The horrific events on October 7th in Israel led to a wave of teshuvah and chizzuk hamitzvos, especially in Shemiras Shabbos, the “sign” of a Jew who believes in the Borei Olam. For months, even before October 7th, HaGaon HaRav Yitzchak Zilberstein has been on the front lines of the “battle” to be mechazeik Shemrias Shabbos, among both frum Jews and not-yet frum Jews.

Since the war began, many initiatives were established to be mechazeik kedushas haShabbos and many Israelis began keeping Shabbos for the first time in their lives.

A moving event occurred recently when the owner of a large supermarket in Ramat Gan made a decision to close his store on Shabbos after reading a letter from HaRav Zilberstein and his son-in-law HaMekubal HaRav Dov Kook to business owners in the city encouraging them to close their businesses on Shabbos.

HaRav Zilberstein welcomed the supermarket owner in his home with great respect, telling him that his sechar in Shamayim is immense and he serves as a tremendous mezakeh harabim.

Gavriel Levi of the Ramat Gan B’Emunah political party, headed by HaRav Zilberstein, was present at the meeting and said that there are other business owners in Ramat Gan who have expressed interest in closing their businesses on Shabbos and that the supermarket owner is serving as the “Nachshon ben Aminadav.”

The participants then sang ‘כי אשמרה שבת, קל ישמרני’ – composed by the Even Ezra, a song that has turned into one of the war’s songs, symbolizing the special shemirah of many Shomrei Shabbos amid the war’s horrors.

At the end of the meeting, the supermarket owner said that he wants to donate a significant amount of money to HaRav Zilberstein’s kollel. To his surprise, HaRav Zilberstein refused and said that if he wants to donate money, he should donate it to those who are fighting for Shabbos and to anything that helps increase kedushas haShabbos in Eretz Hakodesh.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)