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Aug 16, 2023
Interesting Psak: Light Rail in Tel Aviv
The light rail train in Tel Aviv is set to open on Friday. In advance of the rail line opening, some people asked Rav Amram Fried, a rav and posek in Bnei Braq, if it is allowed to travel via the light rail lines. The question exists because chilul shabbos was involved in the construction of the light rail so possibly traveling via the light rail would constitute benefiting from chilul shabbos. Even if non-Jews were used for the construction and digging, the Shulchan Aruch says that in Israel that would still not be allowed due to "maris ayin".
According to Kikar and Behadrei, Rav Fried paskened that traveling via the light rail is allowed, and one does not even need to wait any specific amount of time after Shabbos (ie bkdei sheyaasu), but the light rail should not be used immediately as a form of protest over the chilul shabbos.
While Kikar has more details with a variety of reasons why the rabbi allows it, Behadrei just brings briefly the main reason being that people cannot cause a prohibition on something that is not theirs, and because the workers do not own it or the public lands they worked on, they cannot cause it to be prohibited. Additionally, most of the work was done by non-Jews and did the work for a salary...
Regarding how much time to wait, Rav Fried quoted from Rav Sternbuch that people should wait a year before using it (I think Rav Sternbuch said this regarding the Jerusalem light rail when it opened), but in this case the opening was already delayed a year as it waited for the permits and approvals, so there is no need to wait any longer, but there should be some form of protest against the chilul shabbos, so it shouldnt be used immediately.
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So one year before we start to hear about fights over making at least one car "mehadrin"?
ReplyDeleteOne reason the charedim really hate the light rail is that the design of the cars makes it impossible to make it separate seating.
DeleteI don't understand the question (or at least why it is only a question now, and not 50 years ago) - almost every single road, bridge, train line, airport terminal built in Israel has had at least some Chilul Shabbat in the construction process.
ReplyDeleteIf the Light-rail were forbidden, I think that the same logic would apply to almost every other mode of transport in the country.
fair point but I am not sure where else it would apply other than perhaps the regular train lines. with buses and taxis and whatnot I am nto sure the preparation of the roads being done on Shabbos might be considered integral to the bus system to possibly make the busses connected to the chilul shabbos. With the train they had to dig and lay tracks and electrify the roads and all that so the rail line and the chilul shabbos are integrated into each other
DeleteIt doesn't have to make sense: Like everything charedi leadership does, this is a power play.
DeleteWhy only a year ? I say they should be intellectually honest and consistent, protest and stay off it for good ! More room for the normal people who paid for it.
ReplyDelete