A VICTORY FOR SHABBOS ! CHUKAT - BALAK

WASHINGTON (AP) — “The Supreme Court on Thursday used the case of a Christian mailman who didn’t want to work Sundays to solidify protections for workers who ask for religious accommodations.

In a unanimous decision the justices made clear that workers who ask for accommodations, such as taking the Sabbath off, should get them unless their employers show doing so would result in “substantial increased costs” to the business.

The court made clear that businesses must cite more than minor costs — so-called “de minimis” costs — to reject requests for religious accommodations at work. Unlike most cases before the court, both sides in the case had agreed businesses needed to show more.”

One of the family legacy stories I grew up on, was how my paternal grandparents, Reb Yisroel and Rivkah New (OBM) emigrated to Australia from Poland in the 1920’s, during the great depression. 

Employment was difficult to find. My grandfather landed a job in a knitting factory. When he bid farewell to his boss on the first Friday at the end of his first week of employment, saying’”see you on Monday”, his employer said:”Monday? Tomorrow”! 

“Tomorrow is Shabbos” my grandfather explained,”It’s the holy day of rest and it is forbidden for me to work”. “Mr. New, if you don’t come tomorrow, don’t bother showing up on Monday..”

Unfazed, my grandfather did not show up on Shabbos, and returned on Monday. The employer gave him another “chance”, but the same scenario repeated itself the next week. My grandfather then came up with a solution to be allowed to knit garments at home on Sunday making up for whatever was not done on Shabbos. To this the employer agreed. 

After a while he had saved up a little money, and was offered a partnership in a hosiery company. He invested as a partner until he became aware that the machine operated on Shabbos, whereupon he pulled out of the partnership, even after the partner assured him that he wouldn’t have to come in on Shabbos, and certainly not have to operate the machine on Shabbos. He wanted no part of a business that was operating on Shabbos. The hosiery company went on to become the largest in Australia, but he never looked back. 

Hearing these stories from my father as well as stories of his own Shabbos and Jewish holiday observance as a career businessman, seared the sanctity of Shabbos deeply into the consciousness of all his children and family. Shabbos was sacrosanct, inviolable, not negotiable, no matter what the price. 

This level of commitment is alluded to in the name of this week’s Torah portion: “Chukas”. It begins with the words: “Zos Chukas HaTorah” - these are the statutes of the Toarh.  The word “chukas’ also means “etched” or “engraved” -meaning, the words, values and laws of Torah should not just be something we relate to  superficially, but in a way that they are “engraved” in our psyche and soul. When you are facing unemployment during a depression over Shabbos observance and you hold to your values, you know that Torah is “etched” into your soul. 

The Supreme Court ruling today affirms the rights of employees to maintain their religious observances and the obligation of companies to respect them. It is a great victory for Jewish Shabbos and Holiday observers. 

On this eve of July 4th, the ruling is also a great victory for America, a country that was founded on protecting religious freedoms. 

As we march toward the time of redemption when “truth will sprout from the ground” - meaning that the universe will organically affirm the truth of Torah, today’s ruling, takes one step closer to our destination.