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04-01-2009, 05:23 AM
(This post was last modified: 04-04-2019, 11:38 AM by Director Michael.)
B''H
Sh'lom dear Director Michael and Academy Rabbis,
If a Noahide pays another gentile to drive him on the Jewish Shabbat to the Synagogue (where the Noahide is allowed by this congregation to pray with them), is a Jew allowed to sit with them in the car (while car is moving)? The Jew doesn't pay, doesn't drive and is not the initiator of the operation. The whole time, the Noahide who pays is in the car.
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04-01-2009, 01:36 PM
(This post was last modified: 04-01-2009, 01:37 PM by Director Michael.)
No, a Jew is not allowed to do this. If he is in the moving car, his extra weight directly makes the car burn additional fuel (or use additional electricity if it is an electric-powered car). During the Jewish Sabbath, a Jew is forbidden to cause something to burn or to cause electric current to flow.
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B''H
Thank you very much, director Michael!
Hopefully all of Israel will hold even more strictly the laws of Shabbat than before and G-d will send us Moshiach immediately!
Sh'lom
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04-04-2019, 11:39 AM
(This post was last modified: 04-04-2019, 11:46 AM by Director Michael.)
Question from torabora:
is it at all discouraged for Noahides to use the airport on Shabbat in Israel, or is it not a factor for a Noahide to consider?
The concern is contributing to the demand of non-observant Jews to perform work on Shabbat, whether on the plane, airport, taxi, or hotel, as well as increasing their work, causing disturbance to Shabbat where many Jews reside, and so on...
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Answer:
Strictly speaking, a Noahide can use all the services that are being offered at and in conjunction with the Israel Airport during the Jewish Sabbath. That's because the Jews who are working have already decided to do that, and a Noahide is not responsible for the actions of a Jew.
On the other hand, if the Noahide can avoid doing actual business with Jews on their Sabbath, when it's not really necessary, that will be better. For example, not buying unnecessary snacks, books or souvenirs, etc., from shop clerks who are Jews. There are numerous Arab store clerks who work there, so it's preferable to do the business with them.
If a shop is obviously owned by a Jew, but you see only Gentiles working in the store during the Shabbath, it may be that the Jew is in partnership with a Gentile, and he sells the business to the Gentile before the Sabbath starts on Friday PM and buys back his share after the Sabbath ends on Saturday night, so all the business and profits during the Sabbath are owned only by the Gentile, in which case there is no prohibition involved.
Also, there are numerous Arab taxi drivers, so it's better to be driven by them during the Jewish Sabbath
You may know that El Al airlines does not fly on the Sabbath.