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Sample from Issue 5 ב"ה BAD HOU HA SE C E H T כינוס השלוחים תשע"ג NAVIGATING THE WORLD OF SHLICHUS FOR SHLUCHIM BY SHLUCHIM ISSUE 5 | KINUS HASHLUCHIM 5773 Does this desk look ?familiar עבודת השליחות אמירה לנכרי שבכל page 7 רגע ורגע page 5 I'm On My Own... Now What? page 72 The Balancing Act page 30 Mr. Sami Rohr 12-Step Program Of Blessed Memory PAGE 24 To High-End PR PAGE 68 הלכה CONSULTING ROV Dayan Levi Yitzchok Raskin London, England Author of Nesivim B’Sdeh HaShlichus אמירה לנכרי Using a Shabbos Goy What do Colin Powell, Vladimir Putin, Al Gore, and Barak Obama have in common? Each is rumored to have served as a Shabbos goy. The following is a hough using a Shabbos goy is quite com- compilation of spe- cific circumstances mon, and was especially so in past genera- where amira l’nochri tions before the explosion of automation, the would be permitted. laws pertaining to amira l’nochri on Shabbos Please bear in mind T that each situation are quite complicated. Here's a refresher to keep is different and one in mind at your Chabad House. should not apply a rule from one example to a non- מלאכה שעושה הנכרי לצורך עצמו identical situation without first consult- For the Goy’s Benefit ing a rov. Additionally, some of The general rule is that one may not ask a goy the following are permitted only in to perform any melocha that is forbidden for a bedieved situations, Jew to perform himself. This is, in part, because when confronted the goy performing the melocha is considered with a situation on Shabbos itself. On as if he were the shliach of the Jew for whom he Erev Shabbos, one does the melocha. 2 is obliged to take ap- An additional gezeira, established to prevent propriate measures so that he should Jews from asking goyim to perform melochos not have to resort to for them, is that a Jew may not benefit from a 1 the said leniencies. melocha that was done for the Jew’s benefit, even if the Jew did not ask the goy to do so.3 For example, if a goy notices a Jew sitting in the dark and turns on the light to help the Jew, THE CHABAD HOUSE COmpass MAGAZINE KINUS HASHLUCHIM 5773 7 הלכה SITUatIONS IN WHICH AMIRA For the Goy’s The Jew May Benefit L’NOCHRI IS Benefit from the Melocha PERMITTED For the Sake Goy Can Perform of a Mitzva Melocha D’Rabonon For the Sake of a Goy Can Perform Child or Choleh Melocha D’Rabonon For the Goy’s Goy Can Perform Convenience Melocha D’Oraisa Goy Can Perform Psik Reisho Indirect Melocha D’Oraisa the Jew may not benefit from the passing the two buildings.) be permitted to ask a goy to turn on light. However, benefit from the me- or raise the air conditioning. לצורך חולה locha of a goy is only forbidden when ציווהו דבר היתר, והנכרי it was performed for the Jew.4 If a goy For the Sake of a Choleh בוחר לעשות דרך איסור ,did a melocha for his own benefit For the benefit of a choleh, one may a Jew may derive benefit from that For the Goy’s Convenience ask a goy to perform a melocha melocha afterward. d’oraisa.6 This is the case even regard- If a goy is performing permissible For example, if a Jew is sitting and ing a non-life-threatening illness, as work for the benefit of a Jew, he may eating in a dark room, he may invite a long as the patient is ill or in pain to perform a melocha for his own con- goy to join him for a drink. If the goy the extent that he is confined to bed. venience.11 This applies as long as the on his own accord decides to turn on It should be noted that a woman job he was given can be reasonably the light, the Jew may benefit from who has recently given birth is con- completed without doing a melocha. this melocha. He may even ask him to sidered a choleh she’ein ba sakona Additionally, the melocha he chooses leave the light on when he leaves. until thirty days after the birth and to perform cannot disturb the spirit is, therefore, permitted to ask a goy of Shabbos by making noise.12 שבות דשבות לצורך מצוה For the Sake of a Mitzva to perform even a melocha d’oraisa For example, if a goy is cleaning a for her.7 room, he may turn on a light to al- One may ask a goy to perform an act A child’s needs are deemed similar low him to see well and more easily that is forbidden miderabanan, as to those of a choleh.8 Therefore, one complete his job. Another example: long as it is for a mitzva.5 may ask a goy to perform a melocha If a goy is asked to transport chairs For example, if a shliach realizes on to provide for a child’s needs. around a building, he may use the Shabbos that he underestimated the In extremely cold weather, one elevator for his own convenience. amount of people coming to shul and is permitted to ask a goy to turn on Psik Reisha פסיק רישיה there are not enough siddurim, he or raise the heat. This is due to the may ask a goy to carry more siddurim rule that hakol k’cholim eitzel hakor9 A goy is permitted to perform an through a carmelis. (This case would (everyone is considered ill should he act that is not a melocha in itself but present itself if a shliach lived on the be exposed to extreme cold). would automatically cause a melocha same private property as his shul but Some poskim also apply this rule to to be done, even when done for the without a proper mechitza encom- extreme heat.10 It would, therefore, direct benefit of the Jew.13 8 THE CHABAD HOUSE COmpass MAGAZINE KINUS HASHLUCHIM 5773 9 BMS Ad - 7.875x10.5 - Save_Layout 1 6/5/2012 2:21 PM Page 1 הלכה For example, if one has forgotten to and rules that the leniency that one disconnect the light bulb in his refrig- may hint to a goy in a non-direct way Questions erator before Shabbos, he may ask a (shelo b’derech tzivui) applies only if goy to open it, even though he knows the goy believes he is performing the &Answers that the light will automatically be act to complete his job.15 turned on as a result. This is permis- For example, if a mail carrier deliv- Q The flame underneath the blech on my gas stove was extinguished sible because turning on the light ers an envelope on Shabbos, one may on Shabbos. Is it better to turn the is neither the intended nor desired say, “I am not able to read this if it is gas off myself, or call a goy? If I action at hand. (See below for further sealed.” If the goy understands the need to serve the cholent to 100 details involved in this example.) hint and opens the letter for him, he guests, can a goy rekindle the is only doing so since he believes this flame? constitutes part of his job of deliver- A You may not ask a goy to rekindle כשיש מחלוקת הפוסקים If There Is a Machlokes ing the letter. the flame. You may turn off the A Jew who needs a melocha done gas yourself, but since the knob If there is a machlokes haposkim is muktzeh, do so in an unusual after Shabbos may also hint in the regarding a din on Shabbos, one manner, kil’achar yad. Alterna- above manner to a goy on Shabbos,16 who normally follows the stricter tively, you may move the cholent even though one is generally not al- to another blech that is alight, opinion may, in this case, rely on the lowed on Shabbos to discuss melo- as long as the cholent is still ap- more lenient opinion and ask a goy chos to be done after Shabbos due to preciably warm. In regards to this to perform the act, even for the Jew’s specific situation, the fact that the prohibition of “v’daber dovor.” own sake.14 the cholent has been removed This is permitted because he is not For example, this din would apply from the flame is not a problem mentioning the melocha explicitly, bedieved when warm food for the in the case of opening cans on Shab- 17 only hinting to it. Shabbos meal is at stake. bos, which is prohibited by certain poskim but allowed by others. A Jew Q The flame underneath my blech is too high. If I leave it as is, all of my Compiled by Rabbi Mannis Frankel would be allowed to ask a goy to open food will burn. Is there anything I a can on Shabbos even if the Jew is can do? forbidden to do so himself. A A goy is not permitted to lower the Another example: One who follows flame. Place some baking pans the stricter poskim and does not rely upside-down atop the blech and SAVE. upon an eiruv despite it being a fully set the pots upon them, minimiz- kosher one may ask a goy to wheel a Recommended ing the amount of heat that will baby carriage or carry other items for eading affect the Shabbos food.
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