HaGaon HaRav Yitzchak Zilberstein recently issued an interesting p’sak at a gathering of the Rabbanim of Israel Police that took place in the Rav’s Beis Midrash in Holon.
HaRav Zilberstein has accompanied the police for many years, with the Chief Rav of Israel Police, Rav Rami Birchiyahu, asking him the many halachic shailos that arise from police activities.
At the gathering, the Rabbanim posed various halachic dilemmas, including whether police officers can return home after their shifts on Shabbatot and Yamim Tovim.
HaRav Zilberstein responded that the shaila is not only a halachic issue but is also a security issue, paskening that officers can return home on the condition that they drive in their police vehicles. Why? Because then their drive home is considered ‘כהליכתו’ [going to work] and not ‘‘כחזרתו’ [returning home] because while in their police vehicles, they’ll scan the streets for any terrorists or speeding drivers who are endangering lives.
HaRav Zilberstein noted that driving home in an electric vehicle is preferable to a regular vehicle.
At the gathering, Rav Birchiyahu commented that every year, he receives thousands of shailos from police officers, which attests to the connection of Israel Police to the Jewish mesorah.
“Police officers, while combating crime and maintaining public order, examine themselves and what halachah dictates,” he said. “They are officers that bring bracha to the entire force.”
“During these days, Israel Police once again proves that the halacha is a guiding light and not, chalilah, an obstacle, and halachic rulings are an inseparable part of the support for all officers in the organization, and in this, we take pride.”
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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12 Responses
Wouldn’t it anyways be muttar like Rav Moshe’s hatzolah psak?
How is this a new shaila, other than the electric vehicle idea
מי כעמך ישראל!
What was the rationale for electric vehicles being preferable to a conventional gas-powered internal combustion engine?
Waiting to hear from the anti tzioni trolls about how the whole zionist enterprise is a subterfuge to shmad yidden into avoda zara
@ Ploni Almoni18: “Wouldn’t it anyways be muttar like Rav Moshe’s hatzolah psak?”
Great question. I don’t think it is the same. At least part of the rationale of Rav Moshe’s p’sak was that if they would not be permitted to go home after a call, they would hesitate to go on future calls. This does not apply in the case of Police Officers who must return for their next shift. They are not volunteers like the members of Hatzalah.
In addition, not every posek agreed with the p’sak of Rav Moshe.
@ shnoring is boring – “Waiting to hear from the anti tzioni trolls about how the whole zionist enterprise is a subterfuge to shmad yidden into avoda zara”
And I am waiting to hear from the PRO-Tzioni trolls with their apologies about how the Chareidim do not give to / serve their country.
I remember poskim told us that we are allowed to return from hospital if a non Jew drives and there are many Arabs who drive on Shabbos.
Payment is another issue.
What did Rav Silberstein שליט”א pasken about brutally beating up chareidy children protesters? Or this shaale wasn’t asked…
To Gadolhadorah:
Electricity is a safek whether it’s considered מבעיר, and even if it is, it’s generally a one time thing. An internal combustion engine, on the other hand, is definitely מבעיר, and it’s thousands of individual fires being lit every minute while driving.
A hatzalah EMT can return to his home or base so that he is available and on duty to respond to another call. Here, the police have finished their shift and are no longer on duty and are going home to eat, sleep, spend family time. Thus, the chiddush of the psak.
Electric vehicles operate on a battery. Batteries are not an issue d’oraysa of havara (causing a fire). Same applies to electric lights vs battery operated flashlights. It is less of an issur to use battery electric.