[Avodah] Electricity and the next Sanhedrin

[kennethgmiller at juno.com]

In the thread "Koseiv on computers", R' Micha Berger wrote:

> However, the general ban on electricity /is/ widely accepted.
> My forecast is that the next Sanhedrin will allow many types
> of electrical devices, but until they do we lack the authority
> to change things. And really the only people qualified to make
> a reliable forecast would be candidates for membership in that
> Sanhedrin...

Among the many things that I see more and more clearly as I mature, is that Chazal did not impose their gezeros willy-nilly. Of course, none of us would accuse them of doing so, but we often fail to notice the patterns that they themselves followed when establishing those gezeros.

One example that the poskim bring to our attention is that their gezeros were never intended to cover extremely unlikely cases. A case had to rise to a certain level of frequency for them to forbid it. Exactly how frequent/rare that was, is a discussion for another time; suffice it to say that we've seen cases where a posek said, "This case is so very unusual that Chazal never had it in mind, and therefore, they did not forbid it." I hope I don't need to offer examples.

Another of their criteria, when making a gezera, is that it should be reasonably simple for the average person to apply and follow. My favorite example concerns expansion of the issur of basar b'chalav, from the d'Oraisa animals (i.e., only behemos tehoros and no others) to include other animals.

Logically, it seems to me that they should have expanded the issur from behemos tehoros to *all* milk-producing animals, including chayos. After all, I can easily see how someone who is in the habit of mixing deer meat with milk might one day accidentally come to mix beef with milk. But chickens don't make milk! Who would confuse chickens and cows? Did they really have to go that far? And if they *are* going to go that far, why did they exempt fish meat?

The answer is simple. The distinction between animals which make milk and animals which don't, is well-known to a zoologist, and probably to a farmer, but not so much to city folk. So they extended the rule to include all animals of a category which should be well-known to any G-d-fearing Jew: the animals which require shechita.

Chazal didn't forbid chicken and milk to make things difficult (despite what some people might think). Rather, they forbade it to make things SIMPLE. Note that "simple" is not the same thing as "easy". Chazal (I suggest) were not very concerned with whether a gezera would require much effort or little effort, but they were *very* concerned that the gezera should be uncomplicated.

Just now, the phrase "lo plug" comes to mind, which summarizes this concept quite well. Exceptions might be made in theory, but in practice it makes the rule too unwieldy.

Whew! This was a long post! My apologies to all. The only point I'm trying to make is my guess that the next Sanhedrin will probably NOT allow any electrical devices beyond those which the poskim currently allow. It's just too difficult for the average person to understand the differences between the mutar and the assur.

Exhibit A is the collection of devices which have been developed for Shabbos use by physicians and patients. People are willing to accept that the device has to be designed according to very specific rules, and they don't have any qualms with a Shomer Shabbos doctor who uses one of those pens, or a Shomer Shabbos patient who uses one of those wheelchairs - provided that they aren't used by to the general public.

Because when they ARE offered to the general public, we find Exhibit B: "Sabbath Mode" stoves and ovens. Their acceptance is still far from universal. We'll see what the future holds for them.

My guess is that "nothing will change in Yemos Hamashiach". Whatever electrical devices get used on Shabbos will follow the currently-established pattern, that it will be limited to specific devices (by manufacturer and model number) and specific circumstances and rules of operation. Any sort of general heter like "LCD devices are okay" will find so many exceptions (are there any indicator lamps at all?) that it will be too cumbersome to implement.

Akiva Miller


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