Guide to Electricity on Shabbos and Yom Tov

Guide to Electricity on Shabbos and Yom Tov

Edited and approved by Rabbi Moshe Heinemann

Many Jews find the subject of electricity on Shabbos, Yom Kippur and Yom Tov to be both complicated and intimidating. This guide explains some circumstances where a Jew may:

1) ask a non-Jew to perform an action involving a Melacha D’Rabbonon;

2) move certain electrical devices that are Muktza; and

3) cause an electrical device to be activated, deactivated or adjusted on Yom Tov.

For a concise summary of circumstances in which a Jew may ask a non-Jew to perform a Melacha D’Oraisa (section I-A), see Guide for Involving a non-Jew in Melachos, sections 2 & 3.

General Rule: Activating or deactivating any electrical device (including those battery operated) on Shabbos, Yom Kippur or Yom Tov is prohibited as either a Melacha D’Oraisa of Ma’avir – lighting a fire, or as a Melacha D’Rabbonon .

I. On Shabbos and Yom Kippur

A. Activating any electrical device to generate either heat or light or increasing the setting on an electrical device to generate more heat or light is prohibited because of the Melacha D’Oraisa of Ma’avir. Examples include intentionally 1) activating a heating pad, 2) activating a light, 3) increasing the setting on a dimmer switch and 4) increasing the setting on an electric blanket.

However, activating a device that provides unnecessary heat or light, e.g. a phone with a lighted dial in an illuminated room, is prohibited as a Melacha D’Rabbonon.

B. Activating or increasing the setting on any electrical device whose purpose is other than generating light or heat, e.g. a fan, an air conditioner, a timer or an automatic door etc., is prohibited as a Melacha D’Rabbonon. However, some electrical devices included in this section (I-B) perform an additional Melacha, e.g. a grinder performs the Melacha D’Oraisa of Tochein (grinding). Therefore, asking a non-Jew (section I-D) to activate or increase the setting on such a device is not permitted.

C. Deactivating or decreasing the setting on any electrical device is prohibited as a Melacha D’Rabbonon.

D. The following circumstances provide leniencies relevant to performing Melachos D’Rabbonon (Sections I-B and I-C):

From sunset at the beginning of Shabbos/Yom Kippur until the stars come out at the end of Shabbos/Yom Kippur, a Jew may explicitly ask a non-Jew to activate, deactivate or adjust the setting on any electrical device if the need derives from one of the following :

· A Mitzvah. For example, to be awakened for Davening, one may arrange to be phoned by a non-Jew so that the ring will wake him. (Of course, the Jew may not answer the phone.)

· Oneg Shabbos. For example, 1) in order for a person to fall asleep, one may ask a non-Jew to turn off a light. 2) If a house/room will get hot, and a person will become very uncomfortable, one may ask a non-Jew to turn on an air conditioner or fan. 3) If a burglar alarm was tripped, one may ask a non-Jew to turn it off.

· Great necessity. For example, one may ask a non-Jew to unlock a hotel/motel door by inserting a magnetic key card into the electronic door lock, even if an LED light will be activated.

· Potential significant monetary loss. For example, 1) one may ask a non-Jew to turn off a garbage disposal, if leaving it on may cause it to burn out or break. 2) One may ask a non-Jew to insert a refrigerator’s plug into an outlet so that the food in the refrigerator will not spoil.

· Slight illness. For example, one may ask a non-Jew to phone a doctor for advice about the treatment of a person who feels a little below par or has a localized pain (a bruised foot, headache, etc. – category E in the Medical Response Guide). However, a Jew may not speak on the phone.

· Bedridden, total body illness or worse. There are further leniencies that apply to the treatment of a seriously ill person.

E. Handling electrical devices on Shabbos, Yom Kippur and Yom Tov that are Muktza

1. A device such as a lamp or fan may be moved in the usual fashion, without unplugging it, if one needs

· the use of that object (ג). For example, one may redirect a lamp in order to read in a different place, and one may move a fan to redirect the airflow towards someone who needs it.

· the place which the object occupies (ג). For example, one may move a lamp/fan to another location if one needs the space that the lamp/fan occupies.

· Further, if one wants to direct a lamp or the airflow of a fan away from someone, he may move the lamp/fan in the usual fashion (ד ).

2. However, to prevent a lamp/fan from being stolen or ruined, one may not move it in the usual fashion. If he wishes to move it, he may do so with either his foot, the back of his hand, etc.

3. A cold water humidifier with the motor in a removable cover may be refilled on Shabbos. Even if the motor is running, one may lift the cover, add water to the base receptacle and then replace the cover on the base.

II. On Yom Tov but not on Shabbos or Yom Kippur

A. Activating or deactivating any electrical device (even for light or heat) on Yom Tov is prohibited as a Melacha D’Rabbonon . However, one may explicitly ask a non-Jew to activate, deactivate or adjust the setting on any electrical device if the need derives from any of the following reasons: a Mitzvah, Oneg Yom Tov, great necessity, potential significant monetary loss, slight or more serious illness (Section I-D).

B. A Jew is permitted to increase the setting on an infinitely adjustable dial (rheostat) on Yom Tov, provided the device is already activated. For example:

· If a boiler/heater is activated at the moment, a Jew may increase the setting on its mechanical thermostat to keep the boiler/heater running longer thereby making the house/room warmer. Non-mechanical (digital) thermostats may not be adjusted.

· If an air conditioner compressor is running, a Jew may change the setting on its mechanical thermostat to keep the compressor running longer, thereby making the house/room cooler.

· One is permitted to increase the temperature setting on an oven when the heating element indicator light is on. This shows that the electricity is flowing to the oven’s heating elements. It is necessary to determine if the indicator light on one’s stove goes on and off with the flow of electricity to the heating element. Some stoves have an indicator light that merely shows that the stove is on.

· If a light is already activated, and one wants to make it brighter one may increase the setting on the dimmer switch. However, one may not lower the setting and make the light darker.

Note: A Jew is permitted only to increase a control’s setting (rheostat) which increases an already existing flow of electricity. However, raising the setting on any multi-position switch similar to a three-way bulb is not permitted because thereby one is turning off one circuit and turning on another circuit.

C. Grama – A Jew is permitted to cause any electrical device to be activated, deactivated or adjusted on Yom Tov, provided this result does not occur immediately but will occur at least a few seconds after the action is completed. For example:

· If a boiler/heater is not activated at the moment, a Jew may change the setting on its mechanical thermostat to delay the activation of the boiler/heater, thereby making the house/room cooler.

· If an air conditioner compressor is not activated, a Jew may change the setting on its mechanical thermostat to a warmer setting to delay the activation of the compressor, thereby making the house/room warmer.

· One is permitted to decrease the temperature setting on an oven when the indicator light is off. This shows that the electricity is not flowing to the heating elements.

· Suppose a timer has a round moving disk that trips a switch, i.e. not a digital timer. One may adjust such a timer in order to turn on a light earlier, have it stay on longer, go off earlier, or go off later. The adjustment may be made either by rotating the disk or relocating the tripper(s).

· Suppose a timer will activate a device that is not yet on. One may plug one or more additional electrical devices into that timer so that these devices will also go on when the timer activates the first device. However, a Jew is not permitted to plug a timer into an outlet. Sources:

Halachos of Muktza, Rabbi P. Bodner, Chapter II D 10 א) שו"ת אחיעזר חלק ג ס' ס ב) שו"ע או"ח ס' שז סע' ה ג) שו"ע או"ח ס' שח סע' ג ד)

ה) שו"ע או"ח ס' תקב סע' א ו) שו"ע או"ח ס' תקיד סע' ג

Thanks to Rabbi M. Heinemann, Rabbi Y. Berger, Rabbi D. Heber, Mrs. N. Finkelstein, Mr. C. Harris, Mr. Y. Kaner, Mrs. S. Schachter.

Special thanks to Dr. Bert Miller for assistance in preparation of this guide.