Security guards on Shabbat: Are you allowed to be one of them? (5 minutes)
Rabbi Yaron Reuven discusses the issue of security guards in synagogues on Shabbat. He emphasizes that it is not permissible to use walkie-talkies or other electronic devices for security purposes on Shabbat, even if it's for safety. He explains that using such devices violates Shabbat unless there is a 100% certainty of imminent danger to life (pikuach nefesh). Rabbi Reuven expresses concern about synagogues hiring security guards who are Jewish and using technology on Shabbat. He also shares that he advised a student who was working as a synagogue security guard to stop doing so because it violates Shabbat. He concludes by emphasizing that relying on any human, including a president, is a sin, and the only true source of happiness is by following HaShem's will. Full Shiur: Pirkei Avot MUSSAR (6) A Ba'al TeShuva Surrounded By Wicked Family & Friends https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-oeuRiKbCvQ If you'd like to invite R' Yaron Reuven to give a lecture at your synagogue, home or office please call 917.468.2324 or email Yaron@BeEzratHaShem.org . Yaron Reuven is based out of Boca Raton, Florida, but travels around the world to give lectures to different groups. Visit us at www.BeEzratHaShem.org Click here https://soundcloud.com/yaronreuven/sets/daily-chidush To Listen to our very popular "Daily Chidush" short audio series. Join one of our interactive "Interesting Torah" Whatsapp groups to get daily messages of short Torah clips that can uplift your day by texting the number above. Please join our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/BeEzratHaShem/ and join our group https://www.facebook.com/groups/TorahLessons/ This Group is solely about publicizing HaShem's holy Torah from my lectures as well as great Rabbi's such as Rabbi Efraim Kachlon, Rabbi Yosef Mizrachi, Rabbi Zamir Cohen, Rabbi Pinto, and anyone else that is teaching interesting and relevant Torah. Also Watch the Shiurs at Torahanytime : https://www.torahanytime.com/#/speaker?l=827 The Torah is the only thing in the world that you can learn and have an outcome that makes you SMARTER, WISER, And a BETTER Human Being. If the Torah you're learning is no longer impacting your life in a positive way, than its time for a change. If you haven't learned Torah in a long time or ever, then its time to start friend. I guarantee you will enjoy the journey and life will never be the same, if you just give it a real chance. #Shabbat #ShabbatShalom #Shabbos #Mitzvah #Judaism #Jewish #RabbiYaronReuven #Torah #Jews #ShabbatDinner #ShabbatTable #Rest #Peace #JewishHoliday 00:00:00 Intoduction 00:01:13 Shabbat Violation: Security Guard Example 00:01:58 Pikuach Nefesh and Eruv Considerations 00:02:25 Relying on Psakim and Community Security 00:03:20 Discouraging Students From Security Work 00:03:46 The Danger of Relying on Men 00:04:37 Happiness Through Torah and Hashem's Will
Transcript
1:13It's not allowed because these people are using walkie-talkies, and they're, you know, they're using electricity. For what? There's no certainty of pikuach nefesh. You're only allowed to violate Shabbat—or, in essence, not violate Shabbat but put Shabbat on hold—if there's a hundred percent certainty of pikuach nefesh. But being a security guard is safek, and... It's maybe going to pick you up. Maybe some terrorist is going to come. Maybe he's not going to come. Most likely, he's not going to come. You know, so you're using the walkie-talkie to talk to your friend. "Hey, what did you do this weekend? How was your week? How's this?" You're violating Shabbat 100%. Yeah, those are all securities. They're earpieces. Yeah, yeah, they have earpieces. Testing, testing, one, two, three. How are you doing? I'm violating Shabbat. It's important to clarify that using such devices casually is not in line with halachic observance. If there's a situation of serious pikuach nefesh, where life is in danger, then of course, pikuach nefesh overrides Shabbat. Some major poskim permit it under such circumstances. But that's different, especially if you have an eruv that permits certain activities within your domain.
2:25Yeah, you have a reason for it, but that's not the same as carrying a phone and using it or, you know, a walkie-talkie or anything like that. It's different. If you have a psak to rely on, a real one, not some local rabbi that will say certain things are okay, they're okay. But as far as I know in regards to the... Regarding the security guards on Shabbat, it's a very dangerous issue because when shuls are trying to save money, they hire from the kehilla, they hire some people from the kehilla to be the security guards. This creates complications because there's more leniency in regard to a non-Jewish security guard, but there's no leniency when it comes to a Jewish guard. I saw one of my students there and I told him, and he stopped being a security guard. I saw another one, and I told him, and he stopped being a security guard. Listen, it's a...
3:46you know, I don't know, I don't know, I don't know, I don't know what people are thinking. It takes you away from it. Yeah, it's violating Shabbat, it's worse. I'm like, big brothers in Israel, very big, that said it's very good that Donald Trump won, that we got saved and now the Jews are going to have a very good use in Israel. Like, I'll show you afterwards, there's an actual verse in the Torah that says he's a rule for saying that. Yeah, yeah. You can't say stuff like that. Yeah, it could be, but you can't. You can't rely on any man. You can't rely on any man. You cannot rely on any man, especially not a president of some foreign nation. Once he becomes president, he has no more free choice. Okay, so does that mean he's going to be a good choice for us all the time? It could be bad. It could be whatever Hashem wants. Whatever Hashem wants anyway. Yeah, no, to say that relying on man is 100% a sin. Everyone can be happy, happy, happy if they rely on Torah. We will see what happens. The only way to be truly happy is with the Torah. The only way to be happy is by doing the will of Hashem. Anyone who is not doing the will of Hashem should be concerned. Trump seems like a nice guy.
5:04But everybody seems like a nice guy when they're running for president.
