Top Rabbis Urge Public to Heed Early Shabbat Entry Due to Winter Time
Translated & summarized from Kikar HaShabbat by baba
Top rabbis in Bnei Brak, including Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Dov Landau, have issued strong protest letters due to the earlier Shabbat entry caused by winter time. They are urging the public to travel earlier on Fridays to prevent Shabbat desecration. Business owners are instructed to close early, and public transportation officials are coordinating to avoid delays. The rabbis warned that late travel could lead to Shabbat violations.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Rabbis in Bnei Brak issued protest letters urging earlier Friday travel due to winter time's earlier Shabbat entry.
- Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Dov Landau called late travelers "criminals" who cause Shabbat desecration.
- Rabbis advised arriving two hours before candle lighting, or at least 80 minutes before sunset.
- Businesses are instructed to close a half-hour before candle lighting and reopen after Shabbat.
- City officials met with transportation companies to ensure pre-Shabbat travel completion.
Following the switch to winter time, which advances Shabbat's entry, prominent rabbis in Bnei Brak, including Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Dov Landau, have issued strong protest letters. They are urging the public to advance their travel plans on Friday evenings to avoid situations that could lead to Shabbat desecration.
In a letter titled "Let Us Receive Shabbat," rabbis Chaim Yitzchak Ayzik Landau, Segev Zvi Rosenblatt, and Masoud Ben Shimon instructed congregants to reach their destinations two hours before candle lighting. In urgent cases, they advised arriving at least 80 minutes before sunset. The rabbis warned that travel delays could cause drivers to violate Shabbat by being unable to return home before its commencement.
Rabbi Dov Landau, in a separate letter, sharply criticized individuals who delay their travel due to concerns about traffic jams. He stated, "These people are criminals!!! Besides that, they cause drivers, many of whom would observe Shabbat, to desecrate it through their lateness." The city's rabbis also provided guidelines for business owners, recommending shops close half an hour before candle lighting and reopen no earlier than half an hour after Shabbat ends. They implored shoppers not to pressure merchants to continue working.
Concurrently, Mayor Hanoch Zeibert and Deputy Mayor and Transportation Portfolio Holder Michael Kakon held discussions with public transportation companies. The aim was to ensure all journeys conclude before Shabbat begins and to prevent delays.
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