The mainstream media reports in Israel blame the “rabbonim” for the black out in Elad on the morning of Simchas Torah lasting almost 11 hours. Israel Electric Company (IEC) official explain “Rav Grossman instructed us not to send repair teams into the community to make the necessary repairs”.
For many residents of Elad, there was no electricity on Simchas Torah, cold food, and no air conditioning, as a power outage occurred during the morning and lasted until motzei Simchas torah. HaGaon Rav Shlomo Zalman Grossman refused to permit the IEC repair crew to enter the frum city and begin repairs towards restoring electricity, Ynet reports.
The electricity went out at about 9:00AM, making it a difficult Simchas Torah for many Elad residents. At about 11 hours of darkness the electricity was restored as work only began on motzei Yomtov. According to IEC officials, many angry residents phoned the company, only to be told Rav Grossman refused to permit repairmen into the city during Yomtov.
One resident, whose identity is not revealed, is quoted by Ynet questioning “Since when is the rabbi of a city permitted to hold an entire city hostage and since when does a government utility company take orders from the rabbis?”
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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7 Responses
the rabbi has already stated that this is an ABSOLUTE LIE. AND THAT NOBODY FROM THE ELECTRIC COMPANY WAS IN CONTACT WITH HIM AT ALL
1) How on earth would the IEC be able to contact the rav? He didn’t have his cell phone on him.
2) How would they know who to call?
3) The IEC doesn’t care about Shabbos
4) There are respirators and water that runs on electricity, that’s the main heter we have for using electricity at all on Shabbos, so there’s no way he’s going to be a tzaddik on someone else’s cheshbon!
If there was no Pikuach Nefesh it was correct to delay the repairs and IEC was probably scared to start up with the chareidim…
Something is strange about the story. An internet search show a story dated 01 June 2014 where Rabbi Grossman of Elad permitted Shabbos (Shabbos Parshas Nasso 5774) repair of the electricity based on the obvious point that the sick people in the city are in danger. He simply asked them to be discreet during their repair work.
If the ehrliche yidden of Elad are looking for reliable electric service, move to Northern California where the shuls in Napa and Sonoma counties davened Kol Nidre in the dark and as of late this afternoon, PG&E notified all the local Kiddush clubs that the icemakers would probably go out this Shabbos because of high wind forecasts.
Would you please change the title of the article to Rabbi Upholds The Halacha; Impartial To The Public’s Opinion. Thank You.
Ynet is very anti religious and can not be trusted for any accurate reporting. The Rabbi was NOT contacted by the power company, he does not talk on phone on Shabbos or YomTov.
The whole thing is a big LIE by Ynet!