The struggle against the BIG retail chain, which recently opened a large shopping mall in Glilot near Tel Aviv that operates on Shabbat, continues. On Sunday evening, the leading rabbis of Beit Shemesh, including Rabbi Mordechai Goldstein (Lithuanian sector), Rabbi Natan Kopshitz (Hasidic sector), and Rabbi Shlomo Zaafrani (Sephardic sector), signed a letter along with other city rabbis calling on the public to boycott the mall, according to a Kikar HaShabbat report.
In an unusually sharp letter, the top Ashkenazi, Sephardi, and Hasidic rabbis call on residents to refrain from buying products from chains that desecrate Shabbat. This includes not only branches that are open on Shabbat, but even those that remain closed locally, if the chain’s national owners publicly violate the sanctity of Shabbat—such as the BIG shopping complex, which is closed on Shabbat in Beit Shemesh but operates on Shabbat in the newly opened Glilot branch.
This forceful statement, uniting the city’s most senior spiritual leaders, comes amid a growing wave of support among the Jewish public for Shabbat observance, particularly following a recent letter from leading Torah authorities decrying the Shabbat desecration at the Glilot BIG mall, which has opened its gates on Shabbat in blatant disregard for Jewish tradition.
The call is considered especially dramatic because the BIG mall in Beit Shemesh does remain closed on Shabbat—but the national management continues to operate the Glilot branch on Shabbat, sparking fierce opposition.
The rabbis of Beit Shemesh write:
“Recently, there has been a tremendous awakening toward proper Shabbat observance, even among Jews who until now have been far from Torah and mitzvot.
At this time, we see it as necessary to again warn about the grave issue of supporting or purchasing from stores and chains that publicly desecrate the Shabbat, thereby trampling on the sanctity of the day of rest and desecrating God’s name and His Torah, God forbid.
Even if a particular branch is closed on Shabbat, if the company as a whole desecrates Shabbat in public, it is forbidden to support it.”
“Weeks ago, leading Torah sages issued a clear and harsh letter stressing the severity of the matter: that it is forbidden to purchase from chains that desecrate the Shabbat, such as the BIG chain and other businesses that have made it their mission to trample on the honor of Shabbat and Torah. This must not be allowed to continue.
We come now to strengthen this warning for the residents of Beit Shemesh who are faithful to God’s word and the sanctity of Shabbat.”
The rabbis and Rebbes of Beit Shemesh conclude their letter:
“Certainly, those who are vigilant and raise awareness about this matter will be blessed both spiritually and materially, and through them, many more will be strengthened in proper Shabbat observance. Through this, we will all merit the complete redemption, speedily in our days. ‘Great peace will be upon those who give and heed warnings, like a flowing river.’”
The Letter is signed by The Rebbe of Lelov, Rabbi Natan HaKohen Kopshitz, Rabbi of the Nachala U’Menucha neighborhood, The Rebbe of Vizhnitz, Beit Shemesh,Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Perlstein, Rabbi of Ramat Beit Shemesh Aleph, Rabbi Shlomo Yedidya Zaafrani, Head of the Keter Torah Sephardic communities, Rabbi Moshe Tuvia Dinkel, Rabbi of Beit U’Menucha, Rabbi Yitzchak Chaim Sharabani, Rabbi of the Sephardic community, Ramat Beit Shemesh Aleph, Rabbi Mordechai Goldstein, Rabbi of Mishkenot Yaakov and senior city rabbi, Rabbi Ben Zion Wosner, head of the Shevet HaLevi Beit Shemesh court, Rabbi Kalonymus Kalman Weiss, dayan of Vizhnitz Hasidim and a halachic authority of the Eida Chareidit, Rabbi Elimelech Kornfeld, Rabbi of the Vilna Gaon community, Rabbi Elchanan Peretz, head of the Chukat Mishpat court, Rabbi Chaim Aharon Monderer, Rabbi of Yafeh Nof neighborhood, Rabbi Aryeh Tzvi Rotenberg, Rabbi of Gur Hasidim in Beit Shemesh and Rabbi Aryeh Fink, Rabbi of Belz Hasidim in Beit Shemesh.
The letter follows requests from city residents who approached the rabbinic leadership, expressing concern that while the BIG complex desecrates Shabbat in Glilot, it is still patronized by the local public in Beit Shemesh.
Community leaders told Kikar HaShabbat:
“We cannot stand idly by while the company tramples on the holiness of Shabbat publicly through its new shopping center. It is the same company management, and we call on them to reverse this disgraceful decision, which deeply offends the feelings of all those faithful to God and His Torah.”
6 comments:
Wait, shouldn't the response be to intensify Torah stody so God will change the owners' minds?
Skip the cynical arithmetic
Rav Eliyahu Lopian stated [During Eiphoh Yossele]when out on the streets & they give us blows,kumpt unz. kumpt unz!" roughly translated:we deserve it.we had it coming
Their silent cry midst of the blows :you proclaim to be so concerned about yiddishkeit,about collective Tradition even for a single family.
What about for us !? How was it back when we were coming of age you weren't out there demanding the same of us?!”
By R. Yaakov Ariel
Communal criticism is vital for any proper community. It has the power to rein in leaders, communal institutions and private individuals and to guide them in the correct path. It has the power to reveal corruption, to expose acts of evil and to educate the community to refrain from them and to wrestle with them. Positive criticism, which keeps the good of the community before its eyes, is a biblical positive commandment as it says, “You shall surely rebuke your fellow” (Lev. 19:17).
#1In order to learn the principles of desirable criticism, it is appropriate to view the mitzvah in its full context. These are the verses which are juxtaposed to it along with their meaning:
“You shall not stand idly by your brother’s blood” (ibid.): The obligation to save a person who is in any kind of physical, financial or spiritual danger.
“You shall not hate your brother in your heart” (ibid. 17): It is prohibited to hate a Jew, unless he is known to us as an unrepentant wanton sinner (Jewish ethicists have added to this not to hate any human being or any creature). Even then it is prohibited to hate with a personal hatred, only permitted to hate evil act.
“You shall surely rebuke your fellow” (ibid.): The obligation to rebuke is incumbent upon every Jewish person who sees even a minor deviation from the straight path, either by an individual or a community. There is no limit to rebuke; however, the critic is exempt if the one being rebuked begins to insult his critic or might come to hit him. Even so, one who is in a position of communal responsibility is obligated to rebuke even if he expects angry or violent reactions. Such were our prophets, sages and rabbis throughout all the generations. They fulfilled their communal responsibility to rebuke the community even as they were pursued to the point of death.
“You shall not bear a sin upon him” (ibid.): Some explain this to mean that the one who refrains from rebuking takes upon himself all the sins of his fellow because all Jews are responsible for one another. However, the Sages interpreted it to mean that the rebuke must be first and foremost careful and gentle, so as not to hurt the other person.
You can't legislate religion! I'm a frum person, but if you want people to appreciate and observe Shabbos, do it instead through education; Shabbatons; Shabbos meals; government credits/incentives to close on Shabbos etc. Israelis live in a democracy and don't live in a theocracy - people should be free to do what they want. You can't force them to be shoymer Shabbos!
(Kiddushin & gerushin is a different question - we want to have one standard for everyone so that we don't c'v end up with 2 classes of people.)
9:16
A major difference between public & private sphere observance
From August 2015:
Finance Minister Yair Lapid's (Yesh Atid) decision to hold a press conference in his Tel Aviv home on Saturday in open violation of the Sabbath has religious and non-religious MKs alike furious..
"Jewish Home as a religious party in the coalition can not sit in the government with someone who gathers mandates and desecrates the Sabbath as if it's a normal work day," said Muallem, without elaborating on what exactly her statement will mean in terms of practice.
Defending Shabbat from the far-left
Surprisingly far-left Meretz party chairperson Zehava Galon joined the criticism of Lapid on Saturday.
"While you were enjoying your day of rest, Finance Minister Yair Lapid decided to drag all the financial journalists from their homes in the middle of Shabbat, inviting them to park at the entrance to his house in Tel Aviv so that they could hear him read off a thoughtless announcement," charged Galon.
"The reading took exactly a minute-and-a-half, but it certainly was enough to destroy the Shabbat of the camermen and journalists forced to arrive to hear the utterances of his excellency the finance minister," added Galon tongue-in-cheek, noting the "unfairness" towards Sabbath observant journalists wasn't the only problem about his "futile announcements" on Shabbat..
Deputy Religious Affairs Minister Eli Ben-Dahan (Jewish Home) also criticized Lapid on Saturday night, saying he "displayed a disconnection from the basic values of the state of Israel" by desecrating the Shabbat and forcing the journalists to do so as well.
"The desire to get some kind of credit doesn't allow the finance minister to harm the basic values of the Jewish state," added Ben-Dahan. "I would remind the finance minister that the government of Israel that he is a member of accepted upon itself the Shabbat as a national day of rest."
Ben-Dahan added that the obligation to respect the Shabbat as a public day of rest was taken on by Lapid when he assumed his role as minister.
Furthermore,Judaism isn't yours to make that presumably well meaning (?) decision. The public shabbat aura undoubtedly has had a sizable intangible impact.We carry a collective obligation whether or not we want to.
9:16 PM,
Reality forever has been otherwise.
All that lovely kiruv combined in practice has accomplished less than a single public Act eg Likud Gov't shutting down ElAl on Shabbat
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