The chareidi city of Charish is in turmoil following the recent arrest and criminal indictment of Mayor Yitzchak Keshet on serious charges—sparking renewed attention to a stark warning delivered four years ago by the raavad, Rav Yehuda Silman.
In 2021, as Keshet—then Charish’s mayor—brazenly announced public chilul Shabbos initiatives, including the promotion of the controversial “Supermarket Law” allowing limited operation of stores on Shabbos, Rav Silman issued a searing rebuke. In a message of chizuk sent to the city’s rabbanim, he declared: “Continue to stand firm in your battle for the sanctity of Shabbos in your city. Let the mayor who has declared war against Shabbos know: In the end, Shabbos will be the one to remain forever, and those who fight against it will ultimately be thrown out of the city in disgrace.”
That warning, revealed on Matzav.com at the time, now feels hauntingly prescient.
Despite wearing a yarmulka, Keshet defied the pleas and warnings of Torah leaders, advancing policies that breached the sanctity of Shabbos. The passing of the law was met with fierce opposition from Charish’s religious community, which makes up approximately 60% of the city’s population. Mass protests and demonstrations ensued, joined by chareidi residents as well as members of the dati leumi and traditional sectors, all of whom were united in their outrage at the public desecration of Shabbos.
Now, with Keshet entangled in a legal firestorm and his future as mayor in doubt, many see this moment as a vindication of the Torah’s honor. As one local askan in Charish put it, the recent developments are a living example of the Mishnah in Avos: “Be cautious with the coals of the sages, lest you be burned. Their bite is the bite of a fox, their sting is the sting of a scorpion, their hiss is the hiss of a serpent, and all their words are like fiery coals.”
{Matzav.com Israel}