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.Neulander, Arthur. "The Use of Electricity on the Sabbath." Proceedings of the Rabbinical Assembly 14 (1950) 165–171.Adler, Morris; Agus, Jacob; and Friedman, Theodore. "Responsum on the Sabbath." Proceedings of the Rabbinical Assembly 14 (1950), 112–137.Klein, Isaac. A Guide to Jewish Religious Practice. The Jewish Theological Seminary of America: New York, 1979. 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.Daniel Nevins, The Use of Electrical and Electronic Devices 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,Broyde and Jachter, part II, section G. 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.
Incidental prohibitions and leniencies
Many electric devices may not be used on Shabbat for reasons unrelated to electricity. For example: An electric stove may not be used to cook food since all cooking of food is forbidden (). An electric lawn mower may not be used since cutting grass by any means is forbidden (). Use of a computer may violate the prohibition of writing (), either in displaying words on the screen or saving information to its drive (see fuller discussion below).
Conversely, even if using an electric device would normally be forbidden on Shabbat, it may be permitted in certain circumstances due to leniencies that apply to all Shabbat prohibitions. For example: If violating Shabbat is the only way to save a human life (), one may and must do so. If one performs an activity that indirectly causes Shabbat to be violated (), the level of violation is considered lower. If other reasons for leniency are present, the activity may become permitted under certain conditions. If one performs an activity that is done for something other than what is considered the primary purpose (e.g., digging a pit because one wants the soil rather than the pit itself [] or for some other reason indirectly related [] to the pit), the level of violation is considered lower. If one performs an activity that is an incidental and unintentional violation of Shabbat (), the activity is not problematic—with the important qualification that the violation caused by the action does not occur with intention and certainty (i.e., it is not ).
Incandescent lights
Of the 39 categories of creative activities prohibited on Shabbat, rabbinic authorities have associated at least three with incandescent lights. The overwhelming majority of Orthodox halakhic authorities maintain that turning on an incandescent light on Shabbat violates a Biblical prohibition on "igniting" a fire (Hebrew: הבערה, ), because the filament becomes glowing hot like a coal.Rabbi Michael Broyde & Rabbi Howard Jachter, The Use of Electricity on Shabbat and Yom Tov, part 1, section A. Journal of Halacha & Contemporary Society No. XXI – Spring 1991 – Pesach 5751. Some argue instead that it violates the prohibition on "cooking". Another approach is that of Raavad, who would classify incandescent light as a third creative activity: "completing a product" (Hebrew: מכה בפטיש, : literally, "striking the final hammer blow").Comments to Mishneh Torah, Laws of Shabbat 12:1
The Mishnah, in the context of laws prohibiting cooking, states: "One who heats a metal pot may not pour cold water into it to heat [the water], but he may pour water into the pot or a cup to quench [the vessel]."Shabbat 41a. In the Gemara, Rav says it is permitted to add water to cool it, but forbidden to add water to mold the metal. Shmuel says it is also permitted to add enough water to mold the metal as long as that is not his intent, but if he intends to mold the metal it is forbidden.Shabbat 41b In a different context, Rav Sheshet says that "cooking" a metal filament is forbidden by analogy to cooking spices.Yevamot 6b
Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach prohibits raising (or lowering) the level of an electric heater with an adjustable dial, since numerous small heating elements are turned on (or off) in the process.Shlomo Zalman Auerbach, Minchat Shlomo p. 111
Conservative Rabbi Daniel Nevins has argued that, according to traditional halakhic sources, heating a filament is not prohibited, because the heat does not cause any significant change in the metal and provides no benefit.
Fluorescent and LED lights While the visible light produced by fluorescent lamps comes from a phosphor coating which luminesces at low temperature, such lamps also include metal electrodes which are heated to a very high temperature, seemingly causing the same halachic issues as incandescent lamps. However, LED lamps contain no hot metal filament and do not have the same halachic questions, though they may be halachically problematic for reasons discussed later in this article.
Shabbat laws potentially related to electricity Other prohibitions may apply to electric devices that do not involve heating metal to glowing temperatures.
Molid The Talmud prohibits infusing a fragrant scent into one's clothing on Shabbat.Beitzah 23a According to Rashi, this is because a rabbinic prohibition exists to "create anything new" (molid).Rashi to Beitzah 23a He explains that beforehand the clothing did not have a scent and giving them a scent counts as creating something new from the perspective of the Talmud because the thing that was created is beneficial. If it wasn't beneficial, it would not be prohibited by the Talmud. Rabbi Yitzchak Schmelkes suggested applying molid to the generating of electric current.Beit Yitzchak, Yoreh Deah 2:31 Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach and many others disagree with this application. Among other reasons, they state that molid is a limited category that cannot be expanded past the definitions the Talmudic Sages imposed.Broyde and Jachter, part II, section A. Rav Auerbach also stated that molid only applies when the new property is visible (which is not the case with an electric current in a circuit, but is the case when a computer screen is lit up, for example). Nevins has endorsed Rav Auerbach's reasoning.
In any case, molid would seemingly apply only creating an electric circuit, not to extinguishing an existing current (or modifying its strength).
Boneh
The Chazon Ish wrote that closing an electrical circuit to create an electrical current is Biblically prohibited as "building" (boneh), and opening a closed circuit is prohibited as "destroying".Chazon Ish, Orach Chaim 50:9
R' Shlomo Zalman Auerbach disagreed vigorously with the Chazon Ish. Among other reasons, he claimed that building and destroying must be fundamentally permanent in nature, whereas most electrical devices are routinely turned on and off at will, and the person who turns it on usually intends that it will be turned off at some later point, and vice versa. Building an item that is fundamentally temporary in nature is at most a Rabbinic prohibition, and Rav Auerbach said that opening and closing a circuit is like opening and closing a door, which is not prohibited at all.Broyde and Jachter, part II, section B Many other Orthodox authorities take this position as well, as does the Conservative Committee on Jewish Law and Standards.
One contemporary authority states that even according to the Chazon Ish, the prohibition of "building" would not apply to changing the state of electric circuits in a computer which is already running.
Makeh Bapatish
The Chazon Ish argued, in addition, that closing a circuit to render a device operational might violate the Biblical prohibition of (striking the final hammer blow, i.e.. completing a product).Chazon Ish, Orach Chain, 50:9 The argument would be that an electrical device is not complete because it does not function unless the electricity is turned on.
Rabbis Shlomo Zalman Auerbach, Yaakov Breisch, and Nevins strongly disagree because refers to a fundamentally permanent act that requires great effort, and turning on an electrical appliance is fundamentally temporary because it will be turned off, and requires a minimal amount of effort.Broyde and Jachter, part II, section C.
Rabbi Osher Weiss argues that intentionally creating an electric circuit violates because (in his opinion) any activity that is sufficiently significant and creative is prohibited on Shabbat, and if it does not fit into one of the 38 other forbidden activities, it is categorized as . He also argues that unintentionally creating a circuit (as often occurs when electronic devices operate in a person's vicinity) is completely permitted, as it does not have the level of significance needed to qualify as .Rav Asher Weiss’ New Perspective on the Use of Electricity on Shabbat – Part Two by Rabbi Chaim Jachter
Sparks
Intentionally creating burning sparks, for example by rubbing stones together to make a fire, is prohibited on Shabbat as igniting a fire; it is possible that this prohibition includes the sparks momentarily generated when an electric appliance is turned on.Mavir (8) – Yetzirat Nitzotzot Hashmal Stati VeOd However, R' Shlomo Zalman Auerbach rules leniently for several reasons: the lighting of sparks is undesired, and might not occur, and the sparks are very small so they might not be considered significant. With solid-state technology, the probability of generating sparks is greatly reduced.Broyde and Jachter, part II, section D.