allowing it. But it does seem somewhat of a miracle that they were allowed to use it. A gut moed

  7. WHY DIDNT YOU APPROVE MY COMMENT

    17. Comment from George Orwell
    Time September 26, 2010 at 7:10 AM

    AS TO BE EXPECTED MATZAV PUBLISHED A STORY THAT GIVES THE IMPRESSION THAT THE WATER COMPANY USED A WELL THAT HAD CONTAMINATED WATER.

    Thank you for your comment! It has been added to the moderation queue and will be published here if approved by the webmaster.

  8. REGARDLESS OF THOSE WHO WROTE THE STORY IN A WAY THAT IMPLIES THAT UNCONTAMINATED WATER TURNED INTO CONTAMINATED WATER RIGHT AFTER SHOBBES BECAUSE THEY FANTASIZE THAT TO BE CASE…THE REALITY IS THAT THE STORY INDICATES- WHEN ONE IGNORES THE FANTASY- THAT AN ISRAELI WATER COMPANY KNOWINGLY OR AT BEST- CARELESSLY- GAVE CHAREIDIM CONTAMINATED WATER FOR 3 DAYS. WHY WOULD MATZAV PUBLISH THAT STORY. WHAT IS GOING ON HERE ? WHAT KIND OF PUBLICATION IS THIS ?

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here