Electricity and appliances on Shabbat

In short

This is the most common question at the start: on Shabbat, the widespread practice is not to switch electrical devices on or off, and not to adjust them. Everything is set up before the onset of Shabbat. It is not so complicated once the habit is there, and on particular cases, it is for your rav to answer.

At a glance

An overview of the widespread practice: the precise cases are settled with your rav.

What is not done

One does not operate switches and appliances: lights, television, computer, oven, machines. Switching on or off belongs to the kind of act set aside on Shabbat. The point is not to give up technology for its own sake, but to leave the world as it is for the length of the rest.

What is set up beforehand

The essentials are settled on Friday, before the candles are lit:

• the lights you want on or off, or plugged into a timer;
• something hot to eat, kept warm on a hot plate meant for the purpose;
• the phone silenced and put away.

Once these settings are made, there is nothing more to think about for the whole of Shabbat.

The phone and the screens

This is the hardest part in our time, and often the most precious afterwards: twenty-five hours with no notifications, no screen, no way of being reached. Many dread that silence, then come to hold it dear. You let those close to you know, you put the device away, and you rediscover time.

The fridge, the sensors, the automatic

These are the questions that come up most ("the fridge switches itself on, am I the one transgressing?"). Many people disable before Shabbat whatever is triggered by use (the fridge bulb, a sensor-operated light), and some appliances have a "Shabbat mode" designed for this. The exact arrangements depend on your equipment and on how you use it: this is typically a question to put to your rav.

Particular cases, and emergencies

Two things to hold on to. First, in an emergency, and always where a life is at stake, one does what is needed without hesitating: saving a life comes before Shabbat. Second, for everything else (medical devices, so-called "Shabbat elevators," timers, work situations), the answers vary: these are exactly the questions a rav is there to rule on, according to your situation.

Frequently asked questions

Can a timer be used for the lights? It is a common practice, set before Shabbat. For the details, ask your rav.

Is a "Shabbat elevator" permitted? Opinions differ among the authorities: some use it, others do not. Do not settle it on your own, ask your rav.

And if I switch something on out of habit, by mistake? It happens, especially at the beginning, and it is not a disaster: you learn, you get used to it. Speak to your rav about it if it troubles you.

The Shabbat guide · Cooking and keeping food warm · What to do with your time

Sources: this guide draws on the classical sources of Jewish law. It gives a general orientation, never a ruling that takes the place of your rav's. On any concrete case, ask your rav.