Q&A: Beer, the Sabbath, and a Good Neighbor
Beer, the Sabbath, and a Good Neighbor
Question
I wanted to consult the Rabbi about something that happened to me this past Sabbath.
We were in the garden with my family, and we invited our neighbor, who does not observe the Sabbath, along with his children, to join us and let the kids play together. Out of goodwill and kindness, the neighbor handed me a bottle of beer to drink.
At first I tried to think whether there was any concern of Sabbath desecration involved in bringing the beer. I couldn't think of such a possibility, since the beer may well have already been sitting in the refrigerator beforehand. However, after I took the beer and started drinking it, it occurred to me that perhaps the refrigerator light had been left connected, and when he opened the door the light went on, meaning he violated a Sabbath prohibition.
I thought that perhaps there was room to be lenient, since it was daytime, and in any case he could have seen the beer even without the internal light, so turning on the light was not connected to taking out the beer, because he could have taken it out even if the light had not gone on. Also, I didn't want to hurt him or create an awkward embarrassment when he had acted so generously.
In the end I drank the beer, but I was left with a halakhic hesitation.
Did I act properly in the Rabbi's view?
Answer
Even if the light did go on, there is no prohibition here. First, it is not certain that the light went on. Second, the prohibition does not involve any change in the object itself, and according to several halakhic decisors this is not forbidden under the laws of an act done on the Sabbath. Third, this is an inevitable result (where he does not care about the result) in a prohibition that, according to most halakhic decisors, is rabbinic, though in my view probably not, and here too some were lenient. And finally, in my opinion, a secular person is usually not considered accountable as someone who is consciously committing transgressions.