Bnei Brak, Israel – Rabbis Rabbi Shmuel Halevy Vazner and Rabbi Nissim Kerlitz have issued a pre-Purim warning regarding the use of firecrackers, noting that the matter approaches the severity of “pikuach nefesh”.
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Adding that to report such violations to authorities is a mitzvah.
The warning comes as Israeli police have launched an operation around the country to seize illegal firecrackers ahead of Purim.
In a warning to the public over the dangers of the items, police bomb squad officers detonated some of the firecrackers available on the market near a plastic doll and displayed the damages the explosions caused.
“Fake weapons and firecrackers are a great danger to children and teenagers,” spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said.
“We are carrying out a number of operations throughout the country leading up to the Purim festival to seize them,” he added.
Who’s going to protect them from the sikrikim?
While I totally agree with Vasner and Kerlitz , its interesting how it is apparently OK to be a moser with regard to another yid selling illegal firecrackers but somenhow not OK to be a moser when reporting other yidden (including chashuve rabbonim and askanim) engaged in all sorts of fraud, tax evasion, and other scams. Maybe the dinim regarding being a moser are different in EY from those in NJ.
perhaps one factor taken into account and considered pikuach nefesh is the fact that firecrackers can mimic the sound of gunshots and frighten the citizens of E”Y or give the impression that a war is in the making, chas v’shalom
Try reporting these dangerous “Purim Shtick” in America. There are even people who are rebbes in yeshivos who have opened small businesses to sell these items to children to supplement their meager salaries. I would report every one of them until they stop. Every shul should ban the entrance of any such item, whether smoke bombs, even caps, into a beis hamedrash. These things are NOT simchas Purim, and the delusion that they are is part of the stack of negative influences on our young people that challenge their ability to grow into yir’ei shomayim.
What about reporting people who abuse children?
Isn’t that also pikuach Nefesh?
How come one is not required to consult a Rav before going to the authorities to report a fireworks salesman?
Even with the words “pikuach nefesh” I agree with number 2.
Firecrackers can be used responsibly as well so they are not “directly” pikuach nefesh. So if fire crackers “may” be pikuach nefesh … certainly it is ok to be moser a pedophile Jew who has killed that child’s soul and killed what that child could have become and furthermore … there is a chance that child’s very life is in danger via suicide etc…
More in terms of number 2 The lives of many are completely ruined when Rabbanim play illegal games with money. A life ruined is still pikuach nefesh as far as I am concerned.
and then there are all those made sick or have accidents due to excessive and underage drinking – any rabbonim concerned with that?