Parashat HashavuaSeries'LibraryPiskei Din (Hebrew)Test YourselfAs life IY"H starts getting back to (semi) normal, the chance to again cruise the world is on the horizon. Some things to know: It is permissible nowadays to board a ship anytime before Shabbat, as modern ships rarely cause sea-sickness, which would disrupt one’s Oneg Shabbat. However, it is strictly prohibited by all poskim to join a cruise that sails over Shabbat IF the majority of passengers are Jewish, which is almost always the case regarding ships that embark from Israel. Only if the ship docks for the 25 hours of Shabbat would it be permissible to go. We don’t do an erev chatzerot on-board because passengers have no ownership of the vessel (in fact, it would be a bracha l’vatala). It is permissible to carry while on board; but leaving the ship over Shabbat, while technically allowed, is complex due to issues of carrying & t’chum & is not recommended. Some poskim allow using a key-card to enter cabins on Shabbat; others suggest taping the door so it locks only from the inside.
At the beginning of the book of Devarim, Moses reviews the history of the Israelites’ experience in the wilderness, starting with the appointment of leaders throughout the people, heads of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens.
Every Jew is like the tree of the field. He is rooted in the solid ground of his ancestors’
legacy, roots of soul and tradition, and turns his head upwards yearning higher and
yet higher heavenward. Ancestors’ legacy and love of G-od are those that guarantee
the life of man – the tree – within the people of Israel