Itongadol.- Several senior rabbis from across the religious spectrum have called for the kabbalistic Yom Kippur Katan prayer service to be conducted Thursday afternoon as a special plea to God that the three abducted boys return home safely.
Communities across the country, including non-Orthodox, national-religious and haredi have all been reciting special prayers over the last two weeks for the safe return of Gil-Ad Shaer, Eyal Yifrah and Naftali Fraenkel who were kidnapped while returning home on June 12.
On Thursday, Rabbi Haim Druckman, one of the most senior figures in the national-religious community, called for the Yom Kipuur Katan service to be conducted on Thursday afternoon, national religious website Srugim reported.
“The heart of the Jewish people beats as one together with the families whose children were kidnapped by unjust people,” said Druckman.
“What is required from us is to pray and everyone can pray to God to assist the security services and the IDF soldiers to reveal where the abducted boys are and to free them, and for this we are increasing our prayers.”
Yom Kippur Katan, meaning a “minor Yom Kippur,” is a kabbalistic practice instituted by Rabbi Moshe Cordovero in 16th century Safed, and is observed on the eve of every new month other than Rosh Hashana as a day of fasting and repentance.
This month the eve of Rosh Hodesh is Friday but since fasting is not permitted on Friday’s before Shabbat the Yom Kippur Katan service is being observed THursday afternoon.
Earlier this week, Rabbi Aharon Leib Shteinman, the most senior rabbi in the non-hassidic haredi world, called for the Yom Kippur Katan prayers to be recited around the country for the safe return of the kidnapped boys, as did Rabbi Haim Kanievsky, another leading rabbi.
Haredi daily Yated Ne’eman which reported Shteinman’s request, said however that in addition to praying for the teenagers, the prayers were also being said because of the “terrible religious persecution in the Holy Land” and for the abolition of a recent law for haredi military conscription.
On Thursday, chairman of the national-religious Tzohar rabbinical association Rabbi David Stav called on all Tzohar affiliated rabbis around the country to hold and join Yom Kippur Katan prayer services, which are conducted before the afternoon prayer.
“We join the call of Rabbi Shteinman and Rabbi Kanievsky to participate in the public prayer of Yom Kippur Hakatan before Mincha on Thursday, even in places where it is not the custom to conduct this prayer,” wrote Stav in a letter to Tzohar rabbis.
“We join the prayers of our brothers in every place and from every communal sector for the return of our beloved sons and the well-being of the IDF soldiers who have been mobilised to bring the boys home.”