3 ms·
Not to mention Shabbat lamps, which have an opaque shade you can put over them so you won't notice the light while it technically stays on. I also think any rea
by WJW 9y ago
Not to mention Shabbat lamps, which have an opaque shade you can put over them so you won't notice the light while it technically stays on. I also think any reasonable deity would be pretty miffed at this avoidance of the rules, but then again I suppose the Jews would know their god better than me.
(In a somewhat more reasonable/funny bending of the rules; Jews are apparently also forbidden to "tear cloth" on the Shabbat, since that counted as work back in the day for tailors etc. However, after some discussions in the rabbinate there is now "Shabbat toilet paper", which does not come on a roll but as loose leaves of paper so you don't have to do any tearing on the day itself.)
- the-dude 9y agoWonderful toiler paper! Although 'sheeted' toilet paper has existed for ages ( I remember the UK around 1980 ).
- mikeash 9y agoMy understanding (as a secular Jew, so I could be wrong) is that the attitude is that if God hadn't meant for there to be loopholes like this, He wouldn't have written the rules this way in the first place. In a way, trying to obey the spirit rather than the letter of the law is implying imperfection on the part of the author of the laws.
- WJW 9y agoThat actually makes a lot of sense, (provided you believe He exists and is infallible in the first place) After more reading, there is apparently a sect that (while otherwise quite orthodox) considers electricity from photovoltaic power not to violate the commandment of "not making fire" and so provided they have PV panels or batteries they can use electricity freely on Shabbat. Still not for working of course, but a light would be OK.