Q&A: Motion-Tracking Camera on the Sabbath
Motion-Tracking Camera on the Sabbath
Question
Hello Rabbi,
In your opinion, is there any prohibition against passing in front of a motion-tracking camera on the Sabbath, or in front of a light that turns on through motion, assuming I have no interest in turning on the light or activating the camera?
Answer
To the best of my understanding, there is no prohibition in this. Many have already discussed this (for example, in the responsa Shevet HaLevi and elsewhere). See here, for example:
Discussion on Answer
What difference does that make? Same as above.
Just to sharpen the question.
The case is that the detector works and transmits every time someone passes in front of it, but the alarm system pays no attention to the transmission.
This is a detector installed in my home, and in principle before every Sabbath I can cover the detectors / remove the battery.
The only difference is that I have the option of solving the problem. The question is whether there is any need for that effort.
Thank you
If the detector wakes up but does not transmit anything, I see no reason for concern. In my opinion there is no prohibition in this at all. Rabbi Rabinovitch innovated that when one does not see direct results of the action, it should not be prohibited (regarding a card that opens a hotel door on the Sabbath), and there there are results (the door opens) but one does not see the consequences of passing the card. That is an innovation that I am not sure I agree with. But here there are no results at all (and not merely that one does not see them), so I see no need to be stringent.
In my opinion, you should activate the detector only on days when you are not at home. Pretty obvious, no?
Hello,
A question in the same context..
What about passing in front of a volume detector of an alarm system when the system is turned off?
System turned off = the detector works and alerts, but the system will not activate an alarm because it is in "standby" mode. The detector is wireless and only knows how to transmit, with no input capability, so it cannot be turned off through the system, only by removing the battery.
Uriel