Shabbat & Technology

Electricity according to Maharsham and Tsits Eliezer- We will begin our survey of the writings of the great poskim on electricity with the Maharsham (R. Schwadron) and the Tsits Eliezer (R. Valdenberg). Sources for these rabbis and futher material are available through the link.

Electricity according to the Aruch ha-Shulchan…- In today’s class we will see the opinions of Aruch ha-Shlucha, R. Uziel, and R. Asher Weiss regarding the nature of electricity. The first two authorities embrace the old approach equating electricity with fire, leading to a leniency in permitting switching on electric lights on Yom Tov. R. Weiss explains why we must prohibit switching on light both on Shabbat and Yom Tov.

Electric Timers- After competing our survey of the opinions of the great authorities regarding the underlying prohibition of electricity on Shabbat, our next topic will be the use of timers to switch electrical apparatuses on and off on Shabbat. The source material is available through the link.

In this session: גזירות חדשות – Sources regarding the capacity of modern Rabbis to legislate new halachah.

Be’er Moshe — Supplementary Source- The link provides a brief teshuva of the Be’er Moshe that I shall discuss today. This teshuva simultaneously reinforces the Be’er Moshe’s position that we saw last week and shows a flaw in his position.

Timers (conclusion) and Time Zones- Today we will conclude the topic of timers and begin the topic of time zones. If you are in a time zone where it is not Shabbat, can you operate an electrical apparatus in a different time zone where it is Shabbat? Can you speak on the phone with someone who is violating Shabbat in his or her time zone when it is not Shabbat for you? Sources are available through the link.

TV Monitors- Our next topic is TV monitoring on Shabbat. This includes both CCTV and Webcams. Sources are available through the link.

Electricity Generated in Israel on Shabbat- After completing our study of video monitors on Shabbat, we will turn to the use of electricity on Shabbat. In Israel today, electricity is generated by the Jews on Shabbat. Fuel is burned, generators are operated, and necessary repairs are done by Jews. Since all this seems to violate the sanctity of Shabbat, the use of that electricity is problematic. In class we will examine the spectrum of opinions regarding electricity generated in Israel on Shabbat. Sources are available through the link.

Unplugging Electrical Apparatuses- Our next topic deals with unplugging electrical apparatuses when they are not operating. Can you unplug a telephone from its socket when it is not in use so that it will not later ring? Can you unplug a refrigerator from the wall when it is cycled off so that you can open the door without switching on the internal light? Sources are available through the link.