Communications Minister Yoaz Hendel (Derech Eretz) on Monday participated in a conference focusing on Shabbat (the Jewish Sabbath), the economy, and society at the ANU Museum of the Jewish People in Tel Aviv.
"Judaism has given the world two gifts - division and Shabbat," Hendel said. "Shabbat is a genius invention. Even G-dly. Because if it were dependent on people, as we see in all sorts of places around the world, we would continue working seven days a week, without a break. Without time for our families, our children, our friends."
"We received 25 hours in which we need to stop what we're doing. It's a break from the race of modern life. Irrespective of the laws of observing Shabbat, religious or secular, it seems to me that there is no disagreement on the need for 'he rested, and was refreshed.' (Exodus 31:17) A break, a rest, vacation. The question that remains is what that looks like."
According to Hendel, "My Shabbat does not necessarily need to look like the Shabbat of my neighbor and friend, or even exactly like the Shabbat of family members - as long as it is seen. Shabbat needs to be a source of agreements, not of division. Whoever turns it into something political, a source of fights, is making two mistakes: Once, in the disconnect that he is creating between Jews and Judaism and Shabbat, and the second, because he will never succeed."
"The Jewish nation excels at varying opinions and a lack of agreement. The disagreements regarding Shabbat need to be solved with free choice. My Shabbat can be a different Shabbat than the Shabbat of my friend - it can be more religious, or more free.
"Shabbat does not belong to haredim more than it belongs to secular people, or to the religious more than to the bike riders. It belongs to this nation."
Hendel continued, "The disagreements regarding Shabbat need to be solved by free choice. Free choice for the secular local authorities to make decisions about Shabbat in their domains, and if there is a secular neighborhood or city in which their Shabbat is a bus ride to the beach, then we need to allow that. This will reduce the tensions, and not increase it, and allow free choice for a religious person to enjoy the quiet. If we allow, everyone will have a Shabbat - if not, the wars will continue."
"The two commandments which Jews in Israel observe more than anything else are circumcision and Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement). Why? Because the State has not interfered with legislation."