Q&A: Electricity on the Sabbath
Originally published:
This is an English translation (via GPT-5.4). Read the original Hebrew version.
Electricity on the Sabbath
Question
Has the Rabbi gone through all the rationales by which electricity was prohibited on the Sabbath? And if so, which of them seems correct to him?
At first glance, it seems they decided in advance to prohibit it, and only afterward looked for reasons retroactively.
Answer
That is definitely true, and I have written this more than once. But not as criticism. It is a reasonable and legitimate move. To me, it seems to fall under building, and I explained this in column 397.
Discussion on Answer
What does sewing have to do with it?
Rabbi Hillel Zaks argued that it is prohibited because of sewing.