Help with heat on Shabbos

Hi,

The weather became very cold on Shabbos; may I ask a non-Jew to turn on my heat?

There are two potential Shabbat prohibitions in this situation:

·         One may not ask a non-Jew to perform tasks which are prohibited for Jews. Hinting is also not allowed.

·         One may not benefit from prohibited tasks performed by non-Jews for the exclusive benefit of Jews.

On the other hand, we view exposure to great cold as equivalent to illness. Therefore, one who has no usable warm space in his home may hint to a non-Jew to turn on the heat. Ideally, the hint should not involve direct instruction, and should not describe the desired action; one should only describe his discomfort. However, where necessary one may instruct explicitly.

If small children are present, one may ask a non-Jew to turn on the heat for the children even when the cold is not great.

(Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 276:5; Mishneh Berurah 276:39; Aruch haShulchan Orach Chaim 276:3, 276:12; Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 3:42; Shemirat Shabbat k'Hilchatah 23:24)

Have a great day,

Mordechai

Amirah l'Akum, Part 14

Hi,

We have been learning about Amirah l'Akum, asking a non-Jew to perform Shabbat work that a Jew may not perform.

One may ask a non-Jew to perform a rabbinically prohibited act on Shabbat, for the sake of a mitzvah.

(Aruch haShulchan Orach Chaim 307:17-18)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Amirah l'Nochri, Part 13

Hi,

We have been learning about Amirah l'Nochri, asking a non-Jew to do things on Shabbat that a Jew may not do personally.

We have said one may not hint to a non-Jew regarding a biblically prohibited practice on Shabbat, but some authorities permit a hint that does not actually mention the prohibited act.

For example: One could not say, "Why haven't you opened that package," because then one has actually mentioned the prohibited action. One could, though, say, "I can't read this letter, because the package is sealed."

This may seem like semantics, but it's not: The prohibition against telling the non-Jew to do the action stems, in part, from a prohibition against speaking of non-Shabbat activities on Shabbat, and in the latter hint one has not spoken of those activities.

(Aruch haShulchan Orach Chaim 307:14)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Amirah l'Nochri, Part 12

Hi,

We have been learning about Amirah l'Nochri, asking a non-Jew to do things on Shabbat that a Jew may not do personally.

A Jew may ask a non-Jew during the week, 'Why didn't you do X last Shabbat?' even though the non-Jew will then understand that it is desired of him the following Shabbat, because, as we have already noted, hinting during the week is permitted.

(Aruch haShulchan Orach Chaim 307:12)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Amirah l'Nochri, Part 11

Hi,

We have been learning about Amirah l'Nochri, the prohibition against asking a non-Jew to perform an act on Shabbat that one may not perform personally.

One may not a non-Jew to perform work after Shabbat is over, but one may say to him [as one may say to a Jew], 'I need to meet with you tonight,' or a similar form of language that does not specify anything one could not do on Shabbat itself.

(Aruch haShulchan Orach Chaim 307:20)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Amirah l'Nochri, Part 10

Hi,

We have been learning about Amirah l'Nochri, asking a non-Jew to perform work on Shabbat that a Jew may not do personally.

Although one may not hint to a non-Jew on Shabbat to perform biblically prohibited work on Shabbat (unless in an exceptional case, such as that of great pain or loss), one may hint to a non-Jew before Shabbat, so that he will understand what to do on Shabbat itself.

(Aruch haShulchan Orach Chaim 307:12-14)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Amirah l'Nochri, Part 9

Hi,

We have been learning about Amirah l'Nochri, asking a non-Jew to perform acts on Shabbat that a Jew may not do personally.

One may not perform Amirah l'Nochri even before Shabbat, asking a non-Jew before Shabbat starts to perform a biblically prohibited task on Shabbat itself.

(Aruch haShulchan Orach Chaim 243:4)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Amirah l'Nochri, Part 8

Hi,

We have been learning about Amirah l'Nochri, the practice of asking a non-Jew to do things on Shabbat that a Jew is personally prohibited from doing.

If a non-Jew, on his own initiative, performs a biblically prohibited act in a Jew's house on Shabbat specifically to benefit the Jew, such as turning on a light, the Jew is not required to leave his own house. However, he must ask the non-Jew not to do it in the future, and he must not do things that take specific advantage of that act, such as reading by that light.

(Aruch haShulchan Orach Chaim 276:4)

Have a great day,

Mordechai

Amirah l'Nochri, Part 7

Hi,

We have been learning about Amirah l'Nochri, the practice of asking a non-Jew to perform acts on Shabbat that a Jew may not do personally.

If a non-Jew performs an action for his own benefit, such as lighting a fire for his own heat or light, a Jew may benefit from that action as well.

This was the standard "Shabbos goy" practice in Europe - A Jew would invite a non-Jew to come over Friday night, and the non-Jew would enter, feel cold, and light the oven for his own warmth, thereby warming the Jew as well. Of course, the non-Jew would stay for a while, enjoying the warmth.

(Aruch haShulchan, Orach Chaim 276:9)

Have a great day,

Mordechai

Amirah l'Nochri, Part 6

Hi,

We have been learning about Amirah l'Nochri, asking a non-Jew to perform work on Shabbat that a Jew may not perform personally.

One may allow a non-Jew to perform work for a Jew on Shabbat, even in a public area, if:

(a) If that work is rabbinically prohibited rather than biblically prohibited, and

(b) The work is needed to prevent pain or loss, or for the sake of a mitzvah.

(Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 243-245)

Have a great day,

Mordechai

Amirah l'Nochri, Part 5

Hi,

We have been learning about Amirah l'Nochri, the practice of asking a non-Jew to do things on Shabbat that a Jew may not do personally.

We have said that a Jew may hire a non-Jew to do work without specifying when the work should be done, and then allow the non-Jew to take the initiative and do that work on Shabbat. However, that is true only if onlookers will automatically understand that the work is being done in that manner. If people might suspect that the Jew is paying the non-Jew to work on Shabbat specifically, then one may not allow the non-Jew to do that work on Shabbat.

(Aruch haShulchan Orach Chaim 243:10-15)

Have a great day,

Mordechai

Amirah l'Nochri, Part 4

Hi,

We have been learning about Amirah l'Nochri, the act of asking a non-Jew to do things on Shabbat that a Jew may not do himself.

If a non-Jew performs such work on his own initiative, benefitng the Jew, and it is for the non-Jew's own benefit as well, then the Jew need not protest.

For example - If a Jew gives a non-Jewish laundromat clothing to be laundered, and does not request that the work be done on Shabbat specifically, and the non-Jew does it on Shabbat because that's when it's convenient for him, there is no problem.

(Aruch haShulchan Orach Chaim 243:6)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Amirah l'Nochri, Part 3

Hi,

We have been learning about Amirah l'Nochri, asking a non-Jew to do work that a Jew may not do on Shabbat.

We have already said that a Jew may not ask a non-Jew to do prohibited work for him on Shabbat, and may not benefit from such work until after Shabbat, when such time has elapsed that it could have been done after Shabbat.

In addition: If a non-Jew does such work for a Jew on his own initiative, the Jew also may not benefit.

 (Aruch haShulchan Orach Chaim 243:5)

Have a great day,

Mordechai

Amirah l'Nochri, Part 2

Hi,

We have begun to learn about Amirah l'Nochri, asking a non-Jew to do things on Shabbat that a Jew may not do. We said yesterday that there is a rabbinic prohibition against Amirah l'Nochri.

If a Jew did this anyway, then the Jew may not benefit from the non-Jew's actions on Shabbat. He must wait until after Shabbat, and until enough post-Shabbat time has elapsed that the work could have been done after Shabbat altogether. This is a penalty, meant to remove all benefit from his violation - now he might as well have had the work done after Shabbat altogether.

(Rambam, Laws of Shabbat 6:8; Aruch haShulchan Orach Chaim 243:5)

Have a great day,

Mordechai

Amirah l'Nochri, Part 1

Hi,

A Jew may not perform certain tasks on Shabbat. May a Jew ask a non-Jew to perform those tasks on Shabbat?

This is the issue called "Amirah l'nochri", which translates to, "Speaking to an outsider," meaning, telling a non-Jew to do those tasks that the Jew may not do personally on Shabbat. It is also called "Amirah l'akum".

In general, although this will require some clarification, it is understood that Amirah l'Nochri on Shabbat is rabbinically prohibited.

(Aruch haShulchan, Orach Chaim 243:4)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Turning down the air conditioner on Shabbat

Hi,

If one's air conditioner is making one's home unbearably cold on Shabbat, one may have a non-Jew turn it off. This is because one is not expected to leave his home [as opposed to a synagogue], and because all are considered 'ill' when it comes to cold temperatures.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 3:42)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

A housekeeper washing dishes on Shabbos

Hi,

May my non-Jewish housekeeper wash my dishes on Shabbos, beyond those needed for that day?

One may ask a non-Jew to wash the dishes without violating a melachah of Shabbos [for example, without a sponge and without heating water]. The only prohibition against a Jew doing the washing himself would be that of undue strain on Shabbos, and one may ask a non-Jew to engage in strenuous activity which does not involve prohibited melachah.

Permitting a non-Jew to wash in a way which violates a melachah of Shabbos – heating water on Shabbat, for example - is problematic. We are concerned for marit ayin – onlookers may not realize that the non-Jew is doing this on his own. This is subject to debate among recent halachic authorities.

(Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 307:21; Tzemach Tzedek Orach Chaim 32-33; Mishneh Berurah 244:30; Shemirat Shabbat k'Hilchatah 30:31-32; Teshuvos v'Hanhagos 1:Orach Chaim 223)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Entering a hotel room with an electronic key

Hi,

May I have a non-Jew open my hotel room with an electronic key on Shabbat?

Most authorities rule that use of such a key violates at least rabbinic law, and so one may not tell a non-Jew to use it on Shabbat. Further, one may not benefit directly from melachah performed by a non-Jew on Shabbat. However, leniencies are offered for a case of need:

• I may tell the concierge, upon checking in, that this service is required in order to make my stay possible. When he makes the arrangement, it is with his own good in mind.

• If a non-Jewish hotel employee opens my door on his own, without any instruction, I may enter the room if necessary. This is because my benefit is considered 'indirect', and because the employee does it with his own good in mind. Some suggest actually keeping a gift for the hotel employee in the room and telling him you have something for him [without actually requesting he open the door], so that he opens the door for his own benefit.

Note that the hotel key itself may be considered "muktzeh", and should not be handled by the Jew.

(Beer Moshe 6:Kuntrus Electric 19; Melachim Omnayich pg. 575)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The light bulb in the refrigerator

Hi,

If opening the door of a refrigerator is guaranteed to turn on a light, one may not open the door on Shabbat.

One whose Shabbat food is inside the refrigerator may ask a non-Jew to open the refrigerator door. Although one may not ask a non-Jew to violate Shabbat for one's self, here the non-Jew does not intend directly to turn on the light, and it is for the sake of the mitzvah.

One who will have a great need to re-enter the fridge later for another Shabbat meal may ask the non-Jew to remove the bulb. Although he is now asking the non-Jew to directly violate Shabbat, it is for the sake of a mitzvah and no other options are available.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 2:68)

Have a great day,
Mordechai