Chief Rabbis and Torah sages urge prayer, Torah study amid security emergency
In light of the current security situation, Israel’s Chief Rabbis and the Council of Torah Sages have issued a special call to the haredi public, instructing them on appropriate conduct during the emergency and emphasizing full compliance with security directives.
In their letter, the rabbis ruled that synagogue prayers must be canceled. Under the heading “It is a time of trouble for Jacob, but he will be saved from it,” and referencing the verse, “When you go to war in your land against an enemy who oppresses you… you shall sound the trumpets and be saved from your enemies,” they urged the public to increase prayer this Shabbat. Specific Psalms were recommended: 20, 121, and 130, along with the prayer “Avinu Malkeinu.”
The halachic ruling’s central emphasis is the necessity “to uphold and follow Home Front Command instructions everywhere.” The letter clearly states: “No gatherings may be held in open areas or buildings.” This directly implies that synagogues across Israel will remain closed this Shabbat, and the public is asked to pray at home.
The Shas Council of Torah Sages called “to increase prayer and supplication to our Father in Heaven, that He have mercy on His people and inheritance, and that the security forces succeed in their mission and return home safely.”
They added, “It is self-evident that all government instructions and guidelines must be followed,” explicitly stating not to hold prayers in synagogues in accordance with Home Front Command directives.
The rabbis also emphasized the paramount importance of Torah study, urging yeshiva students “to strengthen themselves in Torah learning, day and night without interruption — for it is Torah that upholds us in battle.”
In addition to study guidelines, the rabbis called for increased private prayers, particularly at the opening of the Ark, with recitation of Psalms and “Avinu Malkeinu” following the Chazzan’s repetition of the Amidah.
Rabbi Dov Landau, a leading figure in the Lithuanian Haredi community, upon being briefed on the security situation, stated, “We are in a time of danger and must intensify Torah study and prayer for the protection of the People of Israel.” He canceled a planned gathering of yeshiva heads and immediately took a Book of Psalms and began praying for the entire nation.
