Power Outages and Shabbat

If there is a local power failure on Shabbat or Yom Tov and non-Jews (usually outside of Israel) or Jews (usually in Israel) repair the fault and restore service, can you use the lights, electric hotplate, and other apparatus that were effectively switched on for you on Shabbat or Yom Tov? Join Rabbi Dovid Fink as he explores power outages that happen on Shabbat.

                                            
                                            Next Class
                                        November 05, 2025
0
Days
19
Hours
35
Mins

                                                Timezone
                                            
                                            Time of Class
                                        
                                                        Wednesday                                                    

                                                        6:00 pm

Classes

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November 5, 2025 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm
Power Outages and Shabbat: Power Outages and Shabbat

Class description

Generating electricity violates Shabbat in a number of ways, among them: burning fuel and boiling water to drive turbines.

Even if the power plant is fully automated, human intervention is at least occasionally needed when things go awry.

In this class, we will survey the opinions of the principal poskim regarding the use of electricity generated by Jewish workers and electricity generated by non-Jewish workers.

A source sheet is available through the links in both WORD format and pdf. In class we will translate and explain these sources.

Handouts

Electricity Generated on Shabbat -- pdf Electricity Generated on Shabbat -- WORD

Rabbi Dovid Fink

In addition to being one of Rabbi Brovender's first students, Rabbi Dovid Fink is an outstanding expertﾠand teacher of Halacha. Rabbi Fink received his Rabbinic ordination from ITRI and the Mir and was awarded his Ph.D in Semitic Languages and Linguistics from Yale University. Rav Fink has taught thousands of students from all over the world for over 35 years.