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I'm planning to go to Israel for the first time, b"h, in just over a month. I'll be going on an organized trip and then I hope to stay until after tisha b'av. What halachot do I need to know about? (I know that there's kri'ah when seeing the kotel for the first time. I know that there's something about being careful with truma and maser, but I'm unclear of the specifics.

What halachot does an American traveling to Israel have to be made aware of?

Danny Schoemann
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Moshe
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1 Answers1

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On the airplane there: be courteous to the other passengers and the flight crew. Pray in your seat, standing only when the fasten-seatbelt light is turned off!

Some broad outlines:

  1. As you allude to in your question, except possibly on certain joyous days, your tear your clothes the first time you visit the kosel hamaaravi; some do also when they first see the desolate cities of Judea; some only do this when seeing the actual ground of Har HaBayit.
  2. If you are leading the prayers (in most of Israel), expect birkas kohanim during chazaras hashatz of every shacharis and musaf. Say each word before the kohanim. However (in most synagogues), do not say "kohanim": someone else will do that for you. If you are not leading prayers, but you are a kohen, remember to go and wash after kedusha.
  3. As you allude to in your question, t'ruma, et al., are more relevant in Israel. Buy stuff — including fresh produce — only with a reliable hechsher (or from a store with a non-expired reliable hechsher), or CYLOR about what you can buy and how to separate t'ruma, et al., yourself.
  4. Although in the States people do not use hot water from the tap on Shabas, in Israel many people do. (This is due to a difference in how the heaters work.)
  5. OTOH, some don't use electricity on Shabas and yom tov at all.
  6. If you rent an apartment to live in for the end of your trip, realize that the 30 day exemption from mezuzah for renters only applies in the Diaspora. In Israel you must get a mezuzah immediately.
  7. (Due to reasons of calendar, this is not relevant to the specific case asked about in the question, but will be relevant to others.) If you're to be in Israel for Pesach, there's a dispute about when your chametz in the States or Australia may not be owned by you. Consult your rabbi: you may need to sell your chametz earlier or buy it back later than everyone else.
  8. In maariv Nussach Ashkenaz omits the third bracha after Keriat Shema (that begins Baruch Hashem LeOlam) which they do say in Chu"l. Additionally, Nussach Ashkenaz adds Morid HaTal in the summertime.
  9. Some are very careful about not crossing against the light on Shabbos, because they may cause a non-shomer-shabbat Jew who is driving to brake.
  10. If you're visiting Yerushalayim (and some other places) there will be a Minhag to have candlelighting 40 minutes before Shekiah.
  11. Be sure to keep in mind that there may be issues with Ribbis or Ona'ah when borrowing / repaying with different currencies.
  12. If you are there during or immediately following a shmitah year, you will have to make sure to follow those laws.
  13. There can be differences in the Torah reading cycle if you are visiting after a Yom Tov.

For details and guidance about all of these, consult your rabbi.

I've made this a "community wiki" post so others can add to it (and so that, I think, I get no reputation points from votes on it); please contribute.

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msh210
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    Who tears kriya on the Hills of Judea nowadays? – Double AA May 10 '12 at 07:39
  • @DoubleAA, I knew a rabbi who did so and instructed his students to do so. – msh210 May 10 '12 at 18:35
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    First of all, you wouldn't tear on the hills of Judea but perhaps you mean on the cities of Judea (ShA OC 561:1)? R Yechiel Michal Tukaccinsky in 1955 notes that the Minhag Eretz Yisrael was not to tear except on Yerushalayim and the Mikdash. Plus due to changes in government structure (even if not perfect) the reasons to tear nowadays are even smaller than 100 years ago. Certainly in practice, yours is by far the minority position. – Double AA May 10 '12 at 18:47
  • There's also yom tov sheni issues...this question is getting to be too broad. – Double AA May 10 '12 at 18:49
  • @DoubleAA, sorry, yes, the cities, not the hills. – msh210 May 10 '12 at 19:38
  • @jutky I don't think the bracha is a bracha for chul. – Double AA May 10 '12 at 21:08
  • @DoubleAA I don't know how to call it, does it have a special name? – jutky May 10 '12 at 21:12
  • @DoubleAA Looks like something I might want to ask, but I was not aware that there are other opinions. In which area is there a dispute? – yydl May 10 '12 at 23:00
  • @yydl Well, there is the general discussion about keeping one day or two days (or one-and-a-half) when visiting. (My understanding is that Chabad keeps only one, Rav Soloveitchik would advocate 1.5 and Rav M Feinstein advocated 2.) But moreover, having a second day minyan is to many poskim considered going against the local minhag publicly, which is forbidden. You're supposed to keep your own minhagim without ever breaking from local custom (cf Mishna Pesachim 4:1). Notable among this group is the Mishna Berura 496:13 who advocates saying yom tov prayers in secret in one's home. – Double AA May 10 '12 at 23:04
  • @DoubleAA what's the difference between now and 1955? – ertert3terte May 10 '12 at 23:45
  • @ShmuelBrin I said 'than 100 years ago'. But if you ask, since 1955 there has been a return of Jewish control to Beit Lechem, one of the cities which likely qualifies as Arei Yehuda. – Double AA May 11 '12 at 00:01
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    @ه ه What would be an Ona'ah issue? – yydl May 11 '12 at 01:25
  • @yydl changing money at too-high of a rate. What would be ribbit problems? – Baal Shemot Tovot May 11 '12 at 18:40
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    @ه ه But that ona'ah would generally apply to a money changer, and not a visitor – yydl May 11 '12 at 18:48
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    @ه ه The ribbis issue would be, if you borrow or lend money in a foreign currency and want to pay it back in local currency or vice versa. This is especially common among friends (e.g. I borrow 20 NIS from my friend while in Israel, and then when back in America I want to pay him back in USD) – yydl May 11 '12 at 18:50
  • Re: #4 I've heard it was much WORSE to use hot water in Israel on Shabbath! CYLOR! – Seth J Aug 10 '12 at 01:02
  • What's the source on mezuzot needing to be up immediately? – Charles Koppelman Aug 10 '12 at 19:07
  • @CharlesKoppelman See Yoreh Deah 286:22 based exactly on Bavli Menachot 44a. – Double AA Aug 12 '12 at 04:07
  • @DoubleAA / anyone: Isn't chala different in Israel? (I seem to recall that they have to be careful about where/how they burn it.) If you add this to the answer, please flag this comment as obsolete. – msh210 Oct 07 '12 at 08:47
  • @msh210 The main difference is that you have to separate before you eat, unlike in Chu"l where you can eat as long as you leave some behind at the end. Also in Chu"l a kohein who has been to the mikva can eat the challah – Double AA Oct 07 '12 at 19:51
  • @Shalom I'm not sure i agree with your airplane info. Elal flights often have an unofficial minyan at the back, at least for mincha/maariv. – Scimonster Jul 14 '15 at 19:39
  • Omitting Baruch Hashem Leolam is not universal. Some non-Gr"a kehillot ( especially MMA associated minyanim) and many yechidim do say it. The p'sak I received was to say it in a minyan which says it as well as alone. – Noach MiFrankfurt Dec 24 '15 at 23:45