[Avodah] explaining electricity on shabbat

[Eli Turkel]

<< So how do I explain
the issur of electricity (boneh) Truth is I do not know enough about circuits

And if one could create a type of device that is not boneh, does
that mean some lights could be turned on during Shabbat>>

To emphasize that closing an electric circuit is boneh on shabbat is
an innovation of the Chazon Ish that many (most?) poskim disagree with.

One explanation of the CI is that turning on electricity changes a
nonuseful item
into a useful item and so by definition one cannot constrict a device that would
not be boneh.
R Shlomo Zalman Auerbach argued that this should not be different than opening
a circuit for water which everyone agrees is allowed.

Other reasons to prohibit electricity on shabbat are nolad.
Turning on a incadescent bulb is certainly prohibited because the filament is
red hot. With some flouresecents there may be problems with sparking.

-- 
Eli Turkel