" . . . [Regarding the question of smoking on Yom Tov] I
heard from Maran Posek Hador HaRav Yosef Sholom
Eliashiv that although in previous generations we saw the
custom was to follow a lenient practice and to allow smoking,
relying on the lenient opinions even on Yom Tov
Rishon, nevertheless now that there is universal
agreement and it has become widely known that smoking harms
one's health and there are educational campaigns to prevent
children from smoking starting at the age of chinuch
and smokers remain in the minority, smoking should be
prohibited midinoh on Yom Tov."
-- HaRav Moshe Mordechai Karp (Mevakshei Torah,
Hilchos Yom Tov)
"Rabbenu Nissim Karelitz shlita, av beis din of Ramat
Aharon, has issued directives in this matter saying that now
that physicians hold unequivocally that cigarette smoking
poses a health hazard, the main reason for permitting smoking
on Yom Tov has fallen by the wayside."
-- HaRav Yehuda Aryeh Dunner (Booklet entitled Mekadesh
Yisroel Vehazmanim)
" . . . And today, since physicians hold that this causes
damage to health and therefore many people are very careful
to abstain from smoking, there is good reason to heed the
stringent opinions on this matter. Signed in the name of
Maran HaRav Shmuel Halevi Wosner, shlita."
-- HaRav Moshe Shaul Klein (Mekadesh Yisroel
Vehazmanim, second edition)
"Maran HaRav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach zt'l is of the
opinion that smoking is not a food and therefore it must be
suitable for all [shoveh lekol nefesh]. Since
physicians hold it is harmful and most people are very
careful [to abstain] from smoking, it is not considered
suitable for all. And thus his opinion is to prohibit smoking
on Yom Tov today since it is not suitable for all,
since physicians hold it is harmful and indeed most people
heed them and consider it a harmful practice and thus it is
not suitable for all."
-- HaRav Moshe Mordechai Karp (Mekadesh Yisroel
Vehazmanim)
"Now that smoking is [known to be] a health hazard and most
people find it repulsive, it is an unequivocal issur
to smoke on Yom Tov."
-- HaRav Chaim Pinchos Scheinberg (In a letter)
"In my opinion many of the leading Acharonim who permitted
smoking on Yom Tov did not intend to include today's
smoking, which physicians hold to be hazardous. People rely
on physicians in all matters involving prohibitions, so in
this case -- just in order to pursue [personal] desires --
why should we not rely on them and thereby enter into a
chashash issur deOraisa?
-- HaRav Moshe Sternbuch, Segan Nossi of the Eida HaChareidis
(Teshuvos Vehanhogos, II, 316)
"Nowadays, when the reason most people do not smoke is
because it causes harm, it is not suitable for all [shoveh
lekol nefesh] and is prohibited mideOraisa on
Yom Tov."
-- HaRav Binyomin Yehoshua Zilber, author of Oz
Nidberu (Mekadesh Yisroel Vehazmanim)
