Chief Rabbi Lau: Identification of Bodies Should be Performed on Shabbos

By Matis Glenn

Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi Harav David Lau ruled Wednesday that efforts to identify the murdered victims of the ongoing terror attacks in Israel is considered pikuach nefesh and should be performed by state workers even on Shabbos.

Rav Lau made the ruling at a visit to the Shura military rabbinical base, where the sad duties of identifying the fallen and bringing them to kever Yisrael is carried out.

When asked about how to conduct themselves on Shabbos, the Chief Rabbi said, “I am profoundly moved by the great dedication of all the teams…you won’t finish your work before Shabbos, but [identification of the bodies] is important and required, and it is pikuach nefesh, because if someone is determined to be here, this means that he is not from those who are missing.

“In a state of war this is pikuach nefesh. Those who need to do this should continue to work even on the holy Shabbos and make every effort to continue this holy work as on a weekday; with G-d’s help we will have a comforting Shabbos.”