But these days, Saturday is not a normal Shabbat.

Almost three weeks into wartime, Israelis have special dispensation from the country’s top rabbis to bear arms.

They were told to leave communication devices on, albeit at low volume. And synagogues were instructed to make sure someone brought a phone.

The decree from Israel’s Chief Rabbinate in advance of Shabbat offered a striking window into how war is changing the religious strictures that are typically baked into the cadences of Israeli life.

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