Electricity on Shabbat

Many Jews who strictly observe Shabbat (the Sabbath), especially within Orthodox Judaism , refrain from what is considered turning electricity on or off during Shabbat . They may also refrain from making adjustments to the intensity of electrical appliances. Various rabbinical authorities have pronounced on what is permitted and what is not, but there are many disagreements in detailed interpretation, both between different individual authorities and between branches of Judaism. Orthodox authorities of Jewish law have disagreed about the basis of this prohibition since the early 20th century. Many Orthodox leaders have held that turning on an incandescent light bulb violates the Biblical prohibition against igniting a fire ( Hebrew : הבערה, hav’arah ). However, the reasons for prohibiting the operation of an electrical appliance that does not produce light or heat, such as an electric fan , are not agreed upon. At least six substantive reasons have been suggested, and a minority believe that turning on an electrical fan is prohibited only because of common Jewish practice and tradition ( minhag ) but not for any substantive technical reason. Conservative Jewish authorities have argued that such reasons do not justify describing the use of electricity as prohibited. Although directly operating electrical appliances is prohibited in Orthodoxy, several indirect methods are permitted according to some or all authorities. Actions which activate an electrical appliance but are not specifically intended to do so may be permitted if the activation is not certain to occur or if the person does not benefit from the automatic operation of the appliance. They also permit walking past a house with a motion sensor which switches on a light if the street is already well-lit (not of benefit), but not if it is dark. Some uses of electricity are especially controversial in the state of Israel because of its majority Jewish population. The use of automated machines to milk cows on Shabbat, an activity that is prohibited if done by hand, is disputed because the farmer may derive economic benefit from the milk, although cows suffer if not milked regularly. The use of electricity from power plants operated by Jews in violation of Shabbat is also controversial because it is normally forbidden to benefit from the action of another Jew in violation of Shabbat. However, because of communal need and other halakhic factors, most religious authorities in Israel permit these uses of electricity. Laws pertaining to the use of electricity on the Sabbath are followed mostly by Orthodox Jews . Non-Orthodox Jews who observe the Sabbath, such as Conservative and Reform Jews , take a less restrictive view or choose not to limit the use of electricity at all. Some Conservative Jews , for example, consider electricity to be like running water—it can be turned on and off at the tap without igniting or extinguishing a fire , and therefore may be used on the Sabbath. Conservative Judaism allows the use of electricity on Shabbat as long as it does not promote any Shabbat-prohibited activity.

Many Jews who strictly observe Shabbat (the Sabbath) refrain from using electrical devices on Shabbat , with the exception of passive enjoyment of devices which were set up before Shabbat. Various rabbinical authorities have pronounced on what is permitted and what is not, but there are many disagreements in detailed interpretation, both between different individual authorities and between branches of Judaism. In Orthodox Judaism , it is agreed that electrical devices may not be used on Shabbat, but Orthodox authorities of Jewish law have disagreed about the basis of this prohibition since the early 20th century. Many Orthodox leaders have held that turning on an incandescent light bulb violates the Biblical prohibition against igniting a fire . However, the reasons for prohibiting the operation of an electrical appliance that does not involve heating metal to glowing temperatures (which is considered like kindling a fire because of the heat and light), are not agreed upon. At least six substantive reasons have been suggested, and a minority (including Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach ) believe that turning on most electrical appliances is prohibited only because of common Jewish practice and tradition ( minhag ) and to maintain the spirit of shabbos, but not for any substantive technical halachik reason. Some Conservative authorities, on the other hand, reject the argument that turning on incandescent lights is considered "igniting". The Conservative movement's Committee on Jewish Law and Standards has argued that "refraining from operating lights and other permitted electrical appliances is a pious behavior," but is not required, while also stating that the use of some electrical devices (such as computers, cameras, and smartphones which record data) is forbidden on the sabbath. Although directly operating electrical appliances is prohibited in Orthodoxy, several indirect methods are permitted according to some or all authorities. Actions which activate an electrical appliance but are not specifically intended to do so may be permitted if the activation is not certain to occur or if the person does not benefit from the automatic operation of the appliance. Some rabbinic authorities permit, under certain conditions, walking past a house with a motion sensor which switches on a light, (for example if the street is already well-lit so there would not be any direct benefit for you). Some uses of electricity are especially controversial in the state of Israel because of its majority Jewish population. The use of automated machines to milk cows on Shabbat, an activity that is prohibited if done by hand, is disputed because the farmer may derive economic benefit from the milk, although cows suffer if not milked regularly. The use of electricity from power plants operated by Jews in violation of Shabbat is also controversial because it is normally forbidden to benefit from the action of another Jew's violation of Shabbat. However, because of communal need and other halakhic factors, most religious authorities in Israel permit these uses of electricity. Broyde and Jachter , part II, section G.

Religiously selective usage of electronic devices Teddy bear lamp in the collection of the Jewish Museum of Switzerland . The cap can be twisted, thus covering the lightbulb with a dark shell. Electricity on Shabbat refers to the various rules and opinions regarding the use of electrical devices by Jews who observe Shabbat . Various rabbinical authorities have pronounced on what is permitted and what is not, but there are many disagreements in detailed interpretation, both between different individual authorities and between branches of Judaism . In Orthodox Judaism , it is generally discouraged to use electrical devices on Shabbat, as some believe turning on an incandescent light bulb violates the Biblical prohibition against igniting a fire . Conservative authorities, on the other hand, generally reject the argument that turning on incandescent lights is considered "igniting". The Conservative movement's Committee on Jewish Law and Standards has argued that "refraining from operating lights and other permitted electrical appliances is a pious behavior," but is not required, while also stating that the use of some electrical devices (such as computers, cameras, and smartphones which record data) is forbidden on Shabbat. There are disagreements among poskim (authorities of Jewish law ) regarding the technical halachik reasons for prohibiting the operation of electrical appliances. At least six substantive reasons have been suggested, and a minority (including Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach ) believe that turning on most electrical appliances is prohibited only because of common Jewish practice and tradition ( minhag ) and to maintain the spirit of Shabbat, but not for any substantive technical halachik reason. Although directly operating electrical appliances is prohibited in Orthodoxy, several indirect methods are permitted according to some authorities. Actions that activate an electrical appliance but are not specifically intended to do so may be permitted if the activation is not certain to occur or if the person does not benefit from the appliance's automatic operation. The Use of Electrical and Electronic Devices on Shabbat Broyde and Jachter , part II, section G.

Religiously selective usage of electronic devices Teddy bear lamp in the collection of the Jewish Museum of Switzerland . The cap can be twisted, thus covering the lightbulb with a dark shell. Electricity on Shabbat refers to the various rules and Jewish legal opinions regarding the use of electrical devices by Jews who observe Shabbat . Various rabbinical authorities have adjudicated what is permitted and what is not (regarding electricity use), but there are many disagreements —between individual authorities and Jewish religious movements —and detailed interpretations. In Orthodox Judaism , using electrical devices on Shabbat is completely forbidden, as many believe that turning on an incandescent light bulb violates the Biblical prohibition against igniting a fire . Conservative Jewish rabbinical authorities, on the other hand, generally reject the argument that turning on incandescent lights is considered "igniting" in the same way lighting a fire is. The Conservative movement's Committee on Jewish Law and Standards has stated that while refraining from operating lights and electrical appliances is considered a pious behavior, it is not mandatory. They also clarify that using other electrical devices—such as computers, cameras, and smartphones that record data—is prohibited on Shabbat. There are disagreements among poskim —authorities on Halakha (Jewish law)—regarding the technical halakhic reasons for prohibiting the operation of electrical appliances. At least six justifications for the electricity prohibition have been suggested, with some, including Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach , arguing that using most electrical appliances is prohibited mainly due to Jewish communities' popular traditions ( minhagim ) of maximizing the spirit of Shabbat, rather than for technical halakhic reasons. While the direct operation of electrical appliances is prohibited in Orthodoxy, some authorities allow indirect methods. Actions that activate an electrical appliance but are not specifically intended to do so may be permitted if the activation is not certain to occur or if the person does not benefit from the appliance's automatic operation. The Use of Electrical and Electronic Devices on Shabbat Broyde and Jachter , part II, section G.