A Message to Tzofia’s Readers from Dayan Shlomo Cohen

Listen to this article:

The events that we have lived through here in Israel, since the 7^th of October 2023 till today, have been historic.

From the barbaric attack of Hamas and the taking of hostages, many of whom are still being held in horrific conditions in the tunnels of Gaza, to the current rain of ballistic missiles which have turned every neighborhood of Israel into the front line, the Jewish people have been under constant threat.

Our soldiers are risking their lives daily to destroy the bloodthirsty Hamas in Gaza, the evil Hezballah in Lebanon, and the imminent Iranian Nuclear threat.

We are all praying that they will succeed.

Those of us who are not directly involved in the fighting must ask ourselves what Hashem is asking of us in these turbulent times.

We all know the saying of Chazal that Teshuvah, Tefillah, and Tzedakah can remove a bad decree, and we all have to strengthen ourselves in Torah learning, doing acts of Kindness, and trusting in Hashem.

But what does the halacha tell us as to how to behave in the face of these dangers?

Up until now, the danger was far away from most of us, in Gaza, but now our Iranian enemies have brought it to the doorsteps of each and every one of us.

The Shulchan Aruch and the Rama have a lot to teach us as to how a Jew must behave in the face of danger (See Yorah Deah 116 and Choshen Mishpat 427)

They both list many things which Chazal forbade us to do because of the danger involved.

These include walking past an unsafe wall which may collapse, to drinking from a river in the dark of night out of fear that one may swallow a leach, endangering one’s life.

There is no doubt in my mind that if they were with us today, they would include following the instructions of the “Pikud HaOref” (The Home Front Command) as to when to be close to a bomb shelter, and when to go in!

Because, as Chazal say, keeping away from danger is more important than keeping away from an issur.

Let’s understand what that means: To endanger oneself is more stringent than to eat non-kosher food or to desecrate the Sabbath!

The Shulchan Aruch concludes that anyone who does not keep away from danger, saying “what business is it of others if I want to endanger myself” or that they do not care for these instructions, must receive lashes, while one who is careful to keep away from danger will be blessed.

The instructions of the “Pikud HaOref” are therefore halacha, and must be followed by all.

In the same way that we keep away from non-kosher food, we must refrain from being in an unsafe place when there is a siren.

We must follow these instructions to the letter so as not to endanger ourselves.

So, we are not only obligated to say Tehillim when there is a siren, but to say them in a safe place.

May Hashem bless us all with peace

Dayan Shlomo Cohen