Moshe Peretz, a singer, actor and composer, a boy from Tiberias, has been approaching religion in recent years.
Last night, a moving video was posted on Facebook, in which he is recorded accepting the yoke of the Kingdom of Heaven and saying "Shema Israel" - at the request of the Kabbalist Rabbi Dov Kook of Tiberias.
In the video, Peretz, one of the most popular singers in Israel, says: "Hello friends, last weekend I was in Tiberias and the great and righteous Rabbi Dov Kook called me to him and I heard his words and decided to take on one thing: reciting the Shema on the bed, in the evening. I hope you will read it too. Don't forget that you are Jews. We need to believe in one thing. It's exactly two minutes of your time that can change a lot of things.
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""I would be happy if you would say it every day and say it with me now too.".
Then he says: "Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.""
The video was viewed by tens of thousands, and it attracted hundreds of enthusiastic comments, shares, and thousands of likes.
Among the comments: "Moshe Peretz is the most humble and best singer in Mediterranean music. Others should learn from him," and "When there are good roots, even if the tree breaks, a day will come when branches will grow that will provide shade and will also bear fruit, Achtoim, always love you, dear.""
Singer Moshe Peretz has often given up on businesses and big shows so as not to desecrate the Sabbath. For example, he previously won a tender with another businessman to open a kiosk on Neptune Beach in Eilat, but decided to give up on the deal after discovering that it had to be open during the Sabbath as well.
About two years ago, he told Srougim in an interview: "What's related to Shabbat is holy of holies. I had great temptations to work on Shabbat, but that's how I was raised. There's no such thing - I don't work on Shabbat, I don't work on holidays. They offered me to open businesses on Shabbat, businesses with a lot of money. They also offered me a festival, and I didn't agree.".
Indeed, about four years ago, Peretz caused Festigal to cancel its Saturday shows as a condition of his participation. He also refused to produce the show "X Factor" and caused the cancellation of filming in London, which was supposed to take place after the Sabbath with the format's founder, Simon Cowell.
The current call to recite 'Shema Yisrael' is a widespread move by Rabbi Dov Kook, who calls on Jews to take it upon themselves to recite 'Keriat Shema' every night.
Hundreds of thousands of decorated 'Keriat Shema' banners are distributed throughout the country, and anyone who comes to receive his blessing, the Kabbalist asks him to recite 'Keriat Shema' every night. The project was also advertised in a giant ad on the Ayalon Highways - which read: "Hear Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one" for the success of the people of Israel.
He explained this by saying, "Regarding the sign that was placed in Ayalon, good people did it, and the purpose of the sign is of course that people will recite the Shema every night, again not before going to bed, but at any time they wish to recite the Shema every night. This is the ticket for the night, this is the success of the night, this is the joy. Every Jew wants this more than I do. A good and sweet New Year because of this and because of all the mitzvot, and all the salvations.".
Other celebrities joined the campaign and decided to take it upon themselves to say "Shema Israel" - including the child star Yuval Hambulabel, singers Lior Narkiss and Mushik Afia, and more.
