[Avodah] electricity and shabbat

[Eli Turkel]

Based on remarks of R. S. Pick I decided to take the lazy way and study
the encyclopedia talmudir rather than his suggestion of the original.
The encyclopedia has 2 entries under chashmal and an appendix at the
end of the volume
which discuss at length the correspondence between CI and RSZA. Based
on these articles:

They assume that CI is a shitat yachid since nobody before who
discussed electricity
mentioned the problem of Boneh. As an aside the CI is difficult since
he occisaionally
mentions Makeh Bepayisch in addition (instead?) of Boneh and never clearly
differentiates between them. A difference is disconnecting the
circuit.( If the problem is Boneh then disconnecting is Soter. If the
problem is Metaken Manah then undoing it is allowed)

As mentioned before CI considered making a circuit Boneh for 2 distinct reasons
One a gemara at the bottom of shabbat 47a on assembling a pole made of
separate sections
and if one strongly attached the pieces it is biblically prohibted and
someone who connects
wires allowing electricity to flow is like attaching the pieces of the
pole. Beyond this case
CI considered it Boneh since he converts it from a dead object to a
living object (I didn't
see any proofs to this concept). RSZA argued from opening a door to a
small room that
allows fresh air to enter but is not Boneh.
CI also claimed (didn't understand the physics) that electricity is an
intrinsic part of
the metal while other materials are not condcutors while heating metal
is just a temporary change and disappears when one stops heating (RSZA
countered that the electric flow also stops when one stops the
external forces). Furthermore melacha is also determined by man's
perception
and making electrical circuits requires wisdom and so is like a
melacha in the lishkan
(RSZA countered that putting together a candlebra made from pieces on
YomTov takes
wisdom but is not a melacha).

One opinion of  CI that if connecting the switch doesnt turn on the
electricity (ie there is a shabbat chock turned off temporarily) then
one is not changing the nature of the metal and one is not turning a
dead item to life. Another opinion is that CI prohibits connecting a
circuit  becuase of Boneh even though electricity will flow only later
when a second circuit is closed (eg shabbat clock)

As mentioned one of RSZA's counter arguments is from a water system.
It seems the example is not from opening that tap (that some people on
the list objected to) but rather from adding water to a full water
system that causes it to flow. Similarly closing a circuit cause the
electrons to push each other through the wire. It seems that CI
doesn't agree because he feels electricity is intrinsic to a metal
wire while water is external to the pipes. RSZA disagrees and says the
wire doesnt change because electricity flows through the wire. As
stated before RSZA argues that turning off the power source turns of
the elctricity and so one is not making basic changes to the wire.
Furthermore it is not different from returning feathers to a pillow
which is allowed even though one cannot put the feathers into the
pillow from scratch.

Furthermore some hold that even closing a circuit is Boneh because one
changes a dead object
to a living one nevertheless opening the circuit is not Soter since
bringing an object from life to death is not Soter and in fact the
gemara allows killing lice.

-- 
Eli Turkel