At the start of the Hanukkah holiday, Rabbi Yitzhak Zilberstein, a leading Lithuanian-haredi rabbi, instructed his followers not to hold large Hanukkah parties, due to the fragile security situation.
On Monday morning, in a conversation with his student Rabbi Moshe Michael Zuran, Rabbi Zilberstein explained the rationale behind his earlier ruling.
"Holding large parties at the present time may cause a desecration of G-d's Name," he explained. "At a time when Jews are killed and slaughtered, G-d protect us, in Gaza, Torah-observat Jews dance and sing?!"
Rabbi Zilberstein also spoke about some of his own rabbis, who issued similar instructions during past wars in Israel.
Responding to a question from his student, Rabbi Zilberstein said that there are "no precise rules about how to hold family celebrations, but each person should use his brain and judgement, and think about how not to cause a desecration of G-d's Name. And may we all merit to see miracles and wonders, [as we saw] in those days at this time."