Saturday-Sunday Weekend for Israel?

ג׳ לחודש השביעי תשע״ו

Well, the proposed law to create a two-day weekend in Israel has reappeared, yet again.

Arutz 7: New Bill to Make Sunday a Day Off in Israel
Jewish Home MK Yinon Magal suggests making up lost man-hours throughout the week, says extended weekend grants religious equality.

Ido Ben-Porat, 9/9/2015

Jewish Home party MK Yinon Magal has tabled a bill that would make Sunday an official day off in Israel, in a move that is likely to reignite debate over the somewhat controversial topic.

This is not the first time it has been suggested to extend the weekend to Sunday, with previous attempts being shot down by opponents who contend adding to the weekend would seriously harm the Israeli economy.

Currently, weekends in the Jewish state are from Friday-Saturday, the latter of which is the Jewish Sabbath. But while having Fridays off enables religiously-observant Jewish families to adequately prepare for Shabbat, it also means there is no "day off" as there is in other countries, since Shabbat-observant Jews are prohibited from performing many activities such as driving or otherwise traveling long distances, and spend Fridays preparing for Shabbat as opposed to spending time with their families.

Some have also argued that making Sunday a day off would boost the domestic tourism and leisure sector, with Shabbat-observant families freer to enjoy attractions throughout the country. Others have suggested it could even boost Shabbat observance among "traditional" Israelis, who would in theory observe the holy day if they had more time to engage in leisure activities on Sunday.

In a statement, Magal - who is a non-observant Jew - emphasized both the social and economic benefits of his bill, further noting it would provide "equality" between observant and non-observant Jews.

Addressing the question of how the lost working hours to the Israeli economy would be made up - given that observant Jews cannot practically work more than half a day on Fridays - Magal's bill suggests half a days'-worth of hours be made up by extending working hours Monday-Thursday, with the remaining made up by a half-day on Fridays.

"In a state which sanctifies the Sabbath and limits public transportation and sporting events, it is important to advance a day-off on which no citizen feels that their freedom is limited," Magal said.

Jewish Home Anglo Forum Chairman Jeremy Saltan praised the proposed bill.

"Many of us olim miss our Sundays off," he said. "I want to thank Yinon for moving forward with this important issue. I think there is a real chance this time to get it done."

Esser Agaroth (2¢):
Standing next to Jewish Home Party Leader Naftali Bennett, wearing his ever shrinking kippah, MK Yinon Magal claims to "love the Torah."

Well, someone needs to remind MK Magal that the Torah includes the commandment to keep Shabbath.

It is not an option; it is a COMMANDMENT,...as in you HAVE to do it.

Yinon Magal with Naftali Bennett
טבת תשע״ה/December, 2014
Where exactly IS Naftali Bennett's kippah?

Is MK Yinon Magal perhaps suggesting that one may be creative as to how one keeps Shabbath?

Um,...no.

The Oral Torah is quite specific as to what is required of Jews to keep Shabbath. Sorry, Yinon Magal, but you cannot say you "love the Torah," and then ignore half of it.

Besides Shabbath, there are mitzvoth such as eating only kosher food, family purity, tefillin, and countless other non-optional commandments, such as not putting a stumbling block in front of other Jews, and even more so, not actively leading them to sin.

When the government allows stores to be open and transportation to run on Shabbath, non-kosher food to be sold in stores and in restaurants, those in the government supporting these policies, such as MK Elazar Stern (Yesh Atid) who should know better, with that kippah on his head, are violating the Torah.

Calling such policies "pluralistic" or "democratic" do not magically make them OK.

And if that was not clear enough for MK Magal, there is no such thing as religious fairness in the Torah. There is truth, and there are lies. Jews are to keep the entire Torah. Non-Jews are to keep seven mitzvoth. There is no in betweens, no compromises. The only pluralism in Torah-observance may be found in our customs alone.

Quite frankly, it also seems that making it easier for Israel's "Christian citizens" to observe their day of rest. That couldn't possibly be because of their "love" for us and their validation of our, could it? What about their money pouring into Israel?

As I recall, the last time this proposal reared its ugly head was in תשע״א/2011, by none other than MK Yariv Levine and kippah-wearing MK Ze'ev Elkin (Likud).

MK Levine explained that the law would enhance Israel’s integration into the global market and synchronize Israel’s trade days with the international standard. The move will also increase private consumption and assist the tourism sector and other services. (Arutz 7)

Another reason which was given for the addition of Sunday as a non-workday was to "help" the religious community.

The initiative would allow Israelis to have a holiday from work on Sundays, while also being able to shop and travel on that day. These things are not possible on Saturday, the Jewish Sabbath, on which Jewish religion forbids all forms of work. They are possible in a limited way on Fridays, because shops and transportation close down early in preparation for the Sabbath. (Arutz 7)

In actuality, though, the above reasons are just code for "let's be more like the goyim." This is in ignorance, or perhaps even in spite of, the countless mandates of the Torah to remain separate from the goyim, when we are talking about the prohibition against marrying them or the prohibition against wearing their clothing, we are to remain separate and distinct, and that includes the observance of goyshe feast days..

המשנה תורה הלכות עבודה זרה פרק ט,ד
הנוצריים עובדי עבודה זרה הן, ויום ראשון יום אידם הוא. לפיכך אסור לשאת ולתת עימהן בארץ ישראל, יום חמישי ויום שישי שבכל שבת ושבת; ואין צריך לומר יום ראשון עצמו, שהוא אסור בכל מקום. וכן נוהגין עימהן, בכל אידיהן.

Mishneh Torah, Laws of Avodah Zarah and Goyim 9:4
The Christians are practitioners of foreign worship. And Sunday is their feast day. Therefore, it is forbidden to negotiate with them in the Land of Israel, any Thursday, Friday, or Shabbath. And there is no need to say Sunday itself, which is forbidden in and out of Israel. And thus we accustomed on all of their feast days.

Even in the U. S., Jews make a point of opening their businesses on Sundays to demonstrate that they are not showing regard for the Christian holiday.

And by the way, not that it matters, but will businesses have to pay their employees Shabbath salaries on Sunday? I hate to think what that will do to Israel's economic growth.

Olim miss their two day weekends, huh? Well, all I can say to that is that you can take the Jew out of Galuth (exile), but you cannot away take the Galuth out of the Jew.

With regards to MK Magal, it is apparent that you can say that you love the Torah of Israel, but not have any clue what Torah really means.