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Asking a non-Jew to do what a Jew cannot do on the Sabbath. 

The Rav Name: Rabbi Yitzchak Arad

Hi there, bit of a random question but it is for a cultural assignment I’m doing for uni. I was just wondering if it is forbidden for a Jew to tell a non-jewish person to do something which goes against the rules on the Sabbath. Could you answer this as an example, if a Jewish lady asked me to press a street crossing button on Saturday is that considered bad, as I am touching electricity as a result of her asking me to?

Asking a non-Jew to do what a Jew cannot do on the Sabbath.

Shalom and thank you for your question. You wish to know if according to Halacha – Jewish law, a Jew may tell a non-Jew to perform an action which would be forbidden for the Jew on the Jewish Sabbath. The answer is not a black and white one, as it depends on various circumstances.


In general, a Jew should endeavour not to ask a non-Jew to perform an action which is forbidden to him on the Sabbath, since the Jewish person is bidden to be in an atmosphere which is totally oriented towards an elevated spiritual atmosphere in accordance with the purpose of the Sabbath, which is a day of connecting to G-d through prayer and Torah study. In Exodus 20:10-11 it says: “Remember the Sabbath day to sanctify it. Six days you shall labour and do all your work, but the seventh day is Sabbath for the L-rd your G-d: you shall not do any work – you, your son or your daughter, your manservant or your maidservant, or your cattle, or the stranger within your gates. For in six days the L-rd made the Heavens, the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day – therefore, the L-rd blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.”


Again, actions that should not be performed by a Jew on the Sabbath, should not be performed by a non-Jew on behalf of the Jew.  What happens if you need to save a life? In most cases a Jew himself or herself may perform actions that are normally forbidden on the Sabbath. The Halachic principle is that saving a life takes priority, and there are many details in this and in all details of Sabbath observance. On the other hand, a Jew may hire a non-Jew – before the Sabbath, to perform work that is permitted to a Jew also on the Sabbath. This might include something like setting up tables and clearing away, washing and drying dishes that need to be used again on the Sabbath.


The conditions under which a non-Jew may work for a Jew on the Sabbath include certain principles. Among these are that there should be direct benefit to the non-Jew from doing that action. The example you gave of being asked to press an electric button in order to cross the road would not be permissible, but if you had a Jewish neighbor whose air-conditioning had not been turned on in sweltering heat they could invite you in and mention how hot it is. If they are lucky and you understand that the air-conditioning needs to be turned on, and you then do so, they should make sure to offer you some refreshment, or payment after the Sabbath.


If you provide a service like dry-cleaning, and a Jew brings you clothing on Friday, he or she does not have to be concerned that you will do the work on the Sabbath, because there is the possibility that you could choose to do it on Friday afternoon just before the Sabbath, or on Saturday night after the Sabbath. In this case for example, another condition comes into play. Should you choose to clean those clothes on the Sabbath, there is no direct benefit to the Jew from that, for you could just as well have done it when it was not within the time frame of the Sabbath. However if you are a car mechanic and a Jew gives you his car to fix before the Sabbath, it should not be fixed on the Sabbath in a place where people could see it and think that you were asked to do the job on the Sabbath. It should be done after the Sabbath.


There are exceptions to these rules in certain circumstances of great need, which could include significant financial loss, or health issues. A competent Rabbi needs to be consulted in such cases. When we say financial loss, it does not mean that if I am Jewish and I run a business together with a non-Jewish partner, I allow him to run the business on the Sabbath so that I will not lose out. No, there should not be direct benefit to the Jew from the work done on the Sabbath. When we say financial loss, it could mean saving expensive objects from a fire for example.


So as I said, the answer to your question is not black and white. There are many complex laws on this subject, and as is the case with many matters, many people are not well-enough informed and there are common misconceptions, even among practicing Jews. The subject needs to be studied in depth.


We hope this has been helpful and wish you luck with your project!

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