Speaking at a Knesset committee via Zoom, South Africa’s Chief Rabbi Warren Goldstein encouraged Israel to switch to a 4.5-day working week, arguing that this would enable Jews to do their leisure or shopping activities on Sunday and lessen friction between the secular and religious communities.
Rav Goldstein said that the activities of the Shabbos Project in Israel proved that part of the country’s conflict over Shabbos is the difficulty of having a one-day weekend when “everyone’s fighting over the same time.”
A survey found that 76% of Israelis favor making Sunday part of the weekend, while 83% thought that a Sunday off from work would reduce these religious-secular tensions. Some 50% of secular Jews said this would induce them to spend more time on Shabbos resting at home and connecting with family.
“I’ve seen through the Shabbos Project in Israel how people have a real yearning for Shabbos,” Rav Goldstein said.
{Matzav.com Israel}
There is a sad irony that the Chief Rabbi of another country has to tell the Zionists how to enable their citizens to keep Shabbos in their false-named “Jewish State” (really Zionist State).
He is, of course, 100% right. They should have Sunday off like in every normal country. This would certainly help at least some people to keep Shabbos.
Is he seriously suggesting that Yidden should work.
This is not a Yiddishe דרך.
Chukas Goyim mi’deoirysa!! By the way most real idden only work 2 to 3 days a week. The Rabbi is actually increasing our work–HMMM like PAROH. We know what happened to him.
Honestly! Doesnt the Torah teach us Shayshess Yamim Taavod and then rest is on the Shabbos. The Torah doesnt advocate for a holiday once a week in addition to Shabbos. Those who need it, take off Fridays.
A Sunday off would hurt Shabbos.
He did not imply to forbid doing any of the 39 Melachos on Sunday.
Don’t make jokes out of Pesukim in the Torah.
According to you if one is out of a job then he is oiver an Assei for everyday he can’t find one? Is it Purim today?
genius- the “6 days you shall work” comes to exclude the 7th. not that its a mitzvah to work specifically for 6 days!!
if you don’t have to work, or can work only 2 days a week, good for you. But don’t say that “most goyim” and in “normal” countries people hardly work. Most of Asia has three-figure work weeks and perhaps two week off total per year….. which in China they had to impose on people, can you imagine that?
Do like the Lawyers do. Work 2 days a week but bill for 9 days a week.
Many years ago a Jewish economics expert was brought in to Eretz Yisroel to help ease the country into a five day work week. After an intense probe into the work situation on site, his conclusion was: begin slowly with one day, easing into two work days a week and slowly progressing….
בטלה מביאה לידי חטא