A few weeks after the bloody Hamas-led invasion of October 7, 2023, an Israeli woman suffering from anxiety reached out to Rabbi Yoni Rosensweig, an expert on the intersection between Jewish law and mental health, with a dramatic question.

“She asked me whether she could buy poison and keep it by her bed,” Rosensweig told The Times of Israel. “She was worried that Hamas would again attack the country, and she didn’t want to be abducted by them.”

Rosensweig, a resident of Beit Shemesh and an Orthodox rabbi, is the founder of Ma’aglei Nefesh: The Center for Mental Health, Community, and Halacha, and the author of “Nafshi BiShe’elati: The Halakhot of Mental Health,” written with Dr. Shmuel Harris, a psychiatrist. Halacha is the Hebrew word for Jewish law.

Over the years, the rabbi and his organization have become a source of guidance for people seeking to reconcile mental health challenges with Jewish law observance, in addition to offering a training program on the topic for Jewish leaders. Such issues include using technology on Shabbat to help cope with depression or eating on fast days for those suffering from eating disorders.

After October 7, the number of Israelis suffering from mental health conditions has skyrocketed. According to data released by the Central Bureau of Statistics in January, the share of Israelis reporting depression climbed from 25.5% in 2023 to 33.9% in 2024, while those reporting stress rose from 58.2% to 67.9%.

Since then, a significant number of questions received by Rosensweig and Ma’aglei Nefesh have focused on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, anxiety, and depression generated by the conflict, especially related to Shabbat observance, even more so in times of intense confrontation.

During the current hostilities with Iran, Tehran has launched hundreds of missiles and drones at Israel, killing 10 people and injuring hundreds — including those who were injured while trying to reach shelter, as the attacks also routinely sent millions of people across the country scrambling for safety multiple times a day.

Jewish law forbids several activities on Shabbat, from Friday night at sunset until Saturday at nightfall, including turning on lights, using electronic devices and telephones, traveling by car or bus, and using money. At the same time, one is required to desecrate Shabbat to save a life — a stipulation called pikuach nefesh — and also to preserve or care for someone’s health, with........

© The Times of Israel