<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1">
<META content="MSHTML 6.00.2800.1589" name=GENERATOR>
<STYLE></STYLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY bgColor=#ffffff>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>It's interesting that, as electricity becomes more
and more ubiquitous, abstaining from its use becomes very much a defining
feature of Shabbat.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Also interesting that, IIUC, the use of electricity
without an incandescent element is generally considered d'rabbanan, so that
Tzomet et al are able to devise devices that can be used with grama switches etc
b'makom tzorech. For ordinary life, a day without electricity is very much set
apart and one can easily understand the halachic instinct that it should be
prohibited. But in situations of illness, disability, security, etc - even
situations that do not get to the level of pikuach nefesh - a day without
electricity can be extremely trying.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>- Ilana</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>