Security at the Embassy on Shabbat

Question

I work in embassy security and I am required to take shifts on Shabbat. I wanted to ask if it is permissible to desecrate Shabbat, and it is preferable because if I don't do it, a secular Jew will do it without intending for the purpose of saving lives. I also understand that rabbis encourage, for example, traveling by car to a hospital so that they can arrive at the hospital. The question is whether it is permissible for me to travel in my own car or if I am required to travel in someone else's car, as I live far away and it is not possible to walk?

Answer

It is forbidden to work the Shabbat shift, and they should employ non-Jews in security. Even if they employ a Jew in your place, it is not your responsibility, and you are not allowed to transgress a prohibition so that another Jew who does not care about Shabbat will benefit. In any case, a non-observant Jew will desecrate Shabbat regardless of where he is, and it is always preferable for them to engage in something that potentially involves saving lives.

Source

Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chaim, Chapter 329)

Comments

Have an additional question on this topic or need clarification? Leave your comment below. (Please note that the comment will not be published but will be sent directly to the answering Rabbi for review and a private response)

Please sign up or log in to submit your comment

Become our patrners in supporting and spreading the Torah
Help us answer more questions faster and better
Join the mission
More questions in this category