It is within this context that we must consider your question about inviting non-observant Jews to join a minyan on Shabbos when necessary. While the importance of having a minyan for prayer cannot be understated, we must also consider the sanctity of the Sabbath and the potential impact on those who may not fully understand or appreciate its significance.
On one hand, it is commendable that you are seeking ways to ensure that a minyan can be formed in your small community. The importance of communal prayer and coming together as a community cannot be overlooked. However, we must also consider the potential consequences of inviting non-observant Jews to participate in a minyan on Shabbos.
By inviting non-observant Jews to join a minyan on Shabbos, you may unintentionally be sending a message that the sanctity of the Sabbath can be compromised in certain situations. This could potentially lead to confusion or misunderstanding among those who are not fully knowledgeable about the laws and traditions of Shabbos.
It is important to remember that the observance of the Sabbath is a unique and cherished mitzvah that serves as a sign between G-d and the Jewish people. While we should always strive to ensure that a minyan can be formed for prayer, we must also be mindful of the sanctity of the Sabbath and the importance of upholding its traditions and laws.
In situations where forming a minyan may be difficult, it may be worth exploring alternative solutions such as reaching out to neighboring communities for support or finding creative ways to come together for prayer. Ultimately, the goal should be to uphold the sanctity of the Sabbath while also ensuring that communal prayer can take place in a meaningful and respectful way.
May you find guidance and wisdom in navigating this challenge, and may your efforts to uphold the traditions of the Sabbath be a source of blessing for you and your community.
Rabbi Yehuda Appelbaum
Regenerate
Thus it was many a Sunday that found him in search of a job. Indeed, for many years there was no milk in the house and fruit was very scant and looked upon as a delicacy.
There are two stories that stand out in particular among the many that I remember my mother, aâh, telling me regarding her parents. My grandfather wanted the younger children to have some fresh air, so often on a Sunday he would take them to Van Cortland Park in the Bronx. As a special treat he would bring along a single apple and cut it equally into four parts for his children (my mother being the youngest). Indeed, my mother (Hinda Klass nee Kirschner, aâh) suffered from anemia her entire life due to her early childhood diet.
Another story was about my Aunt Tzivia, who had a very close friend Sura. My aunt would go to Suraâs house very often and at times would be there at dinnertime. She would come back home and regale the family with all the details of the wonderful food served at Suraâs house. Her father was able to provide a lavish table as he worked on the Sabbath. My mother related that at least one time, when her sister came home with her dinner food tale, my grandmother asked her, âun zei hut dir eppes gegebenâ â and did they give you anything? It was obvious that my grandmother wished not only to expose a lack of generosity in that home, but to protect her own familyâs Sabbath observance.
These two stories are not unique to my grandparentsâ household. It was one that was repeated many times over as Jews sought to follow the path of their parents and all the generations before them in a strange new land. In fact, due to this stark choice with which they were confronted, this land was referred to dually as the âGoldeneh Medinaâ â the golden land â and the âTreifene Medinaâ â the unholy [unkosher] land.
It therefore became de rigueur for Jews to style themselves with the appellation âShomer Shabbat.â Note the term by which they referred to themselves and which would appear on most retail food signage was one that that proclaimed Sabbath observance as opposed to the designation âShomer Torah uâMitzvot.â Why not use the latter term in identifying a Jew and his or her religious observance? The answer is simple: Though the observance of the Sabbath is just one aspect of Judaism, it is one that clearly identifies the Jew and is an unmistakable indicator of his or her level of commitment.
(To be continued)