Is it permissible to call concerned parents on Shabbat? Can soldiers sleep in synagogue with sting dogs? Is it permissible to stay in the homes of evacuated families without a mezuzah? These are only representative examples of the thousands of questions received since the outbreak of the war on the "open line" of the military rabbinate, which serves as a halachic authority in the IDF and provides answers to commanders and soldiers in the field at all hours of the day.
Religious leaders from all over the country gathered in the village of Gaza for a joint prayer and call for the return of the abductees and captives in Gaza and the return to peace of IDF soldiers // Liron Moldovan
One of the questions asked dealt with the issue of documentation: Is it permissible to document events related to the war on Shabbat? The military rabbinate responded that on Shabbat, as on a weekday, everything that could benefit operationally and that might help continuity of functioning, clarify information or draw conclusions, as well as anything that could be used by the State of Israel for PR purposes.
Another question that was asked dealt with the issue of cellphone use on Shabbat – is it permissible to call parents and family members just before prolonged operational activity, during which it will not be possible to use the phone, in order to calm worried relatives? The Open Line responded that this is permitted: "It is better to have a conversation than a message, and if there is a need to send a message, do not send a long one."
A soldier in an elite unit who is on vacation at home asked if he could walk around with his cell phone on Shabbat, and if he should stay at home so as not to "shake" it in the public space. The rabbis replied that a soldier "must walk around with a cell phone, and there is no prohibition against shaking it."
"If you need to send a message, don't send a long one." The Military Rabbinate's scanning units (archive), photo: Arik Sultan
Round-the-clock operations
The call center of the Military Rabbinate is available for calls and messages around the clock, and its activity intensified significantly during the war, when its personnel were required to answer thousands of questions, and to fulfill the responsibility of the Military Rabbinate as the sole authority for halachic rulings in the IDF. The need for a quick halachic response is significant for soldiers, and therefore the Rabbinate's goal is to provide the answers to the soldiers non-stop.
One night, soldiers from the Oketz unit arrived at the base and found no suitable place to sleep, except for the synagogue there. The soldiers wondered if they could sleep in the synagogue, considered a holy place, along with the dogs from the unit. The rabbis ruled: "The year of the soldiers is an operational necessity, but it is important to preserve the dignity of the synagogue." They ordered the soldiers to look for another place to stay, and to sleep in the synagogue only if there was no other option.
In another case, combatants serving near the border and staying in homes whose occupants had been temporarily evacuated asked if they could set up a mezuzah at the entrance to the house. "There is no permit for soldiers to change anything in the house," the military rabbinate replied, explaining: "They have no obligation to set a mezuzah, because they are guests there and live there against their will."
The rabbis ruled: "It is important to preserve the dignity of the synagogue." Military Rabbinate exercise (archive), photo: IDF Spokesperson
Another example that illustrates the vitality of the hotline during an iron sword war concerns the tenth fast of Tevet, which took place about two weeks ago.
In preparation for the fast, countless questions were received from commanders and fighters, who wanted to know whether they should also fast during the war, and what the law was regarding the soldiers in training. Are those who fight, but still want to fast, allowed to do so? The respondents on the open line, led by the commander of the Beit Midrash for Military Laws, Captain Chaim David Greenfeld, and alongside him military rabbis in the reserves, made it clear to all those who asked that before fasting, operational competence is paramount.
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