16-Year-Old Athlete Inspires: "I Gave Up National Championship for Shabbat"

Every athlete knows the path to winning a championship is arduous and challenging. Every athlete also knows that when they're offered to participate in a competition to become the national champion, it's an opportunity not to be missed. But what do you do when that competition is on Shabbat?

This tough dilemma faced Harel Zion, a 16-year-old living in Jerusalem, last week. Harel is an outstanding athlete, engaged in various sports since he was a young child. He has participated in leading tennis and judo competitions, and for the past year and a half, he has been involved in boxing.

"About two weeks ago, my coach decided to send me to a national boxing competition where the country's champion would be chosen," Harel recounts. "It was a very flattering offer, and it was clear to me that I would participate until I found out the competition was on Shabbat..."

The Decision: Never Give Up on Shabbat

Harel emphasizes that he comes from a religious family and never considered desecrating Shabbat for the competition. "But at first, I thought maybe there was a way to compete without violating Shabbat. I decided to call my rabbi, from whom I take Torah lessons every week, and asked him what to do. He first suggested I try to postpone the competition. I called the coach, and he said it was impossible. However, he offered that since the competition was held in Nazareth and there's a nearby hotel, I could arrange a room there, so I wouldn't have to drive."

Harel notes that initially, the idea seemed logical to him. "I decided to call my rabbi to ask if it was permissible. The rabbi said he didn't know and would check with some prominent rabbis before getting back to me. After the call, I didn't feel good about myself. I sat aside for half a minute or a bit more and thought about why I came here and how I wanted to proceed. Yes, I am an athlete and wish to succeed in boxing, but I don't want to represent just sports; I want to represent my principles too. After a minute, I called the rabbi and informed him: 'No need to check this for me; I'm not participating in the competition.'"

Harel sounds adamant in his decision. It's amazing to hear such determination from such a young man, only 16 years old. When we ask Harel if he feels a sense of missing out, he responds honestly, "Yes, of course, there is a great sense of sacrifice here, but I never regret it. Shabbat is the source of blessing, and I'm sure I'm not losing out."

Like Omer Adam

Shabbat passed, and the competition ended. Harel realized he didn't just give up the national competition but also the chance to participate in the world competition. "You can only compete in the world championship after being crowned national champion," he explains.

That's a huge sacrifice. What gave you the strength to do it?

"It really is a big sacrifice, but I gained strength from my rabbi, Rabbi Elad Green. For years, I've been attending his Torah lessons. Honestly, I also drew inspiration from Omer Adam. I heard he observes Shabbat by not performing, and I felt I wanted to be like him."

Harel emphasizes he never regrets his decision, but in his opinion, there's a great injustice in Israel towards religious athletes. "Competitions and matches consistently take place on Shabbat. It creates a situation where a religious person wanting to compete must choose between being an athlete and adhering to their religion and halacha. It's so frustrating; this must change."