Q&A: Kindling Fire on a Holiday
Kindling Fire on a Holiday
Question
By Torah law there is no prohibition against kindling a fire on Jewish holidays, only against doing labor.
Why shouldn’t I light a fire normally (not from an existing flame), drive my car, or turn the lights on and off as I wish?
When it’s clear that there is no prohibition, why should I submit to a rabbinic prohibition?
Answer
You are assuming a great many things and then asking a general question that is not really connected to them.
You are assuming that there is no problem with driving a car. You are assuming that kindling a fire not for food preparation is prohibited only on the rabbinic level.
As for the question of why one should obey rabbinic law, according to Maimonides the answer is from the verse, “Do not deviate.” You can see here on the site in column 443.
To conclude, I would offer you one recommendation. In order to argue—and certainly in order to form an opinion—you need to study and be well versed in the topic under discussion.