Following the long-awaited inauguration of the Tel Aviv Light Rail last week, some Rabbanim in Israel weighed in on the halachic implications of the fact that its construction took place on Shabbos [by non-Jews], with at least one posek paskening not to use the light rail for the first few months – the amount of time it would take to complete the work without Chillul Shabbos.

Meanwhile, as Rabbanim debated the halachic issues, leftists held protests on the light rail in Tel Aviv on Friday over the fact that it won’t be running on Shabbos, with some of them even handcuffing themselves to the handlebars in the train and refusing to leave. Former Transportation Minister Merav Michaeli (Labor), who announced during her term that the Tel Aviv light rail will run on Shabbos, also spoke out last week, saying that her plan should be implemented. However, current Transportation Minister Miri Regev (Likud) told the media: “The light rail on Shabbat? We’re a Jewish State!”

The shaila of using the light rail reached the shtender of HaGaon HaRav Yitzchak Zilberstein, who paskened that its use is permissible.

HaRav Zilberstein’s grandson asked him the shaila, as heard on a recording on the Siach Yitzchak hotline:

Grandson: “Avreichim asked about the light rail – it was built on Shabbos, especially on Shabbos, mamash chillulei Shabbos. Several years ago, Saba wrote a teshuvah on this topic [as the light rail was being built], that מעיקר הדין it can’t be forbidden because it’s public property. Saba quoted HaRav Nissim Karelitz, z’tl, who discussed a bridge that was constructed on Shabbos and concluded that since it’s public property it can’t be forbidden. But Saba concluded that still – because it will be built through Chillul Shabbos, it’s not befitting to ride on it.”

“Now, today in the current situation [after the completion of the light rail], there are many wives of avreichim who work in the center and if they take the light rail, it would be a ride of ten minutes instead of an hour and a half on buses in traffic jams – many avreichim asked me to ask Saba the shaila.”

HaRav Zilberstein responded: “I say that it’s allowed. Why? Because it’s a Kiddush Hashem…why? Because the government said that the light rail won’t operate on Shabbos, from now on, there won’t be work on Shabbos. The government expressed respect for the Torah, that the train won’t work on Shabbos, the stations are closed on Shabbos.”

Grandson: “And the fact that work was done on Shabbos?”

HaRav Zilberstein: “No one can forbid something that isn’t his and מעיקר הדין, there’s the heter of Rav Nissim that it’s public property and it can’t be forbidden. Yes, it’s not pleasant [that it was built via Chillul Shabbos] but it’s beautiful that they announced that the train won’t travel on Shabbos. So you can tell them that it’s muttar.”

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)