The Jewish Law Corner
Hello everyone. In today's "Jewish Law Corner", we'll discuss
a frequently asked question: "what is this Shabbat timer I've seen in many homes?"
"If turning on electricity is prohibited on Shabbat,
what does it matter if a timer is turning it on? What are you trying to pull?
Who are you trying to fool?" So what is the meaning of this practice?
"And, if a Shabbat timer can be used to turn electricity on, what if I connect
my sound system, my TV and radio to a Shabbat timer and watch my favorite TV show?"
So let me explain: the Torah says, "you shall not do any work" (Ex.20:10)
One of the Ten Commandments states that a Jew is not allowed to work on Shabbat.
In a different lesson, we spoke at length about the definition of "work", but the
Torah says "you shall not", meaning YOU shall not, the Jew shall not. But when we
use a Shabbat timer, and set it before Shabbat to turn things on and off
on Shabbat, we are actually behaving properly on Shabbat. We have lights,
air conditioning, everything we want for Shabbat, by way of a Shabbat timer.
We set it to the latest time we think we may need the lights or air conditioning on.
In this manner, a Jew can keep Shabbat in accordance with Jewish Law, because he
is doing no work. A mechanical system is in place to turn things on and off automatically,
so he doesn't have to. The fact that he set it before Shabbat is not a problem, because
he did that work on a weekday; he did no work on Shabbat. The Torah said "YOU (as a Jew)
shall do no work on Shabbat". So it is crucial that each person spend the small sum
necessary on a Shabbat timer for his home, thereby resolving many issues with Shabbat prohibitions.
But the obvious question then is, "if this is so, what's wrong with plugging in other devices?"
"I have a radio and I want to hear news and other programs. Or TV, or anything else I
have in my home," he asks. There are things he wants to hook up to a Shabbat timer,
and thereby listen, or watch something. Jewish Law states that some things are prohibited because of
"Marit Ayin"--the negative impression they will make. This concept must be explained.
For example, one should not hang laundry on Shabbat. Why? I didn't wash the clothes
on Shabbat. I have clothes that were washed before Shabbat. I just want to hang them out to dry.
Jewish Law prohibits this. Why? Because people will suspect you. When people see
a woman hanging clothes on Shabbat, the sense is that she just finished washing them
and now she's hanging them. Some might say, "I don't care what people think of me."
"Let them suspect me. I know that I'm beyond reproach. I haven't sinned against my Creator."
"Let them think whatever they want." But this approach is wrong. The Torah states,
"you shall be vindicated from Hashem and from Israel" (Num.32:22). Not just from Hashem--
also from Israel. One is not allowed to enable others to suspect him. He can't come along and say,
"but I forgo my own honor. Let them suspect me." Since, when people suspect that he is
doing prohibited work on Shabbat, it is not his own honor in question here, but rather Hashem's honor.
The more Jews are seen washing their clothes on Shabbat--at least according to the suspicions--
this diminishes Heaven's honor--Hashem's honor. It is one less person faithful to his Creator, according to
the Torah He has given. But when you are careful not to be suspected, even when you're beyond reproach,
"you shall be vindicated from Hashem and from Israel", everyone knows there is another loyal soldier
in the Creator's regiment. Therefore the suspicion, the "Marit Ayin" in Jewish Law, is a very important
concept, to the point where one must not hang his washings on Shabbat, in case people suspect him
of having done laundry on Shabbat. So someone will come along and say, "Fine, I won't hang it
in public view. I'll hang it up in my bathroom. I'll lock the door, shut the window, pull down the blinds.
And I'll hang my laundry there." Jewish Law states that anything that is prohibited because of Marit Ayin
is prohibited even in the most private inner rooms. And, as we all know, that any simple government
law can't have loopholes. It's dangerous. if there's a loophole, you never know how far people will take it.
Therefore, we erect a fence, as it were, around the prohibitions in Jewish Law, and everything that is
prohibited because of Marit Ayin will be prohibited even in the innermost chamber.
Therefore, electrical systems--such as a radio, stereo system or TV--that are not usually plugged
into a Shabbat timer, must not be used on Shabbat with a timer because of Marit Ayin.
When people see a light turning on or off inside your home, or the air conditioner turning on or off,
everyone knows a Shabbat timer is being used to turn the light on and off. But when electrical systems
that cannot be connected to a Shabbat timer--for an additional reason we will discuss shortly--
but they cannot be plugged into a Shabbat timer, then anyone who sees a TV on inside your home,
or hears the radio, what does he think to himself? According to today's norms, what does he think?
Does he say, "he probably plugged it in to a Shabbat timer?" Or does he think, "this person turned it on
during Shabbat". We all know that, according to current norms, the sense would be that this person
turned something on during Shabbat. This is an instance of Marit Ayin. And everything that is
prohibited because of Marit Ayin is prohibited even in the innermost chamber. Furthermore, it's also
important to note that, with regards to Israeli TV, or Israeli government radio stations, or any pleasure
one derives from work that is done on Shabbat, that a Jew does on Shabbat somewhere else, then
from the perspective of Jewish Law, an additional problem arises on Shabbat.
As we all know, if a Jew cooked food on Shabbat, that food is prohibited on Shabbat. Even if a non-Jew did
work on Shabbat for a Jew--meaning he didn't do it for himself (because if he did it for himself, I am
allowed to benefit from it)--but if he did it for a Jew, then a Jew is not allowed to benefit from it on
Shabbat, because it was done for him. With regard to radio and TV, and any other instrument that,
at that same moment, some Jew somewhere is doing prohibited work on Shabbat so that I may enjoy
the result of that work, according to Jewish Law, I may not benefit from that work done on Shabbat.
And this is another reason for the prohibition of enjoying work done on Shabbat even when I
plugged the device into a Shabbat timer before Shabbat. Whenever we discuss instruments
and there are others who are doing prohibited work on Shabbat for me, I cannot take pleasure from this.
Everything I mentioned earlier, the subject of Marit Ayin, pertains to work that is not the product
of anyone's Shabbat desecration, whether Jew or non-Jew, anywhere in the world, for my benefit.
But rather, for example, if I connect my DVD player to a timer, no one else in the world is doing work,
just the Shabbat timer. This would seem to be the same situation as the lighting and air conditioning.
But the truth is, that although a person viewing a recording in such a manner is
not transgressing as severely as a person who actively desecrates Shabbat, and
turns something on with his bare hands, the issue of Marit Ayin nevertheless still exists,
and everything prohibited because of Marit Ayin is prohibited even in the innermost chamber.
This is the halachic explanation of all aspects of using a Shabbat timer with the electronic devices
commonly used nowadays. I'd like to wrap up by wishing all of us wonderful, blissful Shabbatot,
surrounded by our loved ones. I thank you all and wish you great success.
Translated by Onkelus Translations www.onkelus.com onkelus@gmail.com