Rabbis Issue Stern Warnings Ahead of Winter Time Change

As Israel prepares to switch to winter time, which will advance Shabbat candle-lighting times, prominent rabbis in Bnei Brak have issued strong directives concerning travel and business operations on Friday afternoons. Rabbis Chaim Yaakov Landau, Shimon Tzvi Rosenblatt, and Mendel Ben Shimon released a detailed letter titled "We Will Receive the Face of Shabbat," outlining strict guidelines for residents and shop owners. A primary concern is travel on Friday evenings, with the rabbis urging public and private transport users to depart early enough to arrive two full hours before Shabbat candle-lighting, or at the very latest, 80 minutes before sunset during emergencies. The letter warns that late travelers risk unintentionally violating Shabbat, potentially causing drivers to commit severe Shabbat desecration. Strict rules are also set for businesses, requiring shops to close half an hour before candle-lighting and to reopen half an hour after Shabbat concludes.

Adding to these directives, Rabbi Dov Lando, Rosh Yeshiva, expressed deep distress over individuals traveling late on Friday afternoons, thereby endangering drivers who wish to observe Shabbat. In a handwritten response to a query about Friday afternoon travel, Rabbi Lando sharply criticized such behavior, calling those who travel late "criminals" for endangering drivers and urging public outcry against the Shabbat desecration they cause.

In response to the rabbis' concerns and in preparation for the time change, Bnei Brak Mayor Hanoch Zeibert and Deputy Mayor Michael Kakon, who oversees transportation, held work meetings with public transportation company managements. The aim is to ensure strict oversight throughout Friday, guaranteeing that all routes and services conclude well before Shabbat begins.