El Al is tightening its Shabbat Observance Policy and Will Cancel Certain Flights from London this summer, Fearing Shabbat Desecration during the Check-in Process

posted in: Uncategorized | 0

El Al’s new company owner, Kenny Rozenberg has decided to cancel Saturday night flights from London to Tel Aviv during the summer months in order to avoid starting check-in before Shabbat ends.

https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/371077 reports: Thousands of passengers have already bought tickets for flights that will be cancelled, Channel 12 News reported Sunday…

The thousands of passengers expected to be affected by the decision will be offered to change the date of their flight or receive a refund.

I offer the same prayer to El Al owner, Kenny Rozenberg that was given to WeWork Owner, Billionaire Adam Neumann, who decided several years ago to keep Shabbat.

I pray to Hashem, he will continue to be an inspiration for other Jews to keep Shabbat. I pray to Hashem that he will be spared from difficult tests and ayin hara, while he serves as a role model for other Jews to take up the important mitzva of Shabbat.
Shabbat in some sense is equivalent in importance to all other mitzvot combined.
An excerpt from the English translation of Rashi to Bamidbar/Numbers 15:41

http://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/aid/9943#showrashi=true

From the commentary of R. Moshe Hadarshan [the preacher] I transcribed [the following:] Why is the passage of the wood gatherer juxtaposed with the passage addressing idolatry? To inform [you] that one who desecrates the Sabbath is regarded as one who worships idols, for it [namely the Sabbath] too [just like the prohibition against idolatry] is as important as [the sum of] all the commandments. So Scripture says in Ezra (Neh. 9:13-14, which is strictly part of Ezra. See Rashi on Neh. 1:1), “You descended upon Mount Sinai… and you gave Your people the Law and the commandments (sic). And Your holy Sabbath You made known to them.” Likewise, the passage of fringes; why is it juxtaposed with these two [passages]? Since it too is equally important as [the sum of] all the commandments, as it states, “and perform all My commandments.”