R' Yitzchak Goldknopf, the secretary of the Committee for Shabbos Observance, who previously has led the battle against Sehfa Shuk due to the owner having a chain of stores open on Shabbos, has now attacked the Eidah Hareidis, accusing them of making their decisions all based on money.

Goldknopf claims that there is no difference between the chillul shabbos happening in the fight over the parking lot, in which the Eidah has taken a clear stand, and between the chillul shabbos of the supermarkets in which the Eidah refused to participate. He says, the Eidah originally was going to join the calls to boycott Shefa, but then saw they stood to lose their extremely lucrative hechsher on Shefa so they pulled out. By the parking lot, Karta is a privately owned lot, not in a haredi area, yet the Eidah protests.

The Eidah hechsher continues to fly over Shefa Shuk, despite the massive chillul shabbos caused by the owner, and by the fact that his keeping the AM:PM stores open on shabbos forces many others to be mechalel shabbos as well just to stay in business.

Goldknopf wants the Eidah to pull its hechsher from Shefa in order to force Shefa to back down. If the Eidah pulls out, Goldknopf assumes, nobody else will be brazen enough to give them a hechsher unless the situation changes.
(source and full interview: Kikar Shabbos)

Goldknopf's accusation against the Eidah implies that the Eidah is no better than any of the other kashrut organizations that are regularly accused of not being reliable because they are more concerned with financial concerns over losing their hechsher rather than sticking to their rules.

I had just finished my weekly trip to the supermarket. This week I went to the local Shefa Shuk (sometimes I go there, and sometimes I go to Aleph).

I take my cart to the car and load up the bags. I head back to return the cart to the supermarket, and I see three Gerrer Hassidim walking towards Shefa Shuk with their hands full of flyers. They stood outside the door of Shefa and started handing them out to people who were approaching to go in and shop.

The flyers were calling on people to avoid shopping in Shefa because of the chillul shabbos of one of the other chains owned by the same owner.

They spotted me with a cart and came hustling over to tell me not to shop there. They hand me the flyers and explain not to shop there because the other store is mechalel shabbos, and there is Aleph across the way so one can shop there. I mentioned that the owners of Aleph also own companies that are mechalel shabbos, so I treat both stores equally. They started to argue and I said it does not matter and I understand....

So I am walking back to the car and I glance at the flyers they had handed me. One is the standard flyer saying not to shop in Shefa and not to help destroy the shabbos. The second was a letter signed by rabbonim. That got me curious because the whole cherem thing has been hinging on the threat of a pulling out a letter signed by rabbonim to officially declare a cherem, but that letter is supposedly still locked in a safe somewhere, leaving it at the threat level.

So I looked at the letter. It calls on the public to avoid Shefa, and the ownerdamages shabbos by forcing other people to work (they have to keep their stores open to compete or go out of business), blah blah blah...

I look at the signatures, and am surprised to see it signed by six rabbonim of the Dati Leumi community.

I found it ironic that Gerrer Hassidim are handing out kruzim signed by Dati Leumi rabbonim. I turned around and went back to them. They come over and I say, "I just want to say one thing - Mashiach must be coming! Here are three Gerrer Chassidim handing out kruzim signed by Dati Leumi rabbonim! Mashiach must be coming!"

One stammered and started to say no, they have other flyers but they ran out of them... he must have misunderstood and thought I was criticizing them. The second guy stepped in and said that yes, because we came to Ramah Aleph so we brought these...

The following email was sent out to the RBS email list...

If you've seen street posters around Ramat Bet Shemesh (perhaps Bet Shemesh, too?) bearing the Meretz party logo, lauding Shefa Shuk for being open on Shabbat, here's a tidbit that you may want to keep in mind:
The poster-hangers who were hanging those posters around the neighborhood late on Motzaei Shabbat Parshat Behar were two men dressed in genuine Chassidish-style garb, if my eyes didn't deceive me.
These same men were also hanging, in all the same locations, posters encouraging consumers to NOT buy at Shefa Shuk and to preserve kedushat Shabbat.

I am not saying you should buy in Shefa Shuk or that you should ban them. Do whatever you feel comfortable doing, ask your Rabbi, whatever. But when the battle takes on proportions where each or either side is using deception so you think the other side is fighting a battle for or against shabbos, be aware that not everything is so straightforward.

BTW, Mishpacha reported this week that by June 1 there would be a major decision on how to proceed with the Shefa situation.

This week's edition of the local BS rag "Chadash" (which was only distributed on Monday and not last Friday) ran an editorial with which I take umbrage.

He describes an incident in which the lines at the cash registers of the local supermarket "Aleph" were extremely long, consisting almost completely of Haredi consumers. One of the people standing in line looked very different, in his dress and appearance. While he had on a small kipa, in Bet Shemesh that means nothing (I guess because it is a very masorati, or traditional, city), and this fellow was standing in the very long line, very out of place.

The editor continues, One of the Haredi shoppers approached this fellow in wonderment. he asked this fellow why he was shopping there. We are Haredi and therefore will not go to the supermarket across the way, but why do you prefer to stand here in this long line rather than go to the supermarket (Shefa Shuk) which is fairly empty, and get out quicker?

The fellow simply answered that he saw Shefa was fairly empty and Aleph was very busy. He assumed that meant the prices at Aleph were much better, so that is where he chose to go in.

The Haredi fellow responded that the reason we are not shopping at Shefa is not related to the prices offered, rather because the Rabbonim have recommended not shopping there because of the chillul shabbos of the owner.

The fellow simply responded that if that is the case, then he is happy he decided to shop in Aleph because he too is shomer shabbos.

On its own it is a nice story that shows the temimusdike attitude of some people and how sometimes some things are so obvious, we only mess it up because we start making accountings and suggesting why it does apply or does not, is this the right or wrong approach, will it help or not etc.

It is good mussar that sometimes we just should accept certain things, if the Rabbonim make a decision, and not try to justify or argue or understand. Don't involve philosophy. If a person opens a store, and he is mechalel shabbos, people who keep shabbos should not be shopping there. Just do what is right. These are points the editor goes on to make in the editorial.

What disturbed me is when the editor then said, "There we see a simple Jew, like the person in our story, who does not understand much, I don't think he even knows that there is a book in existence called "Shmiras Shabbos K'Hilchoso", but he understands that he cannot support someone who is mechalel shabbos."

Just because he is not Haredi and has a small kipa on his head means he knows nothing about keeping shabbos? The fellow said he is shomer shabbos, so why do they think he knows nothing about shabbos - just because he was not dressed Haredi? His kippa size? His simplicity?
maybe he uses a different book for the laws of Shabbos and not Shmiras Shabbos K'Hilchoso - does that mean he knows nothing, as the editor implies?

If you are not Haredi you are ignorant and simple?

Yesterday we read reports, and sings were plastered around Haredi areas, saying the [threat of a] cherem of Shefa Shuk has been removed and the Haredi public can buy there. This was in response to the owners willingness to negotiate and his having, as a sign of good faith, closed a number of branches this past Shabbos from their regular operations.

Nobody really knows what is going on. There are lots of claims and rumors back and forth, both regarding what the real reason for the [threat of the] cherem, and regarding its status.

A major response to yesterdays signs was that they were not placed by the Committee for the Sanctity of Shabbos or any of its appointees or reps, but was placed by representatives of Shefa Shuk as a way of confusing consumers into thinking they could now shop at Shefa. The rumor even said that tomorrow (now it is today) signs would be up all over the place claiming that Shefa was behind the previous signs and people should still refrain from buying there.

In my neighborhood there were still the signs up saying that people could buy at Shefa Shuk, and there were no signs claiming that the other signs were sponsored by Shefa and that they were false. I have also not yet heard about any such counter signs going up in other areas.

For the meantime at least, I take that to mean that the original signs were and are authentic and if that is where you prefer shopping but have stopped because of this brouhaha, you can now return to Shefa Shuk. As we say "M'chlal Lav Atah Shome'a Hen" - from the lack of protest you can deduce that yesterdays signs were kosher.

If anybody has information otherwise, feel free to share it with me.

These signs were plastered around town last night. They say, "Clarification: Because of noticeable progress in the contact with the owners of "Dor Alon", The Rabbonim are instructing those who ask them that they are able to make their purchases in Shefa Shuk stores. And everybody should do as his Rav instructs him."

This comes in the wake of the announcement yesterday that Dudu Weissman (the main owner of the controversial AM:PM chain of stores, and also Shefa Shuk (among others) announced that as a first step he would close 7 AM:PM stores on Shabbos and would discuss further moves..

Don't forget, there was never any official cherem. They kept saying they are urging people not to shop at Shefa but the cherem was only a threat in the meantime..

These flyers have been spotted being distributed outside some branches of Shefa Shuk...calling upon consumers to not shop in Shefa Shuk thereby assisting in the destruction of the Shabbos.

The "B'Chadrei Chareidim" news site is reporting that the Shefa Shuk cherem has been upgraded to the next level this morning.

This morning Rav Elyashiv and the Gerrer Rebbe signed an official declaration calling upon the public to refrain from shopping in Shefa Shuk.

They are in the process of getting more signatures, such as from Rav Steinman, the Belzer Rebbe and others.

Yitzchak Goldknopf, the guy running the cherem as part of his Organization for guarding the Sanctity of Shabbos, has said that for now the declaration will stay in the drawer and not be sent out, except by word of mouth for the public. The decl;aration is being kept, for now, in a safe and is being used, in the meantime, as a threat to blue Square, so they should know what is coming if they do not acquiesce. A copy has been sent to the management of Shefa Shuk so they will be aware of the situation.

An interesting note is that there was a dbeate whether to use the term "cherem" (boycott), or to use the term "refrain from buying there". "refrain from" is obviously a less urgent request and still allows people to shop there, but urges them not to. the decision, for now, was to use the lighter, softer tone.

...if you are not yet sick of it, Globes is reporting (the Hebrew version of the article has more details) that the manager Shef Shuk, Uri Kaminsky, has resigned. Not because of business being bad, but because his personal Rabbi, Rav Steinman, told him to resign because of the cherem.

As well, the Cmmitee for Gaurding the Shabbos (under the auspices of the gedoilim), has publicized today in the various Haredi newspapers advertisements calling ont eh public to only shop in stores that keep Shabbos, and not to buy in any of the businesses of the Alon Group, including Blue Square and Shefa Shuk.

It seems that the cherem is final, while negotiations are still under way....

Ynet reports that The Kibbutz HaDati movement has rejected the cherem on Shefa Shuk, even after the Rabbonim of the Dati Leumi (or some of them) community have come out in favor of it.. The Kibbutz Ha'dati movement is part of (a large group within) the NRP.

The scretary of the Kibbutz Ha'Dati Org, Nehemia Rafel, has announced, "Using boycotts is not our way, and definitely does not effect any additional Shmiras Shabbos or additional Ahavas Yisrael. I am against businesses opening on Shabbos, both from a Halachik standpoint and from a social standpoint, but I am against sanctioning a boycott.

The use of boycotts in the Haredi sector is well known, and more than a few have been harmed by it, including Rav Kook and Rav Soloveitchik zt"l.

Boycotts are not designed to fight just against the problematic issue, but to harm all the assets of the person boycotted. That is not our way. We need to differentiate between a cherem and a consumer boycott, which is an important tool in the socio-economic system.

Placing a cherem on Dudi Weissman (owner of Shefa Shuk), at the same time as public transportation and other services are running unhindered on Shabbos, raises questions as to the real motivation behind the boycott."

They claim that Rav Eliyahu and the rest of the Zionist Rabbonim joining the Haredi cherem has no indication of what the stance of the National religious public is. "The Kibbutz HaDati was among the first to define a social contract in Israel, one of whose central chapters is the States character and Shmiras Shabbos. But until it is accepted, every citizen has to follow the law that defines very clearly the rules for opening businesses on Shabbos."

I remember in the days before the disengagement, the NRP was still taking part in Ariel Sharon's government, despite the clear direction Sharon was taking ni bulldozing his plan through against the wishes of his party and his government partners. The NRP was coming under a lot of criticism at the time for giving Sharon a base of power from which to launch his disengagement, despite the fact thay they were against the disengagement.

The NRP responded that, as political parties always do when they want to excuse themselves for staying in the government (see Shas now as an example), they they can do more to thwart the plan from within (we all know how successful and realistic that was).

After much public debate on the matter, they asked the Rabbonim of the NRP - Rav Mordechai Eliyahu and Rav Avraham Shapira (zt"l) what they should do. The Rabbonim declared very definitively that the NRP should leave the government.

Despite the Rabbinic decision, the NRP decided to stay in, for the time being (they left the government at a later point in time). The NRP brushed away all criticism that they went against the Rabbinic decision by saig that the NRP asks advice of its rabbonim, but it has never obligated itself to follow such advice. The NRP is not subordinate to its Rabbonim the way the Haredi parties are subordinate to theirs.

Their response now to the cherem on Shefa Shuk (whose whole status still remains unclear), is reminiscent of that response from the NRP pre-disengagement.

It is hard to keep track of where the cherem on Shefa Shuk stands - is it already in cherem, as some articles and declarations say, or is it only under threat of cherem as other articles and declarations indicate?

Regardless, Ynet (in Hebrew) is reporting that the issue is no longer limited to the Rabbonim of the Haredi world. The Rabbonim of the National Zionists have jumped into the fray as well.

Rav Shmuel Eliyahu, Chief Rabbi of Zfat and son of former Chief Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu, has signed on to a possible cherem. Along with him have signed Rabbis Zalman Melamed, Dov Lior, Chaim Druckman, and others.

Rav Eliyahu said, "Whomever is concerned with the country should boycott Shefa Shuk even if he does not keep Shabbos. The Haredi public has decided to boycott Shefa. We can join them. It is fine. It will strengthen the power of Shabbos. The power of the Jewish Nation."
Further, Rav Eliyahu said, "Whomever is concerned about the welfare of the country needs to do his part, to stop the wealthy from buying out the whole country, making his profit off the back of the little citizen. The giants are destroying the small businessmen, they are forcing them to work, against their will, seven days a week, from sunrise until death."

"Their lack of care affects all our lives. Their lack of care is the energy behind factories harming the environment for more profit. It is the energy behind factory owners paying minimum wage salaries, causing them to hire contract workers with no benefits. Exploiting hundreds of workers for their trips to Switzerland. Not allowing them to sit during their work hours. They destroy every value for more millions in their own bank accounts."

"Don't worry - the owners of Shefa Shuk are not like the small businessmen. They do not work on Shabbos, God forbid. They might even be religious. Only their poor [wretched] workers have to desecrate Shabbos on their behalf. Therefore I requested from my wife that she not buy any food there. It would be difficult for me to digest [such food]."

The Mishpacha newspaper (Hebrew) had a small piece on the Shefa Shuk cherem that was announced. They spoke with Yitzchak Goldknopf, the guy who runs the "Committee for the Sanctity of the Shabbos" and asked him a few questions.

Mishpacha asked what is different about this situation than other places that are open on Shabbos that have not been banned. First of all, Goldknopf said, "This is not just a conventional chillul shabbos, but a complete uprooting of shabbos from its essence. The motto of this chain that is mechalel shabbos is that people no longer need to go traveling out to the mall to buy on shabbos, but now they can do so in their own neighborhoods. ..."

Mishpacha asked if it so serious, why did they only ban (for now) having business dealings with Shefa Shuk, but they did not ban people from going shopping in the stores (yet)? Why is this different than the cherem that was put on El Al a year ago?

Goldknopf answered, "Also in the El Al situation the gedolim never prohibited consumers from travelling on El Al. They just declared that there could be negative ramifications from travelling on El Al. This is exactly the same - we hinted to the public and we hope they will get the message."

Mishpacha asked, "And if they continue to be mechalel shabbos?

Goldknopf responded, "From the start,w e have had no desire to boycott anybody, but we do whatever the gedolim instruct of us. What is definite is that those who guard the shabbos, will not lose out because of it."

There was a little bit more in the blurb, but these are the most interesting points.

I particularly found striking that he now says the gedolim never prohibited travelling on El Al during that crisis. We all remember the rash of cancellations of tickets. People were encouraged to lose all that money cancelling tickets and changing flights and it was never even declared assur?

I did a search to look for the original kol koreh declaring the cherem on El Al and could not find it. The best I could find was my series of posts on the topic and the post with the saying El Al has agreed to not be mechalel shabbos and that it will soon be possible to say the breach of trust between El Al and the haredi public has been repaired. Also, I found this post from Yeshiva World where it seems from the article pretty clear that the kol koreh was actually prohibiting travel.

I will continue to try to find the original kol koreh to see what they actually signed on and whether they prohibited travel or just warned El Al in it.

If they prohibited travel, why did they not (yet) prohibit shopping in Shefa, and if they did not prohibit travel, why did they pressure so many people then to lose so much money?