Re: Shabbos candles (Was Re: What's wrong with Conservative Judaism)


"Steve Goldfarb" <slg@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:ee6hov$l6u$1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
In <ee6hcu$8ai$1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> "Henry Goodman"
<henry.goodman@xxxxxxxxxx> writes:

In any case, from a legal standpoint how is asking a gentile to
unscrew/tape the bulb any different from doing it yourself?


Amira l'akum (asking a gentile to do something) is a Rabbinic
prohibition not a Torah prohibition and is therefore preferable in
certain emergency situations. Josh's post above gives a number of
examples.

Interesting, thanks - I didn't realize that. Seems to lend credence
to the
idea that it's the "work" aspect that's actually forbidden, though,
doesn't it? As opposed to the "accomplishment" aspect. Telling a
gentile
to light the fire still causes the fire to be lit - it just means
you're
not the one raising the sweat.

But I know that's not how it works - I'm just thinking aloud.


It's neither the work aspect or the accomplishment aspect; just that
certain actions are forbidden to a Jew on Shabbat.
I can set my VCR recorder before Shabbat to record half a dozen
different TV programmes; very complicated result but totally
permitted.

--
Henry Goodman
henry dot goodman at virgin dot net

.