Chief Ashkenazi Rabbi of Israel Rabbi Dovid Lau Shlita sent a letter to Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz and Economy Minister Naftali Bennett calling on them to act to curtail the alarming increase in public bus transportation running into Shabbos.
Rabbi Lau explained that bus operators must make certain that buses are back in the depot no later than 30 minutes before Shabbos begins, which is especially important this time of year when Shabbos begins so early in the day. The rav also addresses resuming bus service prior to the termination of Shabbos.
Rabi Lau reminds the ministers the regulations are clear but unfortunately, of late, compliance is dropping and this is worrisome. Rabbi Lau adds that in additional to the seriousness of violating Shabbos there is the matter of labor laws pertaining to the Day of Rest.
Rabbi Lau calls on both ministers to use the weight of their offices to act to correct the situation towards minimizing the chilul Shabbos.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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3 Responses
Those working in government or industry should arrive to work early and leave work by midday on Fridays. This should give all adequate time to arrive home two hours or better before Shabbat candle lighting. There should be a study performed on how much of a loss there would be in industry, if Sunday was declared day off twice a month. This would be an incentive to get people not to be Chillul Shabbat. Regarding buses and their drivers. They should warned early on that if they are found still driving their routes through the beginning of Shabbat, there will be a fine levied against them and the company. The union should be warned that if it opens its mouth that it will be slapped with a law suit for violating the Shabbat ordinance. Drivers should also be warned that Shabbat exists for 25 hours and if they are found on starting their routes before Shabbat ends, they too will be issued a fine and also the bus company. What these bus drivers do at home is their business but to be Chillul Shabbat with a City bus will not be tolerated.
Stores should also be encouraged not to open on Shabbat as they are feeding the fire. Religious people should be encouraged to visit these stores and give their support because they are Shomer Shabbat. Yes, even adults like to be given a token of appreciation when they do something nice.
There will always be obnoxious irreligious people and then when someone dies they all put on the act that they are now religious by tearing their clothes, and they ask for all the rituals and then as soon as the party is over, they return to their old ways of taunting truly observant people that aren’t putting on a show. Some actually do perform a turn-around and become religious as they see it really is a normal way of life.
#1 well said
espiritu-santo,
Anyone who battles for Judaism on a national and/or global scale is my ally, and vice versa.
You seem to be in that category,so it’s okay if you attack me on occasion.
Psalm 119:63
Sadly,it is far less common amongst “orthodox ” than we would like to wish