- A poll shows that in Israel, 27 percent of the Jewish population observes the Shabbat according to Halacha, while 20% were keeping the Shabbat to a certain degree and 53% not at all. There was strong support for giving up shopping in favor of “having public transport services operating on that day and enjoying leisure activities�. (The Jerusalem Post)
- Rabbi Menachem Posner explains that “It is forbidden to pet, hold, or stroke an animal on Shabbat,� with very limited exceptions. You can walk your dog but that leash must remain taut outside an eruv, lest you be carrying the leash. (Chabad)
- If you visit another for Friday night meal, but plan to return home to sleep, which is the best place to light candles? And do those candles you light have to be yours? (in two parts) (The Jewish Week)
- The IDF rabbinate has ruled that “religious soldiers who wish to remain alert during Shabbat will be able to turn the radio on before Shabbat commences but only if they tune in to non-Jewish stations.� (The Jerusalem Post)
Shabbat
Pronounced: shuh-BAHT or shah-BAHT, Origin: Hebrew, the Sabbath, from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday.
