Invented Yom Tov​ ​to raise money

Invented Yom Tov

to raise
money


In the Sefer “
טעמי המנהגים
”

(p262) In the chapter

”
עניני הילולי דרשב"י
”  it says  “The Yahrzeit day of the

Tanna R.Meir is not mentioned anywhere.  People recently made up

a new Yom Tov as if the Yahrzeit is on
 פסח שני
.  It is  known
their whole  intention  was
  only
, to make money with another Hillula.”
He also quotes a letter from the
איש האמת
  R. Mottel Slonimer zt”l

who harshly criticizes them  for being עובר בל תוסיף by inventing

this new Yom Tov.

The
שדי חמד
 (Asifas Dinim Ma'areches Eretz Yisroel) wrote a letter

to the Sephardic Chachamim in T’verya, asking for the source of the new

celebration, the Hillula of R. Meir.

“On  earlier celebrations (Lag Baomer) the Rabonei Ashkenaz

(Chasam Sofer
-
Shoel Umeishiv)  have complaints &  are

pa
i
ned and now we come up with a new Hillula”.


The Sephardi Chachamim answered,  even though the Yahrzeit of R.Meir  is not known it is still proper to do the

Hilulla to raise funds for the Bais Midrash built at the Tzi
u
n.

The Sdei Chemed
wasn't satisfied wi
t
h
their a
nswer
.

In the
לוח דבר בעתו
 ( M.Genuth), on the 14th Iyar

he entered Hillulas R.Meir Ba'al Hanes

a few lines later in smaller letters he writes "There is no

Mesorah for the day of the Petirah".