Rabbanei Tzohar prepared a special amended text and on Thursday, recited the revised “Egla Arufa” tefilla near the scene of a fatal hit-and-run accident that claimed the life of an IDF soldier, on Route 66 in northern Israel.

The rabbonim convened a minyan which was headed by Rav David Stav, who is the executive director of the Tzohar organization, reciting the tefilla with an accompanied call for increased caution on the nation’s roadways to avoid accidents, decrying immoral acts as a ‘hit-and-run’.

The rabbonim felt that the ceremony was warranted, without shechting the animal of course, but with the hope that their actions will awaken the public to the severity of the situation. The rabbonim stress that “there simply no reality in which blood is spilled and the public does not do tshuva.

They added the Torah commands us all, dati, tradition and non-religious to do our utmost to prevent accidents for “we all have a responsibility for the blood that is spilled”.

Rav Stav added “We are all have a share in the responsibility for the bloodshed resulting from accidents, for the women murdered by their husbands, and for the murders that fill the pages of our newspapers”.

Rav Feuerstein added “We mustn’t ever get to a point where one says ‘there is nothing to be done. This is simply part of life’ for this is not so. We must all accept responsibility for the blood that is spilled”.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)