Q&A: Two Rabbinic Prohibitions
Two Rabbinic Prohibitions
Question
Last Sabbath the air conditioner was on. I was cold, and it made it hard for me to fall asleep. I pulled out the plug with my teeth, on the grounds of two rabbinic prohibitions in a case of discomfort. One of the friends in the yeshiva remarked to me and said: “The entire leniency applies only in a case of great discomfort, and in your case that is not considered such.” I would be glad to know the Rabbi’s opinion on the matter.
Answer
In my personal opinion, this is not two rabbinic prohibitions but rather an unusual manner of performing a Torah-level prohibited labor (see the Tur regarding the labor of building). But of course, in the view of most halakhic decisors, it is.
Only you can assess the degree of your need.
Discussion on Answer
See an overview here: https://ph.yhb.org.il/plus/01-09-11/
Among other things, I wanted to know whether according to the view of most halakhic decisors, the leniency applies only in a case of “great” discomfort, or to any discomfort?