Shabbat elevator

A Sabbath elevator is an elevator which works in a special mode, stopping automatically on every floor, to allow for the Jewish law for abstaining from using electricity on Shabbat. An elevator may be marked with a sign noting that it is specially configured for Shabbat observance. [ [http://www.pbase.com/labellekel/image/57389770 Photo of an inscription outside a Sabbath elevator] ]

Sabbath elevators can be found in areas of large Jewish population in Israel, the United States and Argentina. They are typically found in big hotels and synagogues.

In this mode, an elevator will stop automatically at every floor, allowing people to step in and out without having to press any buttons. Otherwise it is prohibited to use an elevator on Shabbat because pressing the button to operate the elevator closes a circuit, which violates the prohibition of activating electricity on Shabbat, and may also indirectly lead to "writing" of the new floor number in the display.

Criticism

There are two categoriess of criticism against using a Shabbat elevator. One criticism is that even in Sabbath mode the user is indirectly violating Shabbat. The other criticism is that, even if it is altogether permitted, a healthy person should not resort to circumventing the laws of Shabbat by performing an otherwise prohibited activity in a technically permissible manner. There is also in the inconvenience it causes to those who do not observe Shabbat laws, as their journey in the elevator takes longer than it otherwise would.

Elevators may be prohibited anyway

Some "halakhic" authorities rule that this classic Shabbat elevator does not fully overcome the relevant "halakhic" issues. Among other things, a person's weight on an downward-traveling elevator can be considered to partly cause the elevators descent, and therefore the activation of all electric circuits which come into play as a result of it. Thus, when a person "ascends" in an elevator, the motor that moves the counterweight down and the elevator car up is operating to counteract the rider's weight, which is a hindrance to make operation of the elevator require more work-energy. However, when a person "descends" an elevator, the person's weight helps move the elevator in the downward direction, so the person is considered physically to cause the elevator to move down. Accordingly, some authorities permit ascending in an elevator but prohibit descending.

The movement of an elevator may also indirectly cause other forbidden actions to take place. For example, in many systems, one light turns off and another light turns on as the elevator passes from one floor to the next. Turning on incandescent floor lights represents a Biblical prohibition. The Zomet Institute and the Institute for Science and Halacha modify elevators to avoid these problematic issues.

Elevators are permitted but should not be used

The use of an elevator in a Sabbath mode, is an example of a legal workaround, where seemingly "forbidden" acts can be performed by modifying the relevant technology to such an extent that no law is actually violated. Usage of a Sabbath elevator by those who are otherwise capable is considered by some rabbinical authorities as a "violation" of the Sabbath, therefore many Orthodox Jews might prefer to walk up or down the stairs instead of taking an elevator.

ee also

*39 categories of activity prohibited on Shabbat
*Electricity on Shabbat
*Driving on Shabbat

References

Bibliography

*D.R. Bannett, The Sabbath Elevator Question, Elevators and Shabbat, The Institute for Science and Halacha.
*Rabbi L.Y. Halperin, Shabbat and Electricity, The Institute for Science and Halacha.
*Alan Dundes, Shabbat Elevator and Other Sabbath Subterfuges: An Unorthodox Essay on Circumventing Custom and Jewish Character, Rowman & Littlefield Pub Inc., February 2002, ISDN:0742516717