7800 —שמירת שבת לעומת אכילת כשר בנסיבות קשות

Shalom u'Vrachah!

In response to your letter in which you describe an acquaintance who is in the vicinity of Eretz Yisrael, and travels on Shabbat to a city where there are Jews, so that at least on Shabbat he can eat kosher meat and spend some hours in the company of fellow Jews. You ask if your acquaintance is acting properly by violating Shabbat in order to eat kosher food and strengthen his connection with a Jewish environment.

Our Sages, of blessed memory—who delved into the depths of every individual's soul, even though no two people are alike—taught: Do not sit and weigh the mitzvos of the Torah. They also said: Be as careful with a minor mitzvah as with a major one, even when discussing mitzvos where one is considered lighter and one more severe.

This is especially true regarding your acquaintance's case, where both matters are extremely serious. It is well known that forbidden foods, aside from their severe punishment in the World to Come, have an effect even now—though not always understood rationally—in that they dull the heart and mind of those who consume them. This leads a person to become more coarse and materialistic until he may be drawn—due to these foods' effects—to prohibited matters he was never previously connected with, which he would otherwise find repulsive even from a humanistic or ethical perspective.

As for the great value of Shabbat's sanctity, it is unnecessary to elaborate; it is explicit throughout Tanach and our Sages' teachings that Shabbat is a sign between G‑d and us. Its observance proclaims that G‑d created the world and sustains it at every moment—even now. Therefore our Sages said that desecrating Shabbat and idolatry are each equivalent to all other Torah commandments combined.

Your acquaintance's conduct can be compared to someone whose house catches fire—G‑d forbid—and whose life is at risk, but who tries to extinguish the flames by pouring naphta or petroleum on them! One must open his eyes—to his own situation and that of all Israel (for all Jews are responsible for one another). The situation of our fellow Jews overseas is dire; may G‑d in His abundant mercy say "Enough" to their suffering and not allow evil to spread further.

Yet we must know our duty to G‑d, ourselves, our families, and all fellow Jews: To stand strong in observing Torah and mitzvos, overcoming every obstacle or hindrance. Even if your acquaintance feels that keeping this or another mitzvah seems impossible for him right now—if he reflects deeply as one would about something vital for his soul's life—he will surely find a way to fulfill the mitzvah and maintain purity of body and soul all seven days of the week, without establishing a pattern of desecrating Shabbat each week.

One mitzvah leads to another; being connected with oneself, one's faith, and Torah—the holy Torah—and Israel as a whole.

Summary

The Rebbe teaches that both Shabbat observance and eating kosher are fundamental; neither should be compromised for the sake of the other. Even under difficult circumstances, one must seek solutions that uphold both values without violating either commandment.