Rabbi David Lau
Rabbi David LauHezki Baruch

The Chief Rabbi of Israel, Rabbi Dovid Lau, called on the Jewish people to refrain from doing work at least ten minutes before candle lighting time, due to the desecration of the Sabbath that will take place this Shabbat as a result of the Eurovision Song Contest.

Rabbi Lau expressed his pain over the desecration of the Sabbath at a lecture he delivered to the Elad community in Modi'in.

"This Shabbat will be a mass desecration of Shabbat," he said. "Unfortunately, this is not the first time but this time it will be before the eyes of the entire world."

"Therefore I ask each and every one of you to refrain from doing work for ten minutes before candle lighting and ten minutes after the end of the Sabbath - to add time from the weekday towards the holiness of Shabbat," Rabbi Lau concluded.