Rabbinic ruling bans use of projects carried out on shabbat
Halachic opinion by Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem Rabbi Aryeh Stern states that the use of infrastructure projects built while desecrating Shabbat is forbidden, even if performed by non-Jews.
A Halachic opinion issued by Rabbi Aryeh Stern, Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem and member of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel, states that the use of infrastructure projects built through the desecration of Shabbat, such as the light rail line under construction in Tel Aviv and the Dan region, should be avoided.
Stern, one of the most prominent rabbis of religious Zionism, published a letter to the general public on the occasion of the Jewish New Year and dedicated it to the subject of the desecration of Shabbat in a public space. According to him, the phenomenon increased during the past year and "stood out in several ways" until Shabbat became "the national renovations day," but the religious public is indifferent to it to the point of "legitimizing" it.
In order to stir up the public, Rabbi Stern emphasized that the execution of the construction work has far broader implications than the specific religious offense.
"The halacha (Jewish law) states that a house built on Shabbat, even by a non-Jew, is forbidden to enter,” he wrote.
Those close to him explained that his intention was unequivocal — even if it was not explicit: it would not be possible to use the light rail, the planned pedestrian bridge over the Ayalon Highway, or any other project if it turns out that it was built while desecrating Shabbat.
"Every public activity is considered an act of all citizens," Rabbi Stern wrote, "and in any case obligates those who keep Shabbat to participate in activities that are prohibited on Shabbat."
Rabbi Dov Landau, a religious Halachic authority identified with the Gur Hasidic sect, warned of the implications of the work carried out on Shabbat, hinting that there may be a religious prohibition on using the future Tel Aviv light rail and even the newly inaugurated high-speed Jerusalem-Tel Aviv train line.
In an opinion published in the Haredi Hamodia newspaper, Landau called on the senior Halachic authorities to discuss the issue: "Since the new train line from Jerusalem began to operate these days, and since it was published in the past that some of the infrastructure works for this train were unfortunately carried out on Shabbat, it is appropriate that the Halachic authorities discuss and express their opinions: is it permissible and appropriate for those who observe Shabbat to travel on this train and derive benefit from an act of Shabbat desecration?"
He stressed that "this ruling will have implications for the light railway in the Dan region, which has also been a product of Shabbat desecration."
