Kurihara, Miyagi, Japan – When Tzvi Yehuda Mansbach took his officers course and became an Israel Defense Forces rabbi, he never imagined that one day he would be providing religious services for dozens of soldiers at the ends of the earth. But then the earth shook and Mansbach, the Home Front Command’s Central District rabbi left his office in Zrifin and got on a plane – destination: Japan.
Join our WhatsApp groupSubscribe to our Daily Roundup Email
Early last week he arrived in the city of Minamisanriku with the IDF’s aid delegation and since then he’s busy dealing with issues like kashruth, prayers, tefilin, Shabbat and Passover.
Talking to Ynet from the ruins of the Miyagi District city just before his first Shabbat with the delegation, Lieutenant Rabbi Mansbach first offers words of calming assurance: “The locals won’t feel any difference between our activities on Shabbat and during the week.”
According to Mansbach, the Halacha allows the Israeli forces to break the Shabbat laws in order to save lives – even if those involved aren’t Jewish and from that perspective, the IDF is in operational activity mode just as if the soldiers were in Israel carrying out operational activities.
Why does YNet have to keep stressing how they are mechallel Shabbos? Why do they think that is something to brag about? Are they working with Chabad or has Chabad just been shoved aside?
#1 – No one is bragging about being mehalel Shabbat. Why don’t you praise them for what they are doing – don’t you think this Chesed beyond?
Why aren’t more yeshivaleit involved in chaplaincy in eretz yisroel and the US? Our yiddishe soldiers need their help.