. A gentile fixing a lock on Shabbat.
If a door or lock is broken or stuck on Shabbat, is it permissible to call a Gentile to break the lock?
Answer: If the door of a shul or Aron Kodesh cannot be opened on Shabbat and it is possible to pray elsewhere, or to have a Jew bring a Sefer Torah from somewhere else, for example where there is an Eiruv, that is what should be done. If it is not possible to pray elsewhere, or there is no Eiruv and thus a Sefer Torah cannot be carried by a Jew, then one may tell a Gentile to break the lock.
The above is also relevant when the lock is needed for the Shabbat meal, or for hosting guests, for example opening the house or room which is needed for Shabbat, or opening a cupboard or storeroom to take out food. In these cases a Gentile may be asked to break the lock.