In a briefing with senior Israel Police commanders, Chief of Traffic Enforcement Bruno Stein called on his commanders to do whatever possible to avoid chilul Shabbos as they prepare for Lag B’Omer 5773.
Road closures will begin before Shabbos as police continue to urge visitors to use buses to make their way to Meron and Kever Rashbi. Park and ride lots have been set up as motorists are advised to avoid making their way to Meron by private vehicle. Authorities stress that only the limited number of vehicles with VIP passes will be permitted to pass police closures and no exceptions will be made. This holds true of emergency personnel too, such as volunteers from the various EMS organizations. Only those with vehicular permits will be permitted to pass police closure points along the Meron route.
Stein told officers that “many chareidi representatives” approached him urging him to do whatever possible to minimize chilul Shabbos, and to his credit, he passed the word to commanders and subordinates, telling them “we have done this in the past, we know how to do it, and we can indeed minimize the chilul Shabbos involved.”
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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5 Responses
unfortunately, it doesn’t sound like they will eliminate it entirely.
Therefore, not being a rav or Posek, I wonder if going to Meron is “mitzva haba b’aveira”?
Can someone clarify this for me?
Maybe minimize means utilizing non jewish services
No it’s not. The police will be out there whether you go or not. You’re not even a grama. And even if one would argue that you are a grama it wouldn’t matter because of “אין שליח לדבר עבירה״.
#1 There’s no mitzva going to Meron on Lag B’Omer. So preparation on Shabbat is nothing but an aveira.
newbe – the Rabbanut agrees with you – that’s why they issued a psak that Lag B’Omer should be observed Sunday night instead. Chareidim generally ignore the Rabbanut, though, and refuse to move their observations.
It seems that this police commander has more concern about Chilul Shabbos than some Chareidim. He called for minimizing Chillul Shabbos, while the Chareidim have totally ignored the Chillul Shabbos that their observing this Minhag (and only a minhag – not a Halacha!) will cause.
an Israeli Yid