Mid-Pacific Poskim – Several Poskim, including the Bnai Tzion, are of the opinion that the halachic Dateline runs through the middle of the Pacific Ocean and closely resembles the Civil Dateline. According to these opinions, Japan and New Zealand are on the western side of the Dateline (similar to Asia), and residents of these locations observe Shabbos on the local Saturday. Hawaii is on the eastern side of the Dateline (similar to America), and residents observe Shabbos on their local Saturday.
The exact location varies among the Mid-Pacific Poskim. The Bnai Tzion‘s Dateline slants westward through the Bering Straits (between Alaska and Siberia), touching the Siberian coast, through the Pacific Ocean at approximately 177°E (west of Fiji), then turns east of New Zealand. Other Mid-Pacific Poskim, including Rabbi B. Rabinowitz Thumim, Atzei Sodeh and Alai Yonah are of the opinion that the line is at 169.7°W – from the eastern tip of Siberia, directly southward through the Pacific Ocean, 10° east of the Civil Dateline.
What is the Halacha? One should consult with his Rav prior to crossing the Pacific Ocean, especially if he must stay over Shabbos in Japan, New Zealand, or Hawaii. The halachic ruling of HaRav Moshe Heinemann, shlit”a, Rabbinic Administrator of the Star-K, is as follows: One should follow the majority of opinions (as listed in sections A, B and C above) in determining which day is observed as Shabbos, and also observe dinei d’Oraisa shel Shabbos, Shabbos prohibitions of the Torah, on the day of the minority opinion. However, Rabbinic prohibitions, such as shopping and the handling of muktzah, are permissible on the day which the minority opinion considers Shabbos. In addition, performing even a biblically prescribed violation of Shabbos through a shinui, unusual manner, or through the action of a non-Jew, would be permitted on the day which the minority opinion considers Shabbos.
The halachic ramifications of this psak are as follows: In New Zealand and Japan, “Saturday” is Shabbos according to Reb Yechiel Michel Tukatzinsky and the Mid-Pacific Poskim. Therefore, the local Saturday should be fully observed as Shabbos, with tefilos Shabbos and kiddush, etc. However, according to the Chazon Ish, Shabbos is on the local Sunday. Therefore, one should not perform any melacha d’Oraisa on Sunday. Nevertheless, on Sunday, one should daven regular weekday tefillos, donning tefillin during Shacharis.
In Hawaii, “Saturday” is Shabbos according to the Chazon Ish and the Mid-Pacific Poskim. Therefore, the local Saturday is fully observed as Shabbos. The day known locally as “Friday” is Shabbos according to Reb Yechiel Michel Tukatzinsky, and one should not perform melacha d’Oraisa on that day. Cooking for Shabbos should be done on Thursday. On Friday, when preparing for “Shabbos”, one may turn on hot water, electricity or fire (e.g. to cook) with a shinui. To light Shabbos candles, using one’s elbow or chin (a shinui), turn on two flashlights that use incandescent bulbs and then recite the brocha.
Determining the majority opinion on the Aleutian Islands or South Pacific Islands, including Fiji, American Samoa, and Samoa, is complicated and details are beyond the scope of this article. Consult a Rav. However, in the following locations, Shabbos is observed on the local Saturday, and a “second day” is not necessary: Australia, China, Russia, and Korea. This is also the case in Hong Kong and Taiwan.
II. Crossing the Dateline
Repeating or skipping a day by crossing the Dateline poses various concerns in many aspects of halacha, including davening, sefira, holidays, and laws of family purity. The guidelines are as follows: Halachos relating specifically to the time of day are not affected by crossing the Dateline. For example, if one davens Shacharis on Monday morning on a plane flying westbound, and crosses the Dateline “into” Tuesday morning, one does not daven Shacharis again. The person has already fulfilled his obligation and is not required to perform these mitzvos until the sun sets and rises again. Furthermore, if one crosses eastbound and experiences an additional sunrise, one would daven Shacharis again, even if the day is repeated.
However, mitzvos that are dependent on the day of the week or month are affected by crossing the Dateline. For example, if one crosses the line westbound from 1:00 p.m. Thursday to 1:00 p.m. Friday, one must begin preparing for Shabbos as it is Erev Shabbos and Shabbos will begin in several hours. If one flies westbound from 1:00 p.m. on Monday, the 16th of Tammuz, and crosses the halachic Dateline to 1:00 p.m. Tuesday on the 17th of Tammuz, one fasts until nightfall.
III. Sefirah and Shavuos – According to the Lubavitcher Rebbe
Sefirah is an individual obligation. Each must do one’s own counting. One must count in a continuous, progressing manner without deleting or adding a day. This is is true regardless of what others are doing in the place where one is. Sefirah is not a communal matter or an obligation of Beis Din.
Shavuos occurs at the end of the 49 days of counting Sefirah (and not a special day of a specific month as are other holidays). The conclusion of counting Sefirah count commences the start of the Yom Tov of Shavuos. This is illustrated by the fact that in the time of the Bais haMikdash, Shavuos could occur on the 5th, 6th or 7th of Sivan, thus indicating that the day of the month is irrelevant.
Conclusion: If one travels from Australia to California during Sefirah, one must keep the 5th of Sivan as the first day of Shavuos (since one’s Sefirah culminates a day earlier that the rest of the Jewish community) and the 6th of Sivan as the second day. However, “Zman Mattan Torasenu” is not said on the 5th, but only on the 6th and 7th days of Sivan. The converse (traveling from California to Australia) is also true when concluding the count of Sefirah one day after the local community, one would observe the 7th day as of the first day of Shavuos. Naturally, one avoids work in public on a day celebrated by the rest of the Jewish community.
