The Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Yerushalayim, HaRav Shlomo Amar, wrote a letter to public officials on Tuesday in light of the tense security situation in the south, encouraging them to strengthen shemiras Shabbos, Kikar Shabbos reported.

“Refrain from breaching the restrictions of Shabbos,” Rav Amar wrote. “Shabbos is what protects us. It has always been the custom of Am Yisrael during times of distress to gather for tefillah, tzedakah and introspection of our actions: ‘And they cried out to Hashem in their tzaar.'”

“And now, the enemies of Yisrael are penetrating every site and threatening us and harming us. Their goal is well-known and public: ‘They said, Come, let us cut them off from nationhood so that the name of Yisrael won’t be remembered any longer.'”

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“This is the time to arise and be strengthened and fulfill the statement of the kodesh poet Rav Shlomo Elkabetz: ‘Shake off the dust – arise! Don your splendid clothes, my people.’

“We don’t have any clothes more splendid than shemiras ‘Shabbos Hamalka’ and the poet wrote these words in the Shabbos song: ‘Lecha Dodi likraas Shabbos, the Shabbos presence, let us welcome!”

“I request of public figures, mayors and their leaders – please have mercy on Klal Yisrael and you in general and don’t breach the boundaries of Shabbos, so Hashem’s protection of His people Yisrael should not be breached: ‘Because I protect the Shabbos, Hashem protects me.'”

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)