‘Observe the Shabbos to keep it holy’
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JERUSALEM (VINnews) — An amazing story of self-sacrifice for Shabbos by a person who calls himself ‘secular’ was published in the Hashgacha Pratis magazine.
The story was told by a secretary at an insurance company who received a call from a Jew who said that he maintains a secular lifestyle but does keep Shabbos. The man said that on Shabbos morning police came knocking on his door and said that a tree near his house was about to collapse and needed to immediately be cut down. “What does this have to do with me?”, the bewildered man asked.
“Your car is parked near the tree and we need you to move your car before the tree falls on it. “Today is Shabbos,” he answered, “And on Shabbos I don’t move the car.” The policeman said “No problem, give us the keys and we’ll move your car.”
The man looked at them and thought, they are Jews like me so why should I let them desecrate Shabbos. He said that “I don’t know if this is permitted, I’m going to ask my rabbi.”
The rabbi said that this was not a life-threatening emergency and if the tree was so weak they could put reinforcement around it and cut it after Shabbos.
The policemen however were adamant and said that it was his choice whether to move the car but they had to cut down the tree. In the end the man watched helplessly as the policemen desecrated Shabbos and chopped the tree down directly on his car.
The man told the insurance that the car was worth 25,000 NIS “But I was happy like never before as I had paid for Shabbos 25,000 NIS.” When his grandchildren came to visit, they couldn’t understand why he was so happy, so he took them to the window and explained why he hadn’t given the keys and how Shabbos is so important that it is worth losing money to keep it.
The man concluded his story and asked the secretary at the insurance company if he could receive damages for his car. The company said that there was no coverage for such damage but recommended that he sue the municipality. The case is currently pending but the story teaches how even a secular Jew will risk heavy loss to keep the Shabbos.
Great story. Kol Hakovod.
I guess the guy only had “basic” insurance.
Idiot – he should have given his keys and told them to get an Arab to move his car and if they did it themselves so be it.
I wish we could follow up on this story in a year or so. Not because I’m so interested in whether he won his battle with the municipality, though I hope he will but he likely won’t (in Israel), but I’ll bet he’ll be a very wealthy man by then due to being rewarded by Hashem for protecting Shabbos the way he did.
I am so impressed, I don’t even know what to say. This weeks Parsha tells us to serve the Almighty with everything we have. This guy is amazing. I am not secular and I don’t know that I myself could’ve withstood such a test. All blessings to him and his family
Eliezer- No, your suggestion is idiocy. Putting aside the question of Amira L’Nochri in this situation, you’re conflating the heter of of adateih d’nafsheih that is said by a non-Jew and using it by a Jew where it NEVER applies. If you know that they will definitely move it if you give them the keys and definitely won’t if you don’t that is lifnei iver d’oraisa.
That is one BIG deposit he made at the shaar shomayim. When he arrives at the keisei hakovod he will have the malachim make the proper withdrawls.
If his insurance doesn’t reimburse him, he should get a Go Fund Me/Chesed Page. How many of you would donate to him?
A shomer shabbos is not secular
Beautiful!
May the Holy Shabbos send him a blessing many times his “loss”….
Absolutely amazing. He should set an example for other secular Jews to follow. Moreover, this should teach Orthodox Jews not to write off their secular brethren. Every Jew has a Pintel Yid and you never know when that spark will be ignited.
He isn’t secular, he is molei mitzvahs karimoin
Slow news day VIN?????
May Hashem bless him with many Brochos. I am so impressed with him. Having lived in Lakewood, I wonder how many of us could have withstood such a test!
If he keeps Shabbos, what does he mean by secular? Does he not daven, wear tefillin, eat kosher?
Why couldn’t they just tow his car out of the way?
Kudos to him but I do not understand the Rabbi’s response. Shoring up the tree would probably have involved a d’oraisa too. And I’m not sure that cutting down the tree would have been a d’oraisa anyway since they have no interest in the wood; it is probably a melacha she’aina tzericha legufah and with the tree posing a public hazard it might be muttar. The car would be a write-off in any event since no pikuach nefesh is involved in saving it.
Just saying.