[Avodah] RHS on shabbat - electricity

[Eli Turkel via Avodah]

Rav Herschel Schachter gave a shiur last night in Raanana on electrical
appliances on shabbat
Enclosed is a short summary

1) Maharsham felt that all electricity on shabbat was derabban since it
didn't exist in the mishkan. However, we normally pasken like R Chaom Ozer
that if there is a metal filament that is heated then its use on shabbat is
deoraisa. Interestingly we have no statement from RCOG to that effect. He
brought that when RYBS visited Vilna several times R Chaim Ozer always made
a point of making havdala on an electric bulb.
Of course this works only if the bulb is not frosted. This was also the
minhag in the Breuer shul in washington heights. Towards the end of his
life R Breuer was blind. At some time they stopped using the bulb for
havdala because it was frosted. They had a hard time explaining the blind R
Breuer what a frosted bulb was.

RHS felt that electricity in general is prohibited on shabbat only
derabbanan based on a rabbinic metaken maneh. Hence, he did not see a major
problem is using a toilet that has an automatic flush or even an automatic
door. Flushing a toilet or opening a door is allowed. The electricity is
not doing anything that could not be done manually.
Similarly there is no problem walking normally even if it turns on some
motion sensor.
He stated that in New York there are video cameras everywhere and it is
almost impossible to walk in public without it being recorded which would
be ketiva derabbanan. As long as one doesnt intend to be recorded it is OK
even though it is certain that it will occur.
Of course it is better to avoid it if possible,  R Nachum Rabinowitz
explicitly allows this.

Hence, one can ask a goy to turn on an electrical appliance (without an
incadescent bulb) for a mitzva since it is shvut de-shvut bekom mitzva.
However, he stressed that this can be done only occasionally not as a
regular procedure.

2) When shabbat clocks first were invented some poskim prohibited them.
They reasoned that Bet Hillel only allowed something that started before
shabbat and continued not something that would start on shabbat. The
coomon psak is to allow even beginning on shabbat.
RMF only allowed a shabbat clock for lights but not other devices because
of oneg shabbat. RHS  wasn't quite sure what the difference was between
lights and say an air conditioner. In any case the common minhag is to use
a shabbat clock for all electrical devices.

For a dishwasher the problem is that it will run only when closed. So
closing the door "starts" the process even though the shabbat clock will
turn it on later.
Overriding the switch is against American law and so prohibited by dina
demalchuta.
R Henkin paskened that dina demalchuta applies to all laws made for safety
or good of the public.This would include monetary rules like rent control
and bankruptcy.

3) Chazon Ish allowed the use of umbrellas on shabbat since he felt that
there was no problem of making an ohel since the umbrella is made to be
opened. RMF disagreed, He didn't write a teshuva on the topic because he
felt that it was obvious that CI was wrong!
-- 
Eli Turkel
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