Q&A: Sabbath Labor
Originally published:
This is an English translation (via GPT-5.4). Read the original Hebrew version.
Sabbath Labor
Question
Have a good week, Rabbi. Pressing an electrical switch—does the pressing itself count as kindling, or is the pressing itself permitted, and only the ignition of the filament as a result of the pressing is an inevitable consequence and therefore forbidden? Thanks in advance.
Answer
The pressing itself is the act of turning it on. When dragging a plow too, you are not “plowing” but dragging a plow. This is not a case of unintentional action, nor of an inevitable consequence. It is labor done directly by hand.