Light on Shabbat - Forbidden Labor?

 

In 1883, the world's first two commercial power stations for electricity generation were established, one in London and the other in New York. The religious authorities of that time were required to define this activity from a halachic perspective, with their rulings having halachic implications, most relating to Shabbat prohibitions. All authorities ruled that turning on electricity on Shabbat violates a Torah prohibition. It is interesting to examine the root of this matter and the source of this determination, which is also based on our Talmudic discussion.

 

Our Gemara explains that a person who removes a shield from its place, causing an arrow that was shot shortly before toward the barrier to continue on its trajectory and kill a person standing behind the shield, is not considered a murderer but rather a cause of murder. This is because removing an impediment is not considered as performing the action itself.

 

Now, let's examine the action of turning on an electric light, which can be accomplished by connecting two ends of wires, one of which constantly carries electricity. This action is forbidden by Torah law because the person is directly igniting the electric light. However, sometimes the two ends of the wires are already connected, but an insulating material placed on them prevents the flow of electricity. In this case, flipping the switch doesn't connect anything but rather removes the insulating material, and there is light.

 

Of course, the person flipping the switch neither created the electricity nor pushed it; their action is limited to removing the factor that interrupted the flow of electricity to the bulb. Isn't this action similar to removing the shield from the arrow's path, which our Gemara explains is only considered an indirect cause ("grama")? This argument was presented to Rabbi Chaim Ozer Grodzinski (Responsa "Achiezer" Vol. 3, Ch. 60), who promptly rejected it, noting that for further clarification of the matter, he went to the workshop of an "elektrotechnik" (electrician), because those who proposed this argument did not properly understand the depth of our Talmudic discussion, as follows. The Gemara continues to explain that one who binds a person and opens a water dam, causing the water adjacent to the dam to rush forth and kill the bound person, is considered a murderer. Seemingly, how is this different from the case of removing the shield, who is exempt? Both acted to remove a barrier! The "Yad Ramah" explains that these two actions differ from each other. The water adjacent to the dam leans on it, and any action on the dam is considered an action on the water itself. In contrast, the arrow does not touch the shield at all, and an action on the shield is not considered an action on the arrow. We learn that when the action of removing the impediment is not disconnected from the operating force, it is considered as assisting in the act of operation [this difference can be clarified by two cases: a. Removing a barrier resulting in a truck rolling downhill without being stopped, killing a person. b. Removing the barrier after the truck has already been stopped by it, and only due to the barrier it doesn't continue to roll].

 

Therefore, since the electric current is constantly stopped by the insulating material that prevents it from continuing to flow, removing it is a direct and immediate engagement with the current. This action should be compared to removing a water dam, where the flow of the first waters is attributed to the person, and not to removing a shield, which does not involve dealing with the arrow at all.

 

As mentioned, this article deals with only one aspect of the prohibition of turning on electricity. But we should also note the basic halachic ruling of the "Chazon Ish" (Orach Chaim 50:7) that besides the prohibition of igniting, a person who creates an electrical circuit violates the prohibition of "building."