Members of the mehadrin bus vaad last week visited Gedolei Yisrael in Bnei Brak, stopping at Maran Rav Kanievsky Shlita, Maran Rav Edelstein Shlita and Maran Rav Karelitz Shlita. According to a HaMevaser report, they received the support of the gedolim for their ongoing efforts to increase the scope of mehadrin separate seating bus lines.
Mention was made of the letter published in Elul 5753, some 2.5 weeks after the number 2 bus terror attack in which 22 people were murdered. It appears this is the impetus compelling the ongoing efforts to defy Egged and operate mehadrin service on this line, as was reported by YWN on Sunday (http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/article.php?p=32103).
After the rabbonim published the kol korei following the attack, appeals were made to Egged to open the rear door to at least permit men and women to use separate doors, but their pleas fell on deaf ears, prompting the establishment of the vaad some two years ago. Members of the vaad include Rav Yosef Chaim Kupshitz Shlita, Rav Yitzchak Yosef Shlita, Rav Dov Landau Shlita and Rav Menachem Mendel Fuchs Shlita. They met with representatives of Egged and the transportation ministry many times, towards establishing a mehadrin service on the number 2 line, traveling by many chareidi families to and from the Kosel and the chareidi areas of the capital. To date, Egged has not complied.
A private service is operating a mehadrin service on that line today, free of charge, in compliance with ministry law which prohibits a ‘for fee’ service to compete with Egged on the line. The funds are presently coming from donations from givirim in Eretz Yisrael and abroad.
Vaad members’ report that transportation ministry officials are seeking to pressure the bus company to halt the free service, threatening failure to comply will result in the ministry sending agents of the Internal Revenue Service to scrutinize the bus company’s books. In actuality, agents of the IRS have indeed already contacted company managers, in addition to ministry bus safety inspectors, who now wish to run a fine tooth comb over every bus to make certain they comply with all safety regulations.
During their visit last Thursday to Bnei Brak, the rabbonim received brachos and Rav Kanievsky Shlita is quoted in the daily HaMevaser as stressing the absolute need for separation between men and women on the buses, praising the vaad for its efforts. These words were echoed by Maran Rav Edelstein Shlita and Rav Karelitz Shlita praised the vaad and took the time to receive a comprehensive update on their activities. Rav Karelitz explained the efforts to provide mehadrin service is in essence a battle with the yetzer hora (evil inclination) and therefore, we encounter much resistance and difficulty.
The rabbonim state that despite the difficulties encountered, they plan to continue with the number 2 mehadrin alternative that began running last week. (Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)
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13 Responses
#1 so why dont you go down and talk to them, they dont read YWN
Over chol hamoed it is often impossible to get on the #2 bus leaving the Kotel. Hopefully many people will take this new free bus and I’ll be more likely to find a seat on the #2. Next to my wife.
#1…on the other hand, if these tzadikkay hador (the real ones) didnt advise them so ..that means they know this is also important. remember you can still take the regular bus line. is it a thorn in your eye that there are yidden who are trying to obsereve taharas hamachsovos if possible (you probably dont know what it means
“What a waste of money. These “gevirim” ought to be sending their money to help alleviate pesach expenses, not helping to blackmail Egged by promoting a few Chumrohs.”
maskim 100%….
even thru its defently a good thing the amount of money and time they invest in it, is a waste of money and enrgy wich culd go to better places.
this is definintly a miss appropreation but egged should be more cooprative & this rediculous monoply should be stoped
Wonderful.
During this time of financial crisis and crushing poverty for thousands of Jews, some askanim and g’virim have decided that mehadrin buses take priority over poor people.
Shameful.
At least the poor and homeless of eretz Yisroel will now have a place to live.
On the buses.
For free.
Such gender based services are common in many countries. It has to do with how many secular hetereosexual males behaive when it close proximity to females. It is actually shocking the frum Jews haven’t demanded separate buses in the past, and Israeli bus are often crowded, and secular Israeli have no sense of decency.
Assuming #1 is both a male and “straight”, I would ask him how he would like to be in a crowded bus full of “gay” men who enjoyed shoving into or pinching other men, and in particular, himself?
reminds me of a line i heard about the new “machmirim” brand milk with 4 kosher symbols…we have become machmirim b’nei machmirim instead of ma’aminim bnei ma’aminim
torahis1 – I hear your point, but there may be another side to this story. Buses in Israel can get very crowded, especially the 2 bus. This can lead to some uncomfortable situations and according to Rav Ovadia Yosef, shlita (and perhaps others) in certain situations you are mechuyav to get off the bus. A Mehadrin line helps to alleviate these issues.
You state that the money used should go to more worthy causes such as Pesach expenses, but in like the Pesach expenses could go to even more important causes such as paying medical expenses for cancer patients. I’m sure you’d agree that that is a more important cause. However, that doesn’t stop the other causes from being worthy causes.
Priorities in this area are usually gray and therefore require halachic advice constantly.
Let’s wait and see what the gedolim tell them.
Torahis1, you read my mind. I was thinking the exact same thing as I read the article. Imagine how much suffering could be alleviated this Pesach if the money went for food and clothing for families that needed it!
#13 and like minded..there are plenty people with a lot of $$ in bank . did you contact them and tell them same. the ones who finance this project give plenty tzedakah for other causes too including this. so are youttelling them yo give exclusively what you think is right?
Ayen Igros Moshe Even Haezer Chelek Beis Siman 14
While I don’t have any strong opinion on the matter, I would like to add the following story. I was once on a bus (an intercity bus, which is even less close quarters than a local bus) traveling alone with my baby. Without getting too graphic, A bochur from the seat behind me started touching me. I would like to stress that I dress very modestly and did nothing to provoke this. But things like this could be avoided by having separate seating. Not to mention that men won’t have to unintentionally see inappropriately dressed women get on the bus and walk past them. And just FYI, on the mehadrin buses, they usually allow couples to sit together in the middle of the bus (in between the men/ladies ‘sections’).