In a powerful and impassioned Shabbos Hagadol drasha delivered this past Thursday night, Hagaon Rav Moshe Sternbuch issued a strong call to action regarding the growing public chillul Shabbos in Eretz Yisroel, particularly in connection with shopping centers operating on Shabbos in various cities.
Speaking at the central beis medrash of the Dushinsky chassidus on Rechov Shmuel Hanavi in Yerushalayim, Rav Sternbuch addressed thousands of attendees, including admorim, rabbanim, and members of the wider Torah community.
After a detailed halachic discussion, the senior posek turned to the painful reality of widespread Shabbos desecration.
“The chillul Shabbos has reached terrible proportions,” he stated. “A major shopping center recently opened on Shabbos in one of the cities, and we must be extremely careful not to lend them our support. We should make our purchases only from businesses that honor Shabbos, and not from those who publicly violate it. This is how we fight for the sanctity of Shabbos.”
Rav Sternbuch explained that the chareidi community wields significant economic power, and unity in where and how we spend our money is a key tool in influencing society.
“Those who distance themselves from our community and choose to buy from those who are mechallel Shabbos are weakening our ability to wage this battle. Unfortunately, we have limited influence to compel others to keep Shabbos. Our main power lies in our unified buying strength. When people break off from this unity and shop in such places, they rob us of the only real leverage we have.”
Rav Sternbuch then turned his attention to the mounting pressure on yeshiva students from government authorities pushing for military conscription.
“We are in a terrible situation,” he warned. “The heads of the government are seeking to uproot the Torah and destroy Yiddishkeit, chas v’shalom. They are demanding that chareidim enlist in the army in the name of so-called ‘equality,’ but we tell them clearly: We will never go to the army—not even for a single day.”
He emphasized that no incentives or offers could tempt the Torah community. “All the sweets and promises they offer won’t help them. We are already enlisted in Hashem’s army. Their real intention is to uproot emunah, just as the rosh hakofrim, Ben Gurion, sheim resha’im yirkav, said—that their army is not like any other army. It is a melting pot, meant to educate young people to reject belief in Hashem and convince them they don’t need Heavenly assistance.”
Rav Sternbuch concluded with a heartfelt plea to the tzibbur: “We must strengthen our commitment to Shabbos. Establish shiurim in hilchos Shabbos. There is great benefit in this. Rav Yonasan Eibeshitz zt”l already wrote in Ya’aros Devash that ‘it is impossible for a person to avoid violating Shabbos unless he learns all the laws thoroughly.’ Great reward awaits anyone who takes this seriously and establishes regular Torah learning in hilchos Shabbos.”
{Matzav.com Israel}