It was the first time that Rabbi Pinchos Zaltzman, the rov of the Orthodox community of Moldova, had ever been mechallel Shabbos.
But this time, it was pikuach nefesh.
Rabbi Zaltzman drove to the Ukrainian border, took dozens of calls and texts, paid money where necessary, gave orders to cook on Shabbos for women and children, and made life-or-death decisions about who to take and who to keep waiting – all on Shabbos, the Jerusalem Post reports.
Since Russia invaded Ukraine, he estimated that he has personally helped some 8,000 Ukrainian Jews and has spent more than $7 million doing so. He has conducted three chasunos, helped free one agunah, and conducted geirus for 12 people with the help of the head of the Ukrainian Beis Din.
{Matzav.com}
After many people stopped following Torah and mitzvos when Covid hit, this doesn’t surprise me. All we heard about, by the am huratzim, was vinishmartem vinishmartem vinishmartem. Do whatever you want. The Torah was only kidding r”l. People just paskin on their own serious shailos, that involve misa and corais! Today, everyone has big shoulders and have no fear of heavenly retribution r”l. Yiddishkiet has become about “feelings” and “emotions”. Halacha is old school r”l. Let’s follow the goyim.
You’re right when the covid hoax hit and people followed fake lying mainstream instead of the Torah. But now in Ukraine with Ukrainian politicians killing their own citizens, it is indeed pikuach nefesh which is docheh Shabbos.
כל המקיים נפש אחת מישראל מעלה עליו הכתוב כאילו קיים עולם מלא
“People just paskin on their own serious shailos”
In case you haven’t noticed, the subject of this article is a rabbi. I think he is slightly more qualified than you to “Paskin serious shailos by himself.”
Leave the judging to G-d.
If it really bothers you, don’t paskin on your own that they are chayav koreis- Go ask your own rabbi!
Please correct the headline. It should say the Rav was DOCHEH Shabbos.
I understand he wasn’t able to keep the halachos of Shabbos that he would’ve kept had there not been pikuach nefesh, but the term “chilul Shabbos”, literally “violation (or degradation) of Shabbos” is something I’m not comfortable with, since is is 100% within the parameters of halocha to do what he did.
He could of done what was necessary on Friday and Sunday. No need to be michalel Shabbos.
…actually, Maier Solomon (above) said it better than I did.
The chef rabbi of Moldova is rabbi abelsky.