On Wednesday, 11 Kislev, with chareidi parties on board, the final steps will be taken to give the necessary permits to legally permit soccer matches on Shabbos.
The committee which issues Shabbos work permits, the committee that has to give its approval in this case, will meet at the Prime Minister’s Office on Wednesday to approve the Chilul Shabbos by granting work permits to soccer players to play on the holy day R”L.
Shas Chairman Aryeh Deri refused to address the issue earlier in the week, but emphasized that all the chareidi parties follow their respective Moetzas Gedolei Torah, which instructs them how to act.
The general consensus appears to be that Shabbos soccer has been ongoing for years, and it is simply a fait accompli. It is feared working to stop it today, after decades, would not be successful and the damage may be greater than the gain.
The committee, headed by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Minister of Labor Chaim Katz, has not convened because of the opposition of the chareidi parties to sit in the government to approve the Chilul Shabbos for sports.
It is worth mentioning that the committee’s approval comes due to a group of religious players who petitioned the High Court of Justice to ban the soccer games on the Shabbos, so they can play during the week.
In a meeting between religious soccer players and Shas MKs, Shas MKs said: “This is a first-class social injustice for those players who are forced to harm their family unit every Shabbos in addition to the main blow to the honor of Shabbat.”
Three months ago, Rishon L’Tzion Rabbi Yitzchak Yosef Shlita issued a call to Knesset members not to approve the Chilul Shabbos for soccer matches. During his weekly shiur, Rav Yosef referred to Netanyahu’s intention to grant approval for soccer matches on the Shabbos, making it officially legal instead of playing illegally. Rav Yosef lamented this, warning it just leads to additional Chilul Shabbos and persons drive their vehicles R”L to matches.
The Rishon L’Tzion stated this is much worse than the Chilul Shabbos by Israel Railways, where some or many of the workers are goyim. Here he points out, this impact so many of the Sephardim, who are drawn to the Chilul Shabbos, which with the railway, it is limited to the workers.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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3 Responses
This is truly shocking! Where are all the outcries, the protests?!
You’ve really confused me. You don’t approve when Chareidim “sit back” (and presumably do nothing), and you vehemently oppose protests. What should they do?
Yerushalmi, this article is about the politicians and the protests are by the people. We want the politicians to do their political thing to stop chillul Shabbos, but for the people to protest and disturb the day to day functioning of other people’s lives is terrible and doesn’t accomplish a thing.