Q&A: Railway Construction Work
Railway Construction Work
Question
Hello and blessings,
A few weeks ago, a ruling by a certain rabbi was published saying that it is forbidden to benefit from a railway whose tracks were laid on the Sabbath.
At first I thought he was exaggerating in order to stir up attention to the severity of Sabbath desecration, but apparently not really, as explained here for example:
(https://www.yeshiva.org.il/midrash/7741#8b)
“A secular Jew who regularly performs labor on the Sabbath for others—even on Saturday night it is forbidden for anyone for whom he did the labor to benefit from his work. For only when the labor is done occasionally is it permitted for others to benefit from it on Saturday night, since there is no concern that they will ask a Jew to desecrate the Sabbath in order to benefit from his work on Saturday night. But when he does this regularly, it is forbidden to benefit from his work forever. For example, someone who regularly bakes bread on the Sabbath in order to sell it on Saturday night—even if the bread is made from kosher ingredients—it is forbidden for any Jew to eat from the breads he baked on the Sabbath. For if they eat from them, it turns out that they are encouraging him to continue desecrating the Sabbath and become partners to a transgression. And likewise, a restaurant in which a Jewish cook prepares dishes on the Sabbath for diners on Saturday night—it is forbidden for any Jew to eat there on Saturday night.”
Is that really so? Will we not be able to use railway lines that are laid on the Sabbath?
Thank you
Answer
In principle that is correct, but there are several considerations that could nevertheless permit it. First, this is not done only for Jews or for you. Second, it is also necessary for security needs, like electricity that is produced on the Sabbath. Third, those doing it do not believe they are obligated to keep the commandments, and in that respect there is room to be lenient. Fourth, the one who told them here to desecrate the Sabbath was the government, and it is not reasonable to decree a prohibition lest a private observant person come to tell another Jew to desecrate the Sabbath for him. And so on. Bottom line, the entire world has been lenient about this, and apparently there is what to rely on.
Discussion on Answer
Regarding the “second point,” when the non-Jews are a minority it is not clear that it is permitted,
It is not at all clear that your third point is correct. My guess is דווקא that it is really not correct.