
Prayers at accident locations?
Photo: Hagai Aharon
Israel's Chief Rabbinate battling road accidents: Chief Rabbinate Committee members held Monday a meeting on the endless carnage on Israel's roads and highways during which they decided that Chief Rabbis Yona Metzger and Shlomo Amar would draft a special prayer – which will be recited by local rabbis at locations in their area which have witnessed road accidents.
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The committee also decided that committee member Rabbi Yaakov Roza, who serves as the rabbi for the ZAKA organization, would give rabbis updates on accidents within their area. The purpose of the prayer is to raise residents' awareness to road safety and includes an appeal to God to put an end to the road accidents plaguing the country.
Another initiative approved by the Rabbinate Committee is the publication of a halachic document on correct driving which addresses issues like driving when tired, driving while texting and using a cellular phone and driving over the speed limit in order to make it home in time for Shabbat.
The document will be formulated by two of the committee's members – Kiryat Ono's Rabbi Ratzon Arusi and Givatayim's Rabbi Yosef Gliksberg.
The President of the Chief Rabbinate Committee, Rabbi Yona Metzger, who initiated the discussion said: "Road accidents have become a national plague and we must do what ever we can to decrease accident numbers."
Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar added: "The goal is to shock the public. A prayer like this will, without a doubt, leave an impression."
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