Rabbi Yitzhak Zilberstein, a leading Lithuanian-haredi rabbi, spoke on the phone with Rabbi Eliyahu Ben-Artzi, a battalion rabbi stationed on Israel's northern border, regarding how the soldiers should conduct themselves on Shabbat (the Sabbath) in the extreme cold and wet.
At the end of the conversation, Rabbi Zilberstein said, "There is no synagogue in the world where they are not praying for your success. In the merit of Shabbat, may G-d send angels to protect the soldiers."
Rabbi Ben-Artzi had called Rabbi ZIlberstein to consult with him regarding how soldiers should keep themselves warm on the Sabbath, when faced with the extreme weather conditions in northern Israel.
In a recording received by Arutz Sheva - Israel National News, Rabbi Zilberstein can be heard speaking extensively with Rabbi Ben-Artzi regarding the various ways the soldiers might protect themselves from the weather conditions. Rabbi Ben-Artzi can be heard telling Rabbi Zilberstein that after the soldiers listened to one of his classes, they wished to ask him whether it is permissible to bring warm soups and other such foods from nearby towns on Shabbat morning. The battalion rabbi said that such measures could help the soldiers maintain readiness for action, should it be required.
Over the course of the conversation, the battalion rabbi needed to stop the conversation multiple times due to tanks' maneuvering, and each time he apologized to Rabbi Zilberstein, who responded, "This is a life-threatening situation, and there is no synagogue in the world where they are not praying for you."