There is no doubt that United Torah Judaism (UTJ) and the
other chareidi parties that are trying to prevent that
massive chillul Hashem that results from the very
public transport of turbine components from Ramat Hasharon to
Ashkelon on Shabbos are genuinely speaking for a significant
majority of the Jews in Israel. Most Jews in Israel respect
Shabbos and -- even if they do not observe every halacha
themselves -- want it to be honored by the representative
bodies of the Jewish people. Yet the width of the gap that
separates us from the militantly anti-religious minority is
large and cannot be ignored.
The issues are subtle and sensitive. It is not simply a
matter of toting up the chillul Shabbos of different
alternatives and choosing the smallest sum. The real problems
have to do with attitude and public shows of respect for the
age-old flags of the Jewish people.
We do not know any way to create one Jewish people, one
Israel, that does not include Shabbos as one of its pillars.
This does not mean that all must observe Shabbos, but it does
mean that every Jew must acknowledge Shabbos, respect it and
at the least be aware of how important it is to those who
cherish it.
Two generations ago, this common heritage was present. In
1931 (5691) a number of Israeli public figures, most of whom
were not religious and included the likes of Yosef Klausner
and Chaim Nachman Bialik who were decidedly anti-religious,
signed a passionate plea for the sanctity of Shabbos.
"Shabbos desecration in our country in major kibbutzim,
openly, in public, is like a public rebellion against the
sanctity of the Shabbos, the national heritage. . . . The
days of holiness and rest . . . cannot be shunted aside for
any other purpose or end, just as [they were] not pushed
aside in the face of our fight for survival and life
throughout all the ages and in all of our settlements. There
is no Jewish people and no Jewish nationality and no national
Hebrew homeland without Shabbos. . ."
Today this sounds like religious pleading, but then it was
the voice of the dominant anti-religious group, which still
shared common Jewish values.
Now, we have a prime minister who can try to claim that the
decision about the transport will be made on purely technical
and professional grounds. The implication is that Shabbos is
not even a factor that enters the equation.
The militant, anti-religious forces are not trying only to be
allowed to live as they see fit. They are clearly trying to
create a public atmosphere in which Torah and mitzvos are
simply not present. It was they who made the fuss about the
turbine transport that could easily and quietly have been
solved if it had been left as a matter of pragma rather than
becoming an issue of principle. Rabbi Gafni said that in
1998, there were 117 transports that had been scheduled for
Shabbos and solutions were found to carry them out on
weekdays without any undue inconvenience to anyone.
This militancy and extreme alienation from all things Jewish
is characteristic of the Israeli Left, and should never be
forgotten. Another point to remember is that the best friends
of the Israeli Left are the American and Israeli Reform.
After the American Reform movement, at its most recent
convention, called for limited mitzva-observance, some hailed
the move as a return to Jewish roots. Certainly we can say
halevai! Yet the only alternative understanding of the
Refornm move suggested was that perhaps it will lead nowhere.
In fact, their association with the Israeli Left should
suggest a third alternative that should be on the table (and
halevai it not be correct): that it is a cynical move
designed to be able to continue the movement's history of
destroying and undermining from within in an age of Orthodox
ascendancy and growth.
The 1931 letter quoted above continued: "We seek to preserve
the sanctity of the Shabbos, the honor of the country, the
unity of the nation and the sensitivities of our fellow
brothers."
