6618 —נסיעה באניות ישראליות בשבת וסידורים טכניים

B"H, fifth light of Chanukah, 5719
Brooklyn.

The veteran and Chassid, a G‑d-fearing man, distinguished, a man of all-round learning^[1] and sciences, of fine character, etc., our teacher Reb Tzvi, may he live, known as Dr. Harkavy

Shalom u'Vrachah!

With great astonishment I read your letter of the 22nd of Kislev, in which you write as though there were a change in my view on the matter of traveling on Shabbos Kodesh^[2] on the Israeli ships.

For it is understood, and also plain, that there is no room whatever for changing my opinion, as I explained at length in my previous letters to you^[3]: my opinion is clear that it is absolutely forbidden, and the reasons and arguments for this are explained in those letters.

And as for what you write about technical arrangements, etc. — on this too I wrote clearly that in the present state of technology it is in no way possible for a ship to run automatically in the true sense of the word, that is, without needing the handling of human hands, during the whole twenty-four hours^[4] of the holy Shabbos day. Not only that, but one or two people are not enough; rather, many people are needed, and an important part of them must be expert engineers of a fairly high grade.

To my great regret I must note a change, not for the good, that has occurred in the problem mentioned: according to the report that has reached me, it happened several times last summer that some of these ships sailed even on the holy Shabbos day itself (not from the shore of New York); and likewise, that in the near future a pleasure voyage ("cruise" in the foreign tongue^[5]) of about two weeks is planned, and it is heard that the kashrus supervisors and those who lead the prayers^[6], etc., will also take part in these voyages. To tell the truth, I have not investigated the truth of these reports, since, as said, my opinion is clear that even when they sail on the first day of the week, it is also absolutely forbidden^[7]; and I mention the change only to show the direction of the winds, which, to my very great regret, is not toward improving the situation but in the opposite direction. May G‑d^[8] enlighten the eyes and hearts of the Jewish people.

With respect and with blessing.

[Publisher's notes: Printed in Likkutei Sichos vol. 16, p. 642, and completed from the secretariat's copy. "Tzvi... Harkavy": further letters to him: above, vol. 15, letter 5633, and in the references in the notes there. "On the matter of traveling on Shabbos on the Israeli ships": see on this above, vol. 17, letter 6473, and in the references in the notes there; below, 6900.]

Notes

1. A man of all-round learning (איש אשכולות): After Sotah 47b: "What is eshkolos? A man who has everything in him." Here a title of honor for the recipient, a man learned in Torah and in the sciences.

2. Shabbos Kodesh (בש"ק): בשבת קודש.

3. To you (לכ'): לכבודו, "to his honor".

4. The whole twenty-four hours (כל מעת-לעת): A full twenty-four hours; that is, the entire time of Shabbos from its beginning to its end.

5. In the foreign tongue (בלע"ז): בלשון עם זר (here: English, "cruise"). Note that in the laws of setting sail on a ship, the permission depends on the purpose of the voyage — see Shabbos 19a: "One may not set sail on a ship less than three days before Shabbos. When is this said? For an optional matter; but for a mitzvah it is permitted"; and likewise the Alter Rebbe's Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 248:1. Hence the letter's emphasis that this voyage is purely one of "pleasure".

6. Those who lead the prayers (העוברים לפני התיבה): The chazzanim, the shluchei tzibbur who pray before the amud.

7. Even when they sail on the first day of the week, it is also absolutely forbidden (שאפילו כשמפליגים ביום הראשון בשבוע גם אז אסור הדבר בהחלט): That is: even if the voyage begins on Sunday, so that there is no question of "one may not set sail less than three days before Shabbos", it is still forbidden, because the ship — an Israeli ship — is operated on Shabbos by Jews, as explained in the earlier letters (see above, vol. 17, letter 6473, and the references in the notes there).

8. G‑d (השי"ת): השם יתברך.

Summary

Astonished at a suggestion that his view had changed, the Rebbe restates that traveling on Israeli ships over Shabbos is absolutely forbidden: no technology lets a ship run through all of Shabbos without many people, including skilled engineers, operating it. He notes with regret reports that some ships sailed on Shabbos itself and that a two-week pleasure cruise is planned with kashrus supervisors and chazzanim aboard; even a Sunday departure is forbidden. The trend is going the wrong way; may G‑d enlighten the eyes and hearts of Israel.