Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv Endorses Protests Against Work on Shabbat in Rare Video
A rare and previously unpublished video of Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv, a leading halachic authority, has been released by the organization 'Notnim Gev' on the 14th yahrzeit (anniversary of death) of the rabbi. The footage, shown during a recent fundraising dinner, captures a historic moment from early 2010 in Jerusalem, where the opening of an Intel plant operating on Shabbat sparked widespread protests within the Haredi community.
The video records a conversation between Rabbi Elyashiv, his student Rabbi Ben Zion Kuk, and his grandson Rabbi Yisrael Elyashiv, discussing the protests that took place outside the Intel facility. Despite some internal tensions among the demonstrators, including notable figures like Yitzchak Pindrus, the rabbi was asked about the halachic ruling on protesting such Shabbat desecration. Rabbi Elyashiv responded emphatically that since this was a new and unprecedented violation, opening a workplace on Shabbat, people should do "what is possible" to protest.
Rabbi Ben Zion Kuk inquired whether attending protests was required, to which Rabbi Elyashiv replied that one should do whatever is possible to oppose the violation. This rare documentation sheds light on the rabbi's stance encouraging active resistance against public desecration of Shabbat, marking a significant moment in the religious community's response to modern challenges.
The video and transcript were published by the Haredi news outlet "B'Hadrei Haredim" alongside the fundraising event by 'Notnim Gev,' highlighting the ongoing sensitivity and activism surrounding Shabbat observance in Jerusalem and the broader Haredi world.
