[Avodah] RHS on shabbat - electricity

[Akiva Miller via Avodah]

R' Eli Turkel wrote:
> 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.

R' Micha Berger qualified that statement:

> ... assuming that causing light without heat is not havarah.
> Eg the indicator LEDs one often finds on automatic devices,
> like that toilet or door.

I'd like to narrow down that qualification. One could hold that light
without heat is indeed hav'arah, but if the light of this device is
incidental to the device's main function, then it might still be "only"
d'rabanan by virtue of Melacha She'ein Tzricha l'gufa.

As I wrote on these pages in Avodah 17:93, slightly over 10 years ago:

> According to Rav Moshe Heinemann (of the Star-K; in "Guide to Halachos"
> by Nachman Schachter, published by Feldheim, pp 29-30):

>  Activating any electrical device to generate either heat or light or
>  increasing the setting on an electrical device to generate more heat
>  or light is prohibited because of the Melacha D'oraisa of Ma'avir.
>  Examples include intentionally 1) activating a heating pad, 2)
>  activating a light, 3) increasing the setting on a dimmer switch
>  and 4) increasing the setting on an electric blanket.
>
>  However, activating a device that provides unnecessary heat or
>  light, e.g. a phone with a lighted dial in an illuminated room,
>  is prohibited as a Melachah D'rabbanan.
>
>  Activating or increasing the setting on any electrical device whose
>  purpose is other than generating light or heat, e.g. a fan, an air
>  conditioner, a timer or an automatic door etc. is prohibited as a
>  Melachah D'rabanan.  ... ... ...

I concede that an indicator light such as RMB described might very well be
a melacha she*tzricha* l'gufa, and therefore d'Oraisa to those who hold
that light is hav'arah even without heat. My main point of this post has
been to illustrate that when the individual buttons of a telephone light up
in an already-lit room, it can still be d'rabanan.

Akiva Miller
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