Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Have they really all joined ?

B"H

Someone seems to take care that the ban on the "Shefa Market" should be taken seriously. New Fashivilim (posters) were hung up in Mea Shearim. Usually such posters are signed by a certain organization such as the "Edah HaCharedit", the "Neturei Karta", etc. Some posters are even signed by a so - called "Purity Committee". But the latest posters on the "Shefa - Market" ban are not signed at all.

"I also decided not to buy at Shefa and not going to Meron (1) on an EGGED - bus".

This is what the latest poster says. No signature whatsoever.

The ban on the "Shefa - Market" is well known but the ban on EGGED buses is new to me. The editors of the poster claim that the company owning "Shefa" as well as the Israeli bus company EGGED don't keep Shabbat and therefore have to be punished.

To what kind of Haredim does this poster apply ?
Gur, Belz or litvishe Haredim ?
Definitely not to members of the Edah HaCharedit such as Toldot Aharon, Satmar, Dushinsky, etc. Those chassidic groups only buy at certain places and mostly not at "Shefa" anyway. And those groups also don't use the "Zionist" EGGED - buses anyway.

So, to whom are the posters addressed ? And does really everyone join the bans ?

I would like to know what the Haredim think about the whole issue. On the other hand, what if someone decides not to join the ban but his group companions see him walking into "Shefa" ?
These are the situations when I am glad not to be a member of any chassidic group.

(1) Meron:
This week, thousands of religious Jews travel to Meron (northern Israel) on Lag Ba'Omer (start Thursday night). Lag Ba'Omer is the day when the plague which killed 24,000 students of Rabbi Akiva stopped. Furthermore, it is the Yahrzeit (anniversary of the death) of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai who is buried in Meron.
Especially for Chassidim, it is a very popular custom to go to Meron on Lag Ba"omer.

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