On Friday night, Rav Chaim Zev Malinowitz spoke of an email which he received being a subscriber to the Pirchei Shoshanna Hilchos Shabbos email list. He explained that ordinarily he doesn’t have the time to read these emails, but this week, he read this particular posting.
The point of Rav Malinowitz’s Drash on Friday night and this author’s vort during Seudat Shlish’t was that, here were these soldiers, in the heat of war, with concern for the nations welfare and for their own survival and yet, while having to violate Shabbos for pikuach nefesh in defense of the Jewish people, still sought to keep Shabbos in a way pleasing to Hashem.
Commentary;
The preparations for Shabbos may not have been done perfectly; specific areas may be subject to divergent interpretations or understandings of Halacha — Rabbinic or D’oraissa. But the Divine merit is in the thought processes of this group of Chayalim, and undoubtedly many others under similar circumstances, under the highly unusual and stressful circumstances of wartime in Lebanon sought to make their Shabbos pleasureable to HaKadosh Borchu. Such thought, care and consideration of the Holiness and Sanctity of Shabbos is the stuff off a TRUE Jewish Army.
In our Parsha Eikev, Perek 9, posukim 1 through 5 speak of Moshe Rabbeinu’s warnings to B’nai Yisrael against self-righteousness.
He warns us that we did not oust our enemies from the land out of any special merit of ours, but “It was because of the wickedness of these nations that G’d is driving them out before you. It was not because of your virtue and basic integrity that you are coming into their land, but because of the wickedness of these nations whome G’d is driving out before you. It is also because G’d is keeping the word that He swore to your ancestors, Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov.” (Parsha Eikev, Devorim, Perek 9, posukim 4 and 5)
Do not think that Medinat Yisrael fights and wins wars because of any great strategy, any particular intellectual or physical prowess. Rather, it is by divone orchestration. It is therefore of value to click on links here and here regarding the Six Day War and it’s outset.
May it be in their merit that B’Ezrat Hashem, that B’nai Yisrael be zocha to TOTAL, COMPLETE, UNEQUIVOCAL VICTORY on all fronts against Hamas, Hesbollah, the “Pa. (sic)” and their sponsor countries. And may we be zocha the Moshiach, the Geula Shlaima, the “Yom Hashem V’Kol HaGoyim” Achshav, Chik Chuk, Miyad, Etmol!
Blog Author’s Note; Not being sure as to why the various single or double digit numbers were included in the article, whether or not many of them were meant as “bullets”, this author opted to leave them in the body of the article.
Parshas Eikev 5766 August 11, ’06
Volume V Issue 34
Hilchos Shabbos in Enemy Territory Since today’s sheet is not intended as psak halacha, it was not shown to R’ Sternbuch, shlita
My dear brother, Rav Rafael Ostroff, spent the last week in Lebanon fighting the war against Yishmael, whose only desire is to obliterate the Jewish people.
They were in a town in Lebanon called Maroon Aras and spent Shabbos in a bombed out house, which acted as some sort of shelter. Mortars and missiles whizzed non stop all around them and amidst the battle they set the Shabbos table. Everyone enthusiastically joined in the Shabbos preparations, including soldiers with non-religious backgrounds. They
ALL joined in kabolas Shabbos and davening and sang z’miros Shabbos, accompanied by the shrieking missiles and shelling.The day after Shabbos his unit was sent back into Israel for one day’s leave at a border village called Avivim, in order to shower and do some of the things we take for granted every day.
There he sat down and wrote the following questions he and his troops had had to deal with. To show that amidst all the havoc, Am Yisrael chai v’kayam, we present the following;
We were not provided with candles for Shabbos so we improvised.
The lid of a large tin can was bent into the shape of a container into which we poured tuna fish oil for fuel. For wicks we used utah (flax-like material). Our problem was that the Mishna and
halacha 1 says that one may not use fish oil for Shabbos candles, but upon closer inspection we saw that the fish oil that is prohibited is made from fish intestines.1 Simon 264:5.
The Mishna Berura writes 2 that oil extracted from fish flesh may be used and is categorized with other oils that are permitted for Shabbos light.We did not know whether to accept Shabbos
early or not. The problem was that we did not have any light
and eating the Shabbos meal at the regular time would mean eating in the dark. Our option was to accept Shabbos early, which is not really a problem under the circumstances, only that we were ‘violating’ Shabbos for pikuach nefesh – operating the 2-way radio and other devices.Halacha says it is preferable to eat with light than have wine for kiddush, 3 which was the decisive factor for us in accepting Shabbos early.
For clarity sake, we davened mincha before p’lag hamincha (an hour and a quarter before sunset) and ma’ariv after p’lag and made kiddush right after ma’ariv. In retrospect, I suppose we could have
organized more candle light and accept Shabbos at the regular time.We were in a quandary as for the prayer “magen avos” cited in ma’ariv.
The Shulchan Aruch says 4 that ‘magen avos’ 5 is not recited in a house where people gather to celebrate a wedding or in a house of mourning.
The reason this tefilla is recited is because in the time of the gemora, shuls were outside town, and since davening is brief, people might remain alone in shul and be in danger. Chazal therefore
added this brief prayer to give time for everyone
2 Simon 264:21.
3 Simon 263:3.
4 Simon 268:10.
5 Recited immediately after the silent shemone esreh during ma’ariv to conclude davening. Consequently this rule only applies to permanent minyanim, not sporadic places of prayer.The wedding entourage is not permanent, nor is the mourner’s, which negates the need for this extra prayer.
Our brief sojourn in Maroon Aras is B”H not permanent either, thereby discharging us from this tefilla.
6 It is noteworthy that some Sephardim have the custom to always recite this
tefilla.7 We did not posses any cups and didn’t have a clue how to make kiddush. Some of us suggested cutting a plastic coke bottle in half and filling it with grape juice. Firstly, cutting it on Shabbos probably involves a melacha d’oraisso of making a k’li. We see that
one may not make a hole in a barrel on Shabbos, even in a semi-permanent k’li.8 So obviously we would cut it before Shabbos. The second problem is that our new container is hardly a worthy k’li, surely one not fit l’chatchila for making kiddush. Under the circumstances it is
also kosher, but we wanted to be stringent and do the best possible. Rav Moshe Feinstein writes;9 that one should not use a disposable cup for kiddush. Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach was not so adamant and says that since distinguished
people use them at important functions, one need not be too particular if nothing else is available. Again, we tried to be machmir. The best solution would have been to make kiddush on the grape juice bottle itself, or perhaps to fill one of our water canteens. l’chatchila the vessel needs to be fill to the top, so we would have filled the bottle with grape juice from another bottle. Maybe next time – should
there be one. We had a unique Shabbos table – a door ripped from its hinges and placed on bricks. The bare concrete floor was our throne.
6 M”B simon 268:24.
7 Kaf haChaim simon 268:50.
8 Simon 314:1.
9 Igross Moshe vol. III Orach Chaim simon 39, SS”K 47:11.We were not sure whether it is permitted to place the board on the bricks on Shabbos. For our fantastic Shabbos meal (consisting of fried
meat loaf, instead of festive roast chicken, corn salad instead of coleslaw) we needed a table so the door seemed the best solution. Prying it from its hinges on Shabbos is ossur on account of s’tira – demolishing, so that was done before Shabbos, but we only erected it on Shabbos and the issue of ohel – making a tent arose.10 The halacha is that one may erect a table tennis table on Shabbos in the regular manner, i.e. positioning the legs and placing the board on top, because one does not use the underside.
11 A bed may not be made in the same fashion because one uses the underside to store shoes. Accordingly, the table could be erected on
Shabbos. The entire floor was full of rubble and stones and we were at a loss how to move them because of muktze. Although we could designate large bricks (blokkim) for the table and perhaps benches, we
could not designate stones and pebbles to make them a k’li, which without doing so they remain muktze.Imagine lying down on the floor in your sleeping bag and stones are poking at your sides and head. Our option was to move the stones with
one’s foot etc. which is permitted according to the Mishna Berura.10 Simon 315.
11 There is a problem fastening the net into place because the side screws are screwed tight. I don’t have a practical solution for that.May Hashem answer our prayers and bring our captives and soldiers home safely. We pray for the welfare and safety of our soldiers.
One may receive and distribute these weekly shiurim by calling or writing: Office 99 Rechov Bayit Vegan,Yerushalayim,
Phone Numbers: U.S. and Canada 732-370-3344 Israel 972-3-616-6340
South Africa 078 1655 242 UK 44-020-8731-6666 Australia 61-296835626 Switzerland 0114143 333 0288
o e-mail: shabbosweekly@shemayisrael.com, or www.shemayisrael.com,
weekly sponsorships are available as well.
If you would like to send a question to Rav Ostroff, you can write to him at shabbosweekly@shemayisrael.com.
Note: The purpose of this series is intended solely for the clarification of the topics discussed and not to render halachic decisions. It is intended to heighten everyone’s awareness of important practical questions which do arise on this topic. One must consult with a proper halachic authority in order to receive p’sak.