Teddy bear lamp in the collection of the Jewish Museum of Switzerland. The cap can be twisted, thus covering the lightbulb with a dark shell.
Electricity on Shabbat refers to the various rules and opinions regarding the use of electrical devices by Jews who observe Shabbat. Various rabbinical authorities have pronounced on what is permitted and what is not, but there are many disagreements in detailed interpretation, both between different individual authorities and between branches of Judaism.
In Orthodox Judaism, it is completely forbidden to use electrical devices on Shabbat, as some believe turning on an incandescent light bulb violates the Biblical prohibition against igniting a fire. Conservative authorities, on the other hand, generally reject the argument that turning on incandescent lights is considered "igniting".[1][2][3] The Conservative movement's Committee on Jewish Law and Standards has argued that "refraining from operating lights and other permitted electrical appliances is a pious behavior," but is not required, while also stating that the use of some electrical devices (such as computers, cameras, and smartphones which record data) is forbidden on Shabbat.[4] There are disagreements among poskim (authorities of Jewish law) regarding the technical halachik reasons for prohibiting the operation of electrical appliances. At least six substantive reasons have been suggested, and a minority (including Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach[5]) believe that turning on most electrical appliances is prohibited only because of common Jewish practice and tradition (minhag) and to maintain the spirit of Shabbat, but not for any substantive technical halachik reason.
Although directly operating electrical appliances is prohibited in Orthodoxy, several indirect methods are permitted according to some authorities.[6] Actions that activate an electrical appliance but are not specifically intended to do so may be permitted if the activation is not certain to occur or if the person does not benefit from the appliance's automatic operation.
^Neulander, Arthur. "The Use of Electricity on the Sabbath." Proceedings of the Rabbinical Assembly 14 (1950) 165–171.
^Adler, Morris; Agus, Jacob; and Friedman, Theodore. "Responsum on the Sabbath." Proceedings of the Rabbinical Assembly 14 (1950), 112–137.
^Klein, Isaac. A Guide to Jewish Religious Practice. The Jewish Theological Seminary of America: New York, 1979.
^Daniel Nevins, The Use of Electrical and Electronic Devices on Shabbat
^Broyde and Jachter, part II, section G.
^Lubrich, Battegay, Naomi, Caspar (2018). Jewish Switzerland: 50 Objects Tell Their Stories. Christoph Merian. pp. 202–205. ISBN 978-3856168476.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
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