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Jerusalem Chief Ashkenazi Rabbi HaRav Aryeh Stern visited Machane Yehuda in Yerushalayim close on Friday, close to the start of Shabbos.

The rav decided to visit and meet with the merchants as Shabbos approached, to encourage the closing of the booths an hour before Shabbos as required. The rav wished to give the merchants a bracha, that in the merit of keeping Shabbos, their livelihood would increase.

Members of the so-called ‘Mazhirei Shabbos’ ( “מזהירי השבת”) accompanied the rav, first and foremost Rav Avraham Cohen Arazi, who each week arrives at the shuk and works to have the merchants close in time towards safeguarding Kedushas Shabbos. Accompanying the rav were the Jerusalem Rabbinate’s mifakeach, the person in charge of the shuk, Rav Yigal Shabtai, as well as Jerusalem Councilman Rav Yochanan Weitzman. It did not take too long for many area residents to make their way over to receive a bracha from Rav Stern before Shabbos.

Rav Stern on occasion conducts weekly visits as well as on motzei Shabbos, all towards assisting in maintaining Kedushas Shabbos by the city’s businessmen, with an emphasis on stores that have kashrus supervision from the Jerusalem Rabbanut.

Stores are required to be closed an hour before candle lighting on Friday, and on motzei Shabbos, an eatery may not up until a minimum of a half hour after Shabbos ends to ensure an owner does not have reason to drive before Shabbos ends as well as to prevent distribution of merchandise in the wholesale market on Shabbos.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)