by Eitan Arom – Jewish Journal
There was no doubt in his mind about what to do when Rabbi Eli Friedman saw flames he estimated to be 30 or 40 feet high barreling down the hill behind Chabad of Calabasas on the afternoon of June 4: Even though it was Shabbat, he and his family piled into their car and drove away.
Video: Neighbor captures Shliach fleeing home
If there were any electronic messages ordering residents to evacuate in the path of a 500-acre fire that burned in Calabasas and Malibu over the weekend, Friedman and his family, who live in the Chabad house, would have missed them.
He told the Journal they had been watching the fire burn opposite the Mulholland Highway for much of the morning, when suddenly the flames were behind them.
“It was so sudden, – this wall of fire coming down the hill behind the Chabad house – that we evacuate in a hell of a hurry,” he said.
The flames ultimately stopped about 10 feet short of the structure, he said, and though the evacuation order had been lifted by Monday, June 6, Friedman and his family are still staying at Chabad of West Hills to avoid the pervasive smell of smoke at their home.
Friedman also made sure to evacuate the other sacred objects in his home: two Torah scrolls.
The rabbi said the rules around breaking Shabbat, while clear when saving a human life, are more complicated when it comes to saving a Torah. But because the Chabad house has a fence that acts as an eruv – a symbolic extension of the home that allows for carrying objects on Saturdays – he felt he could bring the Torahs to the car. Friedman added he hopes nobody draws conclusions from his actions about Halachah (Jewish law) around saving a scroll.
When neighbors and community members came by to check on the Chabad house after the flames had been contained, they asked about the well-being of the scrolls.
“All night long, people were coming by to check on the Torahs,” said Calabasas Councilmember Fred Gaines, a friend of Friedman who stopped by the house on Saturday. “It was amazing.”
Friedman said at least one nearby resident whom he had never met stopped by to check on the Torahs.
“I don’t think he even understood why I was so touched by it,” he said. “But I’m marveling at it. I still think it’s so special.
Pikuach nefesh doche es kol hatorah kula- life danger allows one to desecrate the entire Torah this was clear life danger so to all frummies who are so careful about halacha it is allowed to do whatever needed to save lives including driving until reaching safe grounds etc.
Thank you Hashem for saving their lives how about helping them out after the fire?
It would be worth asking a rav, rather than ruling halachos based on speculation and hearsay.
There is an entire siman in Shulchon Aruch devoted to saving articles from a fire.
As rabbi Friedman correctly stated, these are complex. An added complexity is the point that he mentions about taking the Torahs in the car.
These are real questions and ARE addressed and discussed in Shulchon Aruch.
It would be worthwhile for everyone to be proficient in hilchos shabos.
Pikuach nefesh doche es kol hatorah kula- life danger allows one to desecrate the entire Torah this was clear life danger so to all frummies who are so careful about halacha it is allowed to do whatever needed to save lives including driving until reaching safe grounds etc.
Thank you Hashem for saving their lives how about helping them out after the fire?
thank Gd all is well with you and your family and the Torahs. Common sense, people, when in danger, run. get in the car and go! This is coomon sense and as a woman who is a mother and a wife and follows the rules we would do same thing,, you did the right thing, you saved your family and the Torahs. tg.
Someone which thinks that Shabbos is more important than saving your family’s (not to mention your own life) lives is halachikally not allowed to have children. Or maybe not halachikally but morally shouldn’t reproduce. חלל עליו שבת כדי לקיים שבתות הרבה
This is a total guess on my part, but my guess is that once you are driving you can keep going until you get to where you need to go. I did learn that if for example you have to drive to the hospital on Shabbos, ok, you drive there, but once you get there you’re not allowed to turn off the car because that would be extinguishing a fire, or even close the door because that turns off the inside lights, ditto.
One of the nicest families I have ever met! Thank G-d they are safe. Apparently someone on high was protecting the Chabad House.
Did you read comment #4?
first if all, don’t quote rabbis because usually they are thinking about your case or a specific case in which it is not permissible. secondly, think about yourself in that situation where you would rush rather than think and then if you still feel the urge, post a negative comment. otherwise, don’t criticize someone who it actually happened to and just think that b”h him and his family were saved. anyways, just like the gorilla story, a human life was more important than anything else.
although it is very scary we must always remember gam zu letovah
How far could he drive? On shabbos with a sefer torah…humm interesting
BH everyone was safe.
BH everyones safe and the Torahs are safe
how scary, i wouldn’t know what to do with the Torahs, I’m sure it was the correct thing
Rabbi Marlow said it is not permissible to think about Hilchos Shabbos in the event of a fire,
I wish Chabad had a Halakha class,
I agree it is scary but the main thing is everyone is okay BH and that is the most important thing and this is a beautiful miracle go Chabad of Calabasas
In G-d We Trust – trust with 100% bitochon that nothing that isn’t supposed to happen, will ever happen.
Faith is what we teach others and to do so, we must have plenty of it ourselves.
Especially remember chazal tell us that “don’t think you keep shabbos because in truth, shabbos keeps you” – shabbos watches and guards us.
that is SCARY!!!!