Jerusalem – Israeli Rabbi: Break Sabbath To Shoot Wildfire Arsonists

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    A firefighter sprays water around a house in Nataf as wildfire burns on the hills and mountains around it, outside Jerusalem November 25, 2016.  REUTERS/Ammar Awad  Jerusalem – Safed Chief Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu, posted a ruling on Jewish law on Friday morning that permits shooting Arabs who are trying to cause fires, even if this were to violate Shabbat.

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    Eliyahu answered a question that had been posed to him asking if Shabbat could be desecrated to stop, report or shoot Arabs trying to light fires near the questioner’s home.

    The reply read in part, “The prime minister described the arson as terrorism. One of the heads of the Shin Bet called it a weapon of mass description. It’s a miracle that people weren’t burned alive, but we don’t rely on miracles.

    It’s certainly permitted and required to violate Shabbat to stop the fire and the arsonists. And if necessary, also to shoot them.”

    Eliyahu continued, “If in Beit Me’ir, Carmiel or Haifa they had shot the arsonists, we would have been spared from this disaster.

    I hope that the chief of staff and the police commissioner will give clear instructions to soldiers and police officers and citizens drawn from the fact that the fires have not finishes, and it is their responsibility.”


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    9 Comments
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    Applestein
    Applestein
    7 years ago

    I say we shoot them even if its not Shabbat

    thetruthis
    thetruthis
    7 years ago

    Not smart to base Halachic decisions on what the Prime Minister or head of the Shin Bet said for propaganda purposes. I hope that more thinking than that went into this psak.

    rebbeice
    rebbeice
    7 years ago

    the truth is “you are a tipish “

    7 years ago

    It seems that if it will stop him from creating the fire or enlarging the fire, for certain he could be killed since a fire could endanger human life.

    However, if the fire is blazing and the Arab is merely running away. I wonder if there is a halachic justification for killing him, since no Jewish life is being saved by killing him, unless perhaps we say, since he started this fire, he will start another fire.

    ????? Dont know?

    abilenetx
    abilenetx
    7 years ago

    In Torah life always comes first, as in the war, or disease, or fasting days, for a doctor does not say I can’t work it is Shabbat , or a soldier does not say I can’t protect my country for it is Shabbat. There are circumstances that it is forgiven when things or done on Holy Days for life comes first.