By Rabbi Dovid Markel
Disclaimer: It is not the intent of the article to deal with halachik technicalities of Kosher-Switch, but to raise awareness for the concept that not everything that is technically permitted in dry halachik parameters are acts that are suggested to be performed during Shabbos.
The “Kosher-Switch” has been the much written about talk over the last few weeks. While not wishing to re-hash all the halachic intricacies, there is, in my opinion, an important perspective of the fundamental attitude that we are to have on Shabbos that is often overlooked.[1]
In the Ten Commandments the verse (Shemos 20:9-10) states the basic imperative of our fulfilment of Shabbos in its statement, “Six days may you work and perform all your labor, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord, your G-d; you shall perform no labor, neither you, your son, your daughter, your manservant, your maidservant, your beast, nor your stranger who is in your cities.”
Rashi, the foremost Torah commentator, explains the curious juxtaposition between the verse’s statement “perform all you labor” during the “six days” and the fact that on the seventh day no work is to be done. Seemingly, this former statement is superfluous, as the Torah could merely have stated to rest on the seventh day, without expressing that the other days one should work.
He explains this anomaly based on the words of the Medrash.[2] Not only is this verse not unnecessary but it imparts an essential theme of Shabbos that, “When the Shabbos arrives, it shall seem to you as if all your work is done, that you shall not think about work.”
Keeping Shabbos—in its true manner—entails more than just refraining from work. Ultimately, the true expression of Shabbos is the mindset that “all you labor” has already been completed throughout the week and therefore one can dedicate one’s Shabbos to delighting in G-d and to spiritual rest.
In expressing this law, Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi writes in his Code of Jewish Law:[3] “It is impossible for a person to perform all their work in one week. Rather, (the meaning of the statement that you should perform “all your labor” is that) a person’s outlook on every Shabbos should be as if all their labor is done—and there is no greater pleasure than this.”
The only way for a person to have true pleasure of the Shabbos day is if they are completely satisfied with what they have during Shabbos. Only when a person has the attitude that he has no work that is pertinent to be done, can a person detach himself from worldliness and truly partake of the day of the Shabbos.
The Medrash[4] explains that it is this point that the prophet Yeshayahu imparts is his statement (Yeshayahu 58:13-14), “If you restrain your foot because of the Sabbath, from performing your affairs on My holy day…and you honor it by not doing your wonted ways, by not pursuing your affairs and speaking words. Then, you shall delight with the Lord.”
Only when a person truly detaches himself from worldliness can he truly “delight in the Lord.” On Shabbos we are to live in a reality where, to a certain degree, we are to cease being purely physical creatures and “delight in G-d.”
The Talmud[5] tells a story which aptly expresses this point:
“There was an episode that occurred with a certain pious individual (chossid). He went out for a walk in his vineyard on Shabbos and observed that there was a hole (in the gate,) and thought that he would fix it after Shabbos. However, he said: ‘Since I thought about fixing it (during the Shabbos), I will never repair this section of the wall.’ What did the Holy One blessed be He do for him? He caused that a caper-bush fenced over the hole, from which he had livelihood his entire life.”
The Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, explains[6] that although one’s thoughts do not directly cause a prohibited act, a pious person nevertheless refrains from thinking thoughts of labor on Shabbos. This is because when one thinks of labor on Shabbos, they are separating their mind from cleaving to G-d—essentially missing the point of this holy day.
Shabbos, is referred to as Shabbos kodesh—the holy day of Shabbos. On a basic level, the translation of the word kodesh in Hebrew is separate. By calling Shabbos, kodesh, it is to impart that on Shabbos one is to be completely separate from labor and our entire mentality should be permeated with being close to G-d.
Although when an individual flips their Shabbos switch they may not—according to various halachic authorities—be desecrating the Shabbos, they are exhibiting the fact that they are not satisfied with their situation and desire that a labor be committed and are not truly kadosh, or separate from worldliness.
Essentially then, this individual’s mental state is such, that they are not in the mindset of “all their labor” being complete, as they desire to circumvent Shabbos so that their labor can be done.
Though on a theoretical level the purpose of such devices is purported to be increasing the enjoyment of Shabbos, ultimately they actually detract from one’s enjoyment of Shabbos—as the Medrash expressed that one can only truly delight in Shabbos if they truly feel that they are not lacking anything.
So, while there may technically be no outright prohibition that is broken when operating the “Kosher-Switch,” conceptually, it is antithetical to the very fabric of Shabbos.
[1] Many articles from halachic decisors have been written discussing the halachik viability of such devices. Some rabbis have argued that the uncertainty of whether there will indeed be an electric current causes the act of moving the switch to be permitted, while others have argued that this technical uncertainty does not transform the device into a device that can be operated on Shabbos. For all halachik decisions in this matter, consult an expert, practicing, orthodox rabbinic authority.
[2] Mechilta, Shemos 20:9
[3] Orach Chaim, 306:21
[4] Mechilta, ibid
[5] Jerusalem Talmud, Shabbos 15:3. See as well Babylonian Talmud, Shabbos 150b
[6] Likutei Sichos, Vol. 11, Pg. 80ff
