Shabbat: N-P (Nails, Non-Jews, Pumps)

Richard B. Aiken

NAIL CUTTING

You may not bite your nails or have them cut on Shabbat (and Jewish festivals).  If you have a broken nail, you may ask a non-Jew to cut it off for you if it bothers you.

NON-JEWS

Asking Non-Jew To Do Melacha D'Oraita

You may not ask a non-Jew to turn ON a light or turn ON heat, or other d'oraita violations of Shabbat--even for a mitzva or for oneg Shabbat. However, you may ask a non-Jew to do a melacha d'oraita for any of a sick person's needs, even if there is no danger to the person's life.

NOTE: You may tell a non-Jew to do melacha, even if it is d'oraita, for a mitzva or oneg Shabbat only if it is bein ha'shmashot (between sunset and dark).

Asking Non-Jew To Do Melacha D'Rabanan

You may directly instruct or ask a non-Jew to do melacha d'rabanan for you on Shabbat, but only:

To prevent a large financial loss.

NOTE: A large loss is subjective to the individual's actual wealth and also to that person's perception of what is a large loss. Consult a rabbi.

For Shabbat needs.

EXAMPLE: You may ask a non-Jew to unlock an electric hotel door or trigger an entrance door on Shabbat, since this is for a Shabbat need and the action is not prohibited d'oraita.

SITUATION: A new guest arrives and you need the space on the table occupied by your Shabbat candlesticks.

WHAT TO DO: You may not move the candlesticks, but you may ask a non-Jew to do so.

SITUATION: You left a non-muktza item that you now need for Shabbat on a tree branch (or a child left one in a tree house).

WHAT TO DO: You may not climb the tree to retrieve the item, but you may ask a non-Jew to retrieve it.

EXAMPLE: You may ask a non-Jew to turn on air conditioning.

EXAMPLE: You may ask a non-Jew (directly, no need to hint) to turn off a light if it interferes with someone's sleeping.

To allow doing a mitzva.

For other pressing (and certainly for life-threatening) needs, such as health, even if the person not sick.

NOTE: All of these are d'rabanan cases!

Hinting to a Non-Jew To Do a Melacha

You may hint or imply that you need something done in order to induce a non-Jew to do even a melacha d'oraita that will benefit you, but only if you don't need that action.

EXAMPLE: Turning off a light; bringing a chair from outside an eruv.

Non-Jews: Melacha Bein HaShmashot

You may tell a non-Jew to do melacha for Oneg Shabbat.

PUMPS

Well Water

You may use water from a pump-operated well on Shabbat (as on Jewish festivals), as long as the pump operation is not a psik reisha (inevitable and immediate consequence of using any water tap).

EXAMPLE: You may use water from a well if it comes via an automatic pump that operates to fill a reservoir once the water level drops, but you may not:

Operate the pump directly.

Turn the pump on or off.

NOTE: If there are variants to this situation, ask a rabbi.

Copyright 2015 Richard B. Aiken. Halacha L’Maaseh appears courtesy of www.practicalhalacha.com Visit their web site for more information.