The Sabbath can be experienced in many different ways. For some, the Sabbath is a day of “don’ts” – no cell phone use, no driving, no shopping, etc. For others, the Sabbath is a day to be dealt with. It’s not a bad thing or a good thing, it just is, and we have the Sabbath once a week. For some, the Sabbath is a day to taste heaven. For those who experience the Sabbath as heaven, not using cell phones, not driving, praying, studying, eating good food and spending time with family are blessings, not burdens.
“Chafetz Chaim” was a leading rabbi in Poland in the early 1900s. In his commentary on Sabbath law, he discussed a situation where someone’s life was in danger on the Sabbath and the only way to save that person’s life was to break the Sabbath law. Chafetz Chaim went a step further than stating the well-known law of breaking the Sabbath to save one’s life, writing that even asking a rabbi whether one should break the Sabbath could be considered an act of murder, because the time it takes to ask could mean the difference between life and death.
Instead of blaming the person who questioned the rabbi for wasting their time, Chafetz Chaim blamed the rabbi for not instructing his congregation on the law of breaking the Sabbath to save a life, even in a situation where it was even doubtful whether a life was in danger: the Torah gives such a high priority to saving a life that when a life is in danger, the Sabbath is completely ignored.
The Sabbath should be spent in prayer, Torah study, and enjoying good food surrounded by family, neighbors, and friends. These activities, even in conversation, create a unique Sabbath atmosphere called “menuecha” (a word for which there is no perfect English translation) and make you feel like all is right with the world. Spending the Sabbath talking about business, politics, and, God forbid, gossip, ruins the atmosphere of the Sabbath.
The Rambam writes that there are activities that are forbidden on the Sabbath that are not strictly or even illegal on the Sabbath. These activities spoil the unique atmosphere of the Sabbath. One example is talking at length about worldly matters. The Rambam gives the following principle: “The way we speak on the Sabbath should not resemble the way we speak on weekdays.”
It is also forbidden to fast on the Sabbath or to pray for deliverance from hardship. The special menucha atmosphere of the Sabbath carries with it the obligation to feel that all problems have been resolved and that there is nothing to worry about in life. The need to feel that all is well in life on the Sabbath is the reason why Sabbath prayers omit the request blessing. But when national disasters or trials affect the entire nation, the Sabbath menucha is already ruined.
It is not forbidden to pray or fast on the Sabbath because there is no menuucha and it would spoil the atmosphere of the Sabbath. An example of a national calamity or trial that would allow us to pray to God for relief, something that is normally forbidden, is war. Since October 7, almost every congregation and community has been praying to God on the Sabbath as well, with special prayers praying for relief from the war and the return of the hostages. Jews have not had a normal Sabbath since the attacks. We have not experienced a menucha for months.
All Torah scholars agree that the Sabbath takes a backseat to the security situation facing Israel in the war since October 7. Many communities watched on Shabbat Simchat Torah as their Sabbath was marred by the horrific news of attacks in the south and the ensuing call-up of reservists. Even in communities that had never seen cars on the roads on the Sabbath, traffic was constant as soldiers rushed back to base and reservists obeyed their call-up orders. These violations of the Sabbath were not only permitted, but required in order to defend the country and save lives.
Technology and the rapid spread of information through the Internet also have a negative impact on our Sabbath. Not only news of emergencies and attacks, but even good news. A few weeks ago, news spread about the heroic rescue of four hostages on a Sabbath afternoon. The news spread quickly in Sabbath-keeping communities, and jubilant celebrations ensued.
We had soldiers in our home who had to be on their cell phones as soon as the news broke. They were responsible for having their phones turned on and monitoring the information in real time. Of course, we sat nearby, anxiously awaiting any information they might share. Although we were so happy to celebrate the news, we couldn’t help but feel that sitting around soldiers on their cell phones was not the Shabbat atmosphere of silence and menuchah that we should ideally enjoy.
Necessary violations
Since the war began, hundreds of thousands of soldiers have been valiantly defending Israel, and their duties do not end on weekends. For the rest of the country, the anxiety and fear are often somewhat alleviated by talking about the “situation,” but they are a concern on Sabbath as well as during the week. It is no wonder that Sabbath dinner table discussions are completely dominated by talk of the war. While talking about the war does ease some of our anxiety, it also ruins the wonderful atmosphere we enjoy every Sabbath.
Breaking the Sabbath commandment is necessary and important during times of war. Postponing the Sabbath commandment for military service and other life-saving duties is necessary, but over the past nine months, we cannot help but feel that we have lost our Sabbath. Watching cars drive by on once-quiet streets, discussing politics and the war at the Sabbath table with our cell phones on, sometimes in our pockets, has taken away the unique Sabbath experience of Torah study, prayer, and time with family.
Like many areas of our lives, the pure Sabbath also became collateral damage of the war. This was inevitable and not something to regret. On the contrary, we should be proud that we broke the Sabbath in accordance with Halakha and to protect lives. At the same time, it is important to recognize the cost of this war in all areas of life and strive to make up for the losses in better times. I pray that God will quickly restore the peace and tranquility of the Sabbath to the Jewish people.
The author, who works in Zionist education in educational institutions around the world, recently published a new book. Zionism today.
