Jewish Scene
Rabbi Elyashiv: Don't use Shabbat elevators
Kobi Nahshoni
Published: 02.10.09, 08:34
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1. shabbat elevators put shabbat goyyim out of work
mike ,   israel (formerly usa   (10.02.09)
just say no to shabbat elevators!
2. How?
DJ ,   Plano, USA   (10.02.09)
How absurd do these rulings have to be before people realize they don't have to do what these old guys tell them to do? It's amazing what irrational fears can get people to agree to.
3. stupidty
marko ,   tel aviv   (10.02.09)
yust a other bit of religius stupidty,shows again hoe out dated there believes are
4. Walking up eight flights of staris is WORK. Can everyone
Bunnie Meyer ,   Los Angeles, CA USA   (10.03.09)
live on the first or second floor?
5. Good!
KJH ,   TLV   (10.03.09)
Finally - let them walk....it will speed up waiting for the elevators! Abolish this law.....never in ten years have I seen one in it anyway.....wasteful at most
6. Another Rabbi who thinks he is above the law
cas reader   (10.02.09)
It is the absurd religious doctrines of the Haredi that eventually will bring down the State of Israel.
7. Anf how many angels can dance on the head of a pin?
Mikesailor ,   Miami, FL   (10.02.09)
Another amazing ruling. Everyone can be happy that the esteemed rabbi has ruled on such an important issue. By the way, for mike #1; have you renounced your US citizenship or are you another 'American' who wants to run back to the USA when things get too rough? Fo us all a favor and stay there.
8. I understand that r' eliyashiv withdrew his support of ban
Besalel ,   Kew Gardens, NY   (10.02.09)
From what i have heard, R' Eliyashiv withdrew his support of the ban on Wednesday and advised that he, in fact, never supported the ban in the first place. This is not the first time differing opinions have been made public in the name of the rabbi. what his students have to understand is that if we in the religious public keep seeing this we will disregard everything that comes out in his name.
9. This old rabbi needs to sleep w/his fathers.Hashem blessed
us w/technology to ,   use it NOT lose it!!   (10.02.09)
10. Shabbat elevators
Ben ,   Monroe USA   (10.02.09)
How many steps do those esteemed Rabbis walk up on Shabbat?? Heart attack alley beckons. Just where does the Torah speak of electricity? FIRE is not equal to electricity!! Oh yes, I have heard of the fact that they turn their lights on on Friday (before the beginning of Shabbat) and leave them on until after the Shabbat. That in essence is equivalent to the use of a Shabbat elevator. BTW - have noticed that food preparation and serving does constitute work; yet people even ultra religious Jews do eat on Shabbat. How do these esteemed rabbis wriggle around that situation?
11. Ridiculous
vered ,   israel   (10.03.09)
Families need to visit the sick on weekends, especially. Some members of those families are older and unable to master the stairs. It is presumptuous of me, but I would think God would put compassion before all these stupid rules. The whole world does practice Shabbat. There is one day a week which is officially set aside in most normally functioning countries as a day off of work. A day is set aside that is recognized where most stores are closed and people go to worship, and everyone gets a break. Each and every detail is not paid attention to as in the Halachah, but on a larger scale the Shabbat has been put into practice, and this is what the Jewish people were meant to do: to be a light unto all nations: I think this fits into that category.
12. So far out of context it is heart breaking
Anon   (10.02.09)
The prohibition of using electricity is baseless. The idea that it is fire is obsurd. Not to add insult to injury the law of not lighting a fire on shabbat is only related to lighting an "alien" fire "in the home". Pushing a button on an elevator is less exertion than climbing stairs with a handfull of children. Devarin makes it clear you can't take words out of a law and make it mean something else. Shabbat candles would more likely be the context of the prohibition of an "alien" (spiritual non commanded) fire (open flame using the oxidation fuel+oxygen+heat) in the house on Shabbat than allowing a motor to run automatically. If an old woman or man dies or worse a generation abandons Torah because it has been taught cooky baseless no-elevator use laws with all the other crazy things they make up, we can mark these souls on the Rabbis account. No wisdom and persistant additions against the prohibition to add to Torah laws and words. I want a job riding up in down in an shabbat elevator since the "good" Rabbi says it is work, I WANT PAID. Next standing still will be compared to "working" in an elevator and we will all have to use wheel chairs on Shabbat.
13. Totally irrelevant statement made by a Haredi Rabbi
Oren ,   Or Yehuda   (10.03.09)
As a Jew I find the Haredi terror cult to be only loosely based on Judaism and offensive. To me any Kashrut Certificate from anything to do with Ada Haredit makes the item traif
14.  anti charedi narcissism
izzy d   (10.03.09)
I find it disturbing to read your selfish talkbacks. guess what morons??? if you dont want to then you dont have to!!!!!!!!! am is missing something here? is there a law that dictates you must do what a rabbi decrees? Even charedim dont expect you to do it if you dont believe it!!! you are crazy!!!!! crazy crazy crazy to think that you have a right to dictate how other people live based on the premise that other people are not allowed to dictate to you how to live!!!!
15. the religious prohibition against using electricity?
observer   (10.03.09)
But, there was no electricity in the Biblical Time. Once upon a time, a Jew was walking in the street on Shabbat when he saw a golden coin. Then came to his mind a great idea, he sat on the coin for long long hours till the Shabbat time ended, and only till then, he picked the coin and walked away. It did took him a great deal of direct physical activity to wait sitting down long hours in the street till end of Shabbat; no body earns his living without hard work. G-d punished the Jews by making their sea full of fish and wales on Shabbat, doesn't G-d love His chosen!
16. What is the big deal?
jason white ,   afula,israel   (10.03.09)
These hara-dim have nothing to do with us Jews and Judaism.
17. #14 It's called having a free will my friend. Calm down now
and 'Get Therapy' ,   Rueben, Israel.   (10.03.09)
18. #16 and Shiites are Muslims?
observer   (10.03.09)
19. Rav Henkin,ZT"L ruled shabat elevators are mutar
Yerach ,   Jerusalem,Israel   (10.03.09)
Rav Henkin was one of the biggest gedolei Yisrael of the last generation & was of greater stature & technical knowledge than Rav Eliyashiv. As a matter of fact most of the American gedolim of the last generation were more tecno-savy than today's Israeli Charedi . rabbanim. It doesn't take a chacham to say something is asur it does take a chacham to say something is mutar. This is why I do not listen to the Israeli Chareddi rabbis on such matter & contact American rabbis as everything is now asur that was previously mutar. What a crock of s**t!!!!!! BTW,I am Orthodox.
20. Elevators
J.K. ,   Brooklyn USA   (10.04.09)
Acrobatica Religiosa,Just think how much energy Israel will save by shutting down elevators for 24 hours,and how much weight will be lost by climbing flights,so all you infidels look at the positive side.
21. As soon as you do real work the other 6 days of the week,
5th generation ,   israel   (10.04.09)
we'll take you even a little bit seriously.
22. Highlights their stupidity
Avi ,   Israel   (10.04.09)
if anyone is stupid enough to live this fanatical lifestyle they only have themselves to blaim !
23. Great leap forward as far as consistency is concerned but...
Nick Sporek ,   Jerusalem, Israel   (10.04.09)
what about the Shabbat "hot-plate" (Blech)? It burns and it cooks, see if you can put your hand on it for 5 minutes if you don't believe me also crack an egg on it and see what happens. As far as I know cooking is prohibited on Shabbat so why is this allowed? Electricity is very new to Judaism, what was the custom/ technique 400 years ago and before for keeping food warm if it was actually done back then, I wonder? There's also the issue of where the electricity is coming from and the fact that your being charged for it and causing someone to work at the plant (probably Jews). So can someone please explain how that's kosher? (If you just found a loophole, keep it to your self because I'm not interested in your lame attempts to trick GOD). Chag Sameach
24. Hi Nick Sporak
Israeli grandmother ,   Israel   (10.04.09)
The point of the shabbat hot plate (electric or gas) is that the food is PRECOOKED so it can only spoil and get scorched, not actually cooked on shabbat. Thought you should know!
25. extra energy only applies to living creatures
Golan ,   SL   (10.04.09)
an elevator does not constitute a servant, slave, or work animal. Also I declare a halachik ruling that when drinking water one must stand on one's head and recite that Hashem has commanded us to stand on our head when drinking water... what you think this is silly? That is because you do not beelive in the Toyro Shoyl beOylpeh Mishoyshe misoinoi.
26. Judaic pedantry
Nesdon Booth ,   Los Angeles Californ   (10.04.09)
How about a bit of original intent here, or are we all too stupid to think for ourselves. i thought that was something we were supposed to do. Clearly, the day of rest was intended to promote reflection and communion with family and community, not to mention prudence in effort and work. How either of these ideas, walking stairs or Shabbat elevators themselves, promote any of these values is a mystery. These fundamentalists have missed the whole point of the Jews partnership with g_d to perfect the universe. This pedantic obsession with text and ancient doctrine is one of the most counterproductive features of this tradition that I love.
27. Great!
(10.04.09)
Does this mean that fewer of them will be clogging hotels with their unruly children? If so fine by me!
28. # 24
J.K. ,   Brooklyn USA   (10.04.09)
Grand Mother ! Doesn't Chollent cook all friday night and sabath morning till it is served ?. Sack Kemach Alla Efraim Kishon
29. Shabat elevators: how they work
Yehudi ,   Jerusalem, Israel   (10.09.09)
The speed of elevators during descent is regulated by an electric motor. The more weight in the elevator, the harder the motor works to maintain an even speed of descent. Similarly, the electrical operating system of the elevator has to work harder to lift a heavy load than a light load. Thus our body weight affects the operation of the motor. This is the basis for the halachic dilemma over the use of Shabbat elevators. HaRav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach was the Posek of Jerusalem and he approved the use of the Shabbat elevators designed by the Tzomet Institute. One can certainly put their trust in Rabbi Auerbach.
30. is thinking allowed?
Laura   (10.09.09)
is thinking on Shabbat allowed? For certain people this must be really exertion...
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