627. Waiting After Shabbos to Perform Labor

Shabbos 6:7

If a city inhabited by both Jews and non-Jews has a bathhouse that is open on Shabbos, then if the majority of residents are non-Jews, it is permitted to bathe there immediately after Shabbos. If the majority of residents are Jewish, one must wait after Shabbos long enough so that the water could be heated. This is because we consider the water to be heated for the majority, whoever they may be. If the numbers of Jewish and non-Jewish residents are the same, one must wait long enough to heat the water. The same principle applies in all such situations.

Shabbos 6:8

If a Jew directs a non-Jew to perform an act of labor for him on Shabbos, he is in violation of the law and should receive the penalty of stripes for rebellion. Nevertheless, he may benefit from the act of labor after Shabbos once he has waited the length of time it would take to perform that labor. The reason the Sages prohibited using the fruits of such labors for the length of time it would take to perform the labor is because if one were permitted to use such things immediately after Shabbos, one might be tempted to have a non-Jew perform labor so that it would be available for him immediately after Shabbos. Since one must wait long enough to perform the labor anyway, it removes the motivation to engage non-Jews in performing acts of labor.