we rely on a miracle to close the doors so that an excessive number of people not enter and thus create a danger . 25 Rava said : We learned that people would close the doors , and we do not rely on a miracle . 26
Keeping community safe is of utmost importance , and the number of attendees for the annual Passover ritual needed to be controlled . Perhaps similar to Jewish tradition ’ s general commitment to build sustainable and just society by curbing human impulse 27 , without which people would hurt each other 28 , the Talmudic debate is less about how the doors closed and more about taking responsibility for communal welfare . And , if this is the case , then the next question matters too , urgently : how do you make certain you ’ ll be able to close the doors when there is a crush of pilgrims trying to get in ?
Before dismissing these concerns as theoretical , consider these two ( of many ) examples . On September 24 , 2015 , a stampede at the Stoning of the Devil ritual killed at least 2,236 pilgrims in Mecca , Saudi Arabia , the deadliest incident in the history of the Hajj . On April 30 , 2021 , a deadly crowd crush during the Lag Ba ’ Omer pilgrimage to Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai ’ s tomb on Mount Meron , Israel , with an estimated 100,000 attendees , resulted in 45 deaths and around 150 injuries , making it the deadliest civil disaster in Israel ’ s history . Without human intervention , even the best intentions coupled with a devotion to Heaven can lead – has led – to disaster .
The ancient Passover festival , the Hajj , and Lag Ba ’ Omer have in common a communal holy intention , a positive reason for the throngs of pilgrims who sought entrance . If , even here , human intervention is necessary for public safety , how much
25
This intenQon is an interpretaQon based on a comment by Rabbeinu Chananel ( c . 980-1055 ).
26
Pesachim 64b
27
Pirkei Avot 4:1
28
Pirkei Avot 3:2
32