Jerusalem – Two prominent rabbis have said that it is permitted to desecrate Shabbat as part of attempts to prevent romantic relationships between Jewish women and Arab men.
Subscribe to our Daily Roundup Email
YNETnews.com (http://bit.ly/WHaCWb) is reporting that kabbalist Rabbi David Batzri and Rabbi Shlomo Aviner, in response to a question about assimilation, ruled that the goal—saving young women from physical and spiritual danger—justified the means—an activity entailing violation of Shabbat.
The question came from Rabbi Shalom Cohen of Eilot, who pointed out the ‘phenomenon’ of mixed couples pouring into the resort city to spend entire weekends.
Cohen said the practice has become a “real tradition” and that today there are thousands of young Jewish women living with Muslim men.
Cohen said he first became aware of issue four years ago when he was asked by some of these women to help their partners convert, and that since learning the extent of the ‘phenomenon,’ he has been working to prevent the “forbidden romantic relations” by attempting to convince women to leave the men or by using other methods he refuses to elaborate on.
Without divulging his methods, Cohen said they are contrary to those being used by other organizations to achieve the same goal, adding that in 50 cases he has managed to persuade Jewish women to break off from their Arab partners.
“We don’t make people become religious,” said Cohen. “We just try to save the women so that they are not lured by the pastime activities and financial temptations.”
Referencing the security checkpoint to the entrance of Eilat as the “point of no return,” Cohen asked Rabbis Batzri and Aviner whether one could leave the city on Shabbat, desecrating the day of rest, in favor of the matter.
Rabbi Aviner said it was permitted due to the potential physical danger a relationship with Arab men poses to Jewish women, while Rabbi Batzri went as far as permitting it even without “Pikuach Nefesh.”
“There is a serious danger of assimilation, and today there are already 30,000 Jewish women in Arab villages,” Batzri said in a statement read by his son, Rabbi Yitzhak Batzri. “As religious officials we must protect the Jewish people from assimilation and annihilation, after one-third of it was erased in the Holocaust.”
Batzri stressed that his words were not necessarily at the Arab public, and that there was no difference between a Muslim and any other ‘gentile.’
a frishe mase, product made in Israel
“Rabbi Aviner said it was permitted due to the potential physical danger a relationship with Arab men poses to Jewish women, while Rabbi Batzri went as far as permitting it even without “Pikuach Nefesh.””
This seems a bit suspect halachically…why couldn’t they wait until after Shabbos?
well then one cannot complain about the Nuremberg laws, they did not want to assimilate either
Where does he pull out his 30,000 statistics from? Who appointed him to police personal lives of adults who have freedom to chose their fate? If he wants to prevent assimilation maybe he needs to work on Jewish men so that women find them likable to build life together?
Old principle, new application…or maybe not so new.
RambaM in Hilchos Mamrim 2:3-4 writes
ויש לבית דין לעקור אף דברים אלו לפי שעה אף על פי שהוא קטן מן הראשונים שלא יהו גזרות אלו חמורין מדברי תורה עצמה שאפילו דברי תורה יש לכל בית דין לעקרו הוראת שעה. כיצד בית דין שראו לחזק הדת ולעשות סייג כדי שלא יעברו העם על דברי תורה. מכין ועונשין שלא כדין אבל אין קובעין הדבר לדורות ואומרים שהלכה כך הוא. וכן אם ראו לפי שעה לבטל מצות עשה או לעבור על מצות לא תעשה כדי להחזיר רבים לדת או להציל רבים מישראל מלהכשל בדברים אחרים עושין לפי מה שצריכה השעה. כשם שהרופא חותך ידו או רגלו של זה כדי שיחיה כולו כך בית דין מורים בזמן מן הזמנים לעבור על קצת מצות לפי שעה כדי שיתקיימו [כולם] כדרך שאמרו חכמים הראשונים חלל עליו שבת אחת כדי שישמור שבתות הרבה:
Just clarify, the RambaM is referring to a proper Sanhedrin, but the point is still the same
A phd in idiocy
Convince Jewish men to stop going with non Jewish women (ie. stop bringing Eastern European and Asian guest workers) and then Jewish women will not have to choose between Arab men and being alone.
Not only are Jewish men going with non Jews in Israel, but so many are leaving Israel to find work and this leaves Jewish women, especially Mizrachim with no one to marry.
Why are the rabbis so quick to convert non Jewish women married to Jewish men, but will not convert non Jewish men married to Jewish women?
let the rabbis there continue their radical ideas, slowly but surly more and more of the youth are escaping the Taliban like controlled corrupt nonsense, same goes for hassidic communities in boro park and williamsburg
This is a minor problem (without reference to the abuse) compared to what the statistics look like in the US. The US population is 80 to 90% (unorthodox streams of Jewish practice) which roughly equates to the following 75% intermarriage for Reform and Secular Jews and 35% intermarriage rate for “Conservative” Jews.
It is stated in the article above that “the question came from Rabbi Shalom Cohen of Eilot, who pointed out the ‘phenomenon’ of mixed couples pouring into the resort city to spend entire weekends.”
So the learned rav shlita condemns “entire weekends” and ipso facto condones partial weekends, does he? That’s how he comes across.
When will this publicity-seeking cleric learn to keep his big Jewish nose out of other people’s affairs? If it is ‘kiruv’ and Sabbath observance he seeks then he is certainly going about those aims in a very strange and unproductive manner.
“The issue is not if a Jew should marry outside of the faith or not. Every person should make their own decision, not some Rabbi.”
The Torah requires that every Jew marries another Jew.
Exactly what type of Judaism do you practice?
Telling young ladies who they can date? Let me know how that works out for you.
So is this interpreted to mean that on Shabbos I cannot use the telephone to call in a fire at house but I could use the telephone to stop a relationship deemed inappropriate by the community? Luke.
The record speaks for itself, none of you, Goodhew, Howard né Chaim, and Norden have the wherewithal to debate my actual comments, that there is no logic in trying to dissuade with force or any other obnoxious methods, a Jewish female from marring to an Arab. And if the adult want to precede it is not the Rabbi’s business. I want to bring this debate back to the original question. If you don’t than it is self-evident that you don’t have the ability to defend your position.