The war between Israel and Hamas on October 7 forced us to break Shabbat
Shabbat can be experienced in many different ways. For some, Shabbat is a day of “nothing.” Don’t use your phone, drive, go shopping, etc. For others, Shabbat is a day to deal with – it’s not bad, it’s not good, it’s just there, and we live Shabbat once a week. For some, Shabbat is a foretaste of heaven. For those who experience Shabbat as heaven, not using their phone or driving and spending time praying, studying, eating good food and family is not a burden, but a blessing.
“Chafetz Chaim” was a leading rabbi in Poland in the early 20th century. In his commentary on the laws of Shabbat, he described a situation in which someone’s life was in danger on Shabbat and the only way to save his life was to disregard the laws of Shabbat. Chafetz Chaim went a step further than the well-known law’s statement that we disregard Shabbat to save lives, and wrote that even asking a rabbi whether to disregard Shabbat could be considered murder, since the time taken to ask the question could mean the difference between life and death.
Rather than blaming the person who asked the Rabbi the question for wasting time, the Chafetz Chaim accused the Rabbi of failing to teach his congregation the law that we disregard Shabbat to save a life – even in a situation where we doubt whether a life is in danger. The Torah places such emphasis on saving lives that when life is in danger, we completely disregard Shabbat.
Shabbat is meant to be spent in prayer, Torah study, and good food with family, neighbors, and friends. If we maintain these activities, including in our conversations, Shabbat creates a unique atmosphere called menucha (a word that has no perfect English translation), where everything feels right in the world. If we spend Shabbat talking about business, politics, and, God forbid, gossip, we spoil the Shabbat atmosphere.
The Rambam wrote that there are activities that are forbidden on Shabbat, even though they do not technically violate Shabbat laws, nor do they result in a violation of Shabbat laws. When these activities are carried out, they detract from the unique atmosphere of Shabbat. One example is speaking at length about worldly matters. Rambam cited a principle: “The way you speak on Shabbat should not resemble the way you speak during the week.”
It is also forbidden to fast on Shabbat and to ask for relief from problems in prayer. The special atmosphere of Shabbat menucha brings with it the obligation to feel as if all our problems are solved and there is nothing in life to worry about. The need to feel that everything is fine on Shabbat is the reason why we omit the blessings of supplication in Shabbat prayers. Yet when a national disaster or trial affects the entire nation, our Shabbat menucha is already ruined.
Since there is no menucha and the Shabbat atmosphere has been destroyed, it is not forbidden to call out or even fast on Shabbat. An example of a national disaster or trial that would allow the normally forbidden calling out to God in prayer for help is war. Since October 7, almost all congregations and communities have been calling out to God even on Shabbat, specifically praying for help from the war and the return of our hostages. The Jewish people have not had a normal Shabbat since the attacks; we have not experienced menucha for months.
All Torah scholars agree that Shabbat in the post-October 7 war is secondary to the security situation facing Israel. Many communities watched on Shabbat Simchat Torah as their Shabbat was destroyed by the horrific news of the attacks in the south and the subsequent call-up of reservists. Communities where cars never drive on the streets on Shabbat experienced a constant flow of traffic as soldiers rushed back to their bases and reservists answered their call-up orders. These Shabbat violations were not only permitted, but required to protect the nation and save lives.
Technology and the breakneck speed at which information spreads over the Internet have also affected our Shabbat. There are not only emergencies and news of attacks, but also good news. A few weeks ago, on Shabbat afternoon, news broke of the heroic rescue of four hostages. Even in Shabbat-observant communities, the news spread quickly and jubilant celebrations ensued.
We happened to have a soldier staying at our home who has to have his phone on as soon as there is any news. He had a duty to turn on his phone and follow the information in real time. Naturally, we sat nearby, eagerly awaiting any information he could share with us. While we were celebrating and so happy about the news, I couldn’t help but feel that sitting around a soldier using his phone was not the Shabbat atmosphere of calm and menucha that we should ideally be enjoying.
A necessary injury
Since the war began, hundreds of thousands of soldiers have bravely defended Israel, and their duties do not take a weekend break. For the rest of the nation, the worries and anxieties that are so often somewhat alleviated by talk of “the situation” are just as troubling on Shabbat as they are during the week. It is understandable that our Shabbat dinner table conversations have been completely overshadowed by discussions of the war. While discussion of the war provides some comfort to our worries, it also spoils the wonderful atmosphere we used to enjoy every Shabbat.
Breaking the laws of Shabbat is necessary and a crucial mitzvah during war. While it is necessary to defer the laws of Shabbat in favor of life-saving duties such as military service, I can’t shake the feeling that we have lost our Shabbat over the past nine months. Watching cars drive through the once quiet streets, having our phones on and sometimes in our pockets, and having political and war-related discussions at the Shabbat table has robbed us of the unique Shabbat experience of Torah study, prayer and family time.
Like so many areas of our lives, our original Shabbatot have become collateral damage of war. This was inevitable and not something we should regret – on the contrary, we should be proud that we followed halacha and disregarded Shabbat to save lives. At the same time, it is important to recognize the cost of this war in all areas of life and strive to recoup these losses in better times. I pray that God will quickly restore the peace and tranquility of Shabbat to the Jewish people.
The author, a Zionist educator at institutions around the world, recently published a new book, Zionism today.
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