shabbat - Forbidden actions and the role of non-Jews

The question I am to ask is related to personal experience I've had but can be easily broadened. I am really asking for the sake of broadening my knowledge, and I apologize if any part of my question is offending as it is really not my intent.

As a non-jewish person, I have been asked by jewish people on Shabbat day to switch a water boiler on. The same thing happened to a friend, except he was asked to turn the lights on.

Although we both complied gracefully, I am wondering: is asking a non-Jew to perform such forbidden actions legal ? If so, how would things turn out in a society where everybody is a Jew and complies to the laws ?

I can't help but feel that either me doing what I did or them asking me to do them was somewhat unethical. However, I can also imagine that boiling water could be necessary for such urgent need as feeding a baby or tending to wounds. In such a case, does the law provide other workarounds ?

Answer

There are many restrictions placed upon Jews on Shabbat that prevent them from doing even relatively simple things like switching on a light or heating up some food, etc.

Although biblically there is no prohibition against a non-Jew doing something for a Jew on Shabbat, to keep the spirit of Shabbat, and as a safeguard against violating it, the Sages prohibited a melacha (form of work prohibited on Shabbat) to be done by a non-Jew for a Jew on Shabbat.

However, this rabbinic prohibition is only violated if one of two things occurs:

1. The Jew asks the non-Jew outright to do a melacha for him. This includes a command, request, significant gesture, or even answering "yes" if the non-Jew asks, "Do you want me to do such-and-such?"


2. The Jew derives direct benefit from the melacha performed by the non-jew. This means that the benefit obtained by the Jew is a direct consequence of the melacha performed by the non-jew. This would not include, though, a melacha which removes an obstacle thereby allowing the Jew to derive benefit; that is called indirect benefit.

In order for the melacha done by the non-jew to be permissible, it must be done in a way which avoids both the above conditions. A classic example is to hint to a non-jew to turn off the light in a bedroom so that a Jew may sleep there by saying "The light was accidentally left on in my room. I will have trouble sleeping." There was no explicit command or request, so #1 is avoided, and turning off a light is considered indirect benefit, since it removes the obstacle (light) which prevented the Jew from deriving benefit (ability to sleep). So #2 is also avoided. Thus, this case is permitted.

However, if the non-Jew was asked to do so outright, or if he turned on a light in a room for the benefit of a Jew even without being asked at all, both of these cases are prohibited (by conditions #1 and #2 respectively), and the Jew may not derive benefit from the non-Jew's actions.

Two other important exceptions to this rule are:

• A Jew may hint to a non-Jew to perform a melacha for the sake of a communal mitzva, even where direct benefit will be derived by the community. That is, even though #1 must still be avoided, #2 is not a problem. For example, one may hint to a non-Jew to turn on the lights in a synagogue for communal prayers even though turning on a light is considered direct benefit.


• For the sake of a sick person, direct benefit may be derived from a melacha done by a non-Jew, though again, he may not be asked outright. [How "sick" a person has to be for this exception to apply is a matter of discussion, but it should be noted that there is no doubt that in the case of life threatening illnesses, no time should be wasted asking others to do melachos, rather a Jew is obligated to save the dying person by any means necessary.]