(ANSAmed) – JERUSALEM – Today’s abundant snowfall in Jerusalem and many high altitude areas of the West Bank and Galilee has – for the first time in years – forced rabbis to go back to studying the prohibitions required by the case, to help practicing Jews avoid involuntarily breaking the rules of Orthodoxy. Above all else, these rabbis have reminded the population, on the basis of the teachings of the medieval philosopher Maimonides, that Jews are prohibited from making snowmen as they are not allowed to create anything in the likeness of man in order to avoid slipping into idolatry. A difficulty has arisen today in that the snowfall has occurred on a Friday, therefore shortly before the Jewish day of rest in which Jews are prohibited from any activity other than prayer.

Starting at sundown and for the entire day of Saturday, practicing Jews will therefore not be allowed to make snowballs.

Whether throwing snowballs tomorrow made today is permitted is the object of discussion among rabbis, who hold different approaches to the matter. Tomorrow, in observance of the sabbatical day of rest, Orthodox Jews will have to abstain from shaking off their coats on which snow has accumulated. The instructions given are to let it melt by itself. As concerns the removal of snow piled up in front of houses, Orthodox rabbis have shown themselves to be more open, since – they say – it would be unreasonable to oblige people to stay out of their homes until the mantle of snow melts.(ANSAmed).