By Rabbi Yair Hoffman for 5TJT.com

Picture a non-observant young man with his entire life ahead of him.  Nachal lives in Teverya with his father, mother and two brothers.  He engages in water activities and has a girlfriend.

Nachal discovers, however, that his girlfriend is not Jewish.  It bothers him slightly, but not that much.

Teverya is one of the four holiest of cities in Judaism alongside Jerusalem, Tzfas, and Hebron.  It has a Kollel located in the Nof Kinneret section.

The 43 avreichim of Kollel M’tzur Dvash not only study Torah day and night, but they also engage in Kiruv Rechokim twice each week.  The Kollel was launched by the well-known talmid chochom, Rav Asher Breslauer shlita, at the behest of both Rav Chaim Kanievsky shlita and Rav Gershon Edelstein shlita.

Nachal’s two younger brothers had become Baalei Teshuva through the Kiruv Rechokim program.  He too was feeling the desire to make the plunge.

But, alas, Nachal had that other issue going on.  He attended three full learning sessions and could no longer hold out.  He told the Kollel Avreich who was studying with him:

“Rabbi, I cannot do both.  I can commit to breaking up with her, or I can commit to observing Shabbos.  Which option should I pick? I will do whichever one you recommend.”

The Avreich posed the question to his Rosh Kollel.  Rav Asher Breslauer posed the question to Rav Chaim Kanievsky shlita.

THE TWO SIDES

Before we get to Rav Chaim’s answer, let’s explore the two sides of the issue.  On the one hand, it is recognized that one of the greatest challenges to Klal Yisroel in modern times is that of Jewish intermarriage.

According to the 2020 Pew Report on Jewry in the United States, the intermarriage rate among all US Jews who were married between the years 2010 and 2020 is 61%.  Among the non-Orthodox and non-affiliated Jews, it is even higher, an astounding 72%.

APATHY

And then there is the apathy. Only 34% of American Jews, according to the report, said it is very important that their grandchildren are Jewish. This too is very concerning. Marriage to a non-Jew entirely stops Jewish continuity.

ON THE OTHER HAND

On the other hand, Shabbos has always been viewed as the symbol or flag of the Jewish nation. Just as patriots look at their flag as more than a mere dyed cloth with fancy designs, so too is Shabbos viewed in the eyes of the Jewish people. It is a sign of our deep belief in Hashem’s absolute Oneness – He created the world and all that is in it, He is the One and Only, the source of everything, the One who rewards good and punishes evil. Ain Od Milvado.

Many years ago, Menachem Begin spoke in the Knesset in an attempt to pass legislation that would forbid El Al from flying on Shabbos.  These were his words to the members of the Knesset in parliament at that time (not the most observant or traditional of Jews):

“Forty years ago, I returned from exile to Eretz Yisrael. Engraved in my memory still are the lives of millions of Jews, simple, ordinary folk, eking out a livelihood in that forlorn Diaspora where the storms of anti-Semitism raged. They were not permitted to work on the Christian day of rest, and they refused to work on their day of rest.

For they lived by the commandment, ‘Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.’ So each week they forswore two whole days of hard-won bread. This meant destitution for many.

But they would not desecrate the Sabbath day.

Shabbat is one of the loftiest values in all of humanity, it originated with us. It is all ours. No other civilization in history knew of a day of rest. Ancient Egypt had a great culture whose treasures are on view to this day, yet the Egypt of antiquity did not know of a day of rest. The Greeks of old excelled in philosophy and the arts, yet they did not know of a day of rest. Rome established mighty empires and instituted a system of law still relevant to this day, yet they did not know of a day of rest. Neither did the civilizations of Assyria, Babylon, Persia, India, China – none of them knew of a day of rest.”

“One nation alone sanctified the Shabbat, a small nation, the nation that heard the voice at Sinai, – so that your man-servant and your maid-servant may rest as well as you.’ “Ours was the nation that enthroned Shabbat as sovereign Queen.”

“So, are we in our own reborn Jewish state to allow our blue-and-white El Al planes to fly to and fro as if broadcasting to the world that there is no Shabbat in Israel? Should we, who by faith and tradition heard the commandment at Sinai, now deliver a message to all and sundry through our blue-and-white El Al planes – ‘No, don’t remember the Sabbath day. Forget the Sabbath day! Desecrate the Sabbath day.’ “I shudder at the thought.”

ELOQUENT WORDS

These words were very eloquent, but do they trump the very idea of risking Jewish continuity?

THE SOURCE OF BLESSING

In the mid 1500’s, Rav Shlomo Alkebetz zatzal lived in one of the other four of the holiest of Jewish cities – Tzfas, or Safed in its anglicized form.  He wrote the following words, describing Shabbos – “ki hi mekor habracha – Shabbos is the source of all blessing.”

The Chofetz Chaim understood these words in the most literal of senses and would often advise people who were struggling with various issues to look at where in their lives they can enhance  their Shabbos observance.

WHAT DID RAV CHAIM ANSWER?

Rav Chaim answered the Rosh Kollel’s question by telling him that Nachal should be told to keep Shabbos.  What was his rationale?  It was not expressed.

What was the end result?  Nachal did commit to Shabbos observance, he began studying even more.  Now, all three brothers study vigorously twice each week with the Avreich.

Eventually, Nachal himself realized the importance of Shabbos and his Torah heritage and broke up with his non-Jewish girlfriend.  Perhaps this was the cheshbon of Rav Chaim shlita.

The author can be reached at [email protected]

The following link shows the activities of the Kollel.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSIrWYfyepo