Letters: No shopping on Shabbat?
Re “Israelis split on Sabbath shopping,” June 10
The traditional Jewish holy day of rest, Shabbat, is facing competition from secular shops, movie theaters, restaurants, pubs and clubs around Israel seeking Saturday business. On average, about 40% of their weekly sales currently come from hundreds of thousands of Sabbath customers. And the economic growth is ubiquitous.
Reminiscent of the days of “blue laws” in America, when shopping on Sundays was taboo, many Israelis are now questioning why Saturdays should be different than any other day.
Dan Anzel
Los Angeles
Interesting article about observing the Sabbath in Israel.
The haredim, a small but politically influential ultra-Orthodox community, points to biblical commands about observing the Sabbath. Strange, my Bible doesn’t mention anything about inspectors going around issuing $200 citations.
However, in the fourth book of the Torah, Numbers 15:32-36, a man is found gathering pieces of wood on the Sabbath day. God told Moses that the man should be put to death, and he was stoned.
Exactly what Bible are the haredim using?
Steve R. Jackson
Van Nuys
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