Uh-Oh: Shabbat Elevators Not So Kosher?

In some buildings, there are shabbat (or shabbos) elevators that stop on every floor, allowing observant Jews to travel on them without worrying about breaking the Sabbath and using technology. However, a recent ruling in Israel appears to ban use of Shabbat elevators and even suggests they may be a "desecration of the Sabbath." But New York Jews don't seem that worried—one told the NY Times, "One of the wonderful things about Judaism is that there are competing opinions about everything."

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By Jen Chung in News on October 10, 2009 5:26 PM

Comments [rss]

hubcap

religion sucks, take the stairs for the exercise

Dude69

Another proof that religious doctrines of any kind don't make sense. Pity the poor orthodox Jews who are missing out on some delicious lobster rolls!

nyorker555

ugh. the ridiculous modern variations of these ancient laws make everyone look foolish.

Tricksta

I guess most of you are afraid to read or something, 'cause I think Thespis broke it down pretty succinctly.

I agree some people bring religious practices to a superstitious level, though, which I think is stupid.

Which is why it's incredibly asinine that in a supposedly "intelligent" city like New York, most elevators don't have a 13th floor... but I see no one's talking about that.

ozik

If they are observant, they'll turn the power off to their building at 11:59pm on Friday. If they are TRULY observant, they'll turn off power for the whole city.

csk

self-rightiousness in the highest order.

some of these guys could use a weekly flight of stairs.

djchaser

If you happen to open your mouth at the exact moment a friend has a forkful of bacon traveling towards it, is that cool, too?

gawkthis

this is the same israel keystone cops ruling group that ruled a few years ago that only ultra orthodox jews are real and everyone else has no right to call themselves a jew regardless of their parentage?

just more proof that elohim enjoys slapstick comedy too.

Steven

Religion is stupid. These are the same Jews who go out and commit sins and don't pay uncle sam or have some sex scandal.

moonbeam

Take the stairs or you're going to hell.

rcltrh

Did they have elevators when the Torah was written? Crazy crazy nonsense.

ed_Extinct

That's funny, every hotel in Israel has Shabbat elevators.

str1cken

P.S. : "But New York Jews don't seem that worry—"

Indeed, they do not. New York Jews doesn't afraid of anything.

Mr Mel

As of 9:13AM it still hasn't been corrected.

99centmenu

new york jews is a pretty cool guy, after all.

barryap

Eh violates Shabbos and doesn't afraid of anything.

str1cken

Whatever. It's all superstitious nonsense anyway.

It's the same thing as prescribing the precise amount of salt to throw over your shoulder after spilling some. The exact. Same. Thing.

jchez

Why do Jews who follow Kosher laws make God out to be so stubbornly unreasonable and yet, so incredibly gullible?

If you turn on a light-bulb on the Sabath that's lighting a fire and he doesn't want you to do that. Even when it's just because of a motion detector?

But, OK, if he doesn't want you to operate machinery fine. But, how can anyone think that by using an elevator but not pressing a button, that you have now fooled him because you are so smart that you found a loophole?

Cautious Pessimist

Yeah, I always thought that was hilarious. When I was in college, I had a couple Jewish friends that lived on my floor. They would ask me to turn on their lights and TV for them on Saturdays. I asked them if that isn't, you know, cheating? They all just said no and ended the conversation then.

s0me_g0d

So they believe they might go to hell (or whatever the it's called in the Jewish religion) for pushing an elevator button?

Mr Mel

Let's not get carried away here. The fundamentalist theory, if it doesn't hurt, you're not doing it right, applies.

Thespis

You're perhaps being flip, but there's some merit in that statement. When a person is forced by religion to go out of their way, it is a reminder of their faith and their devotion to God (as he or she understands it). Is it silly? Yeah, it's a little silly. (In part because there's not really a "god" to be close to...but different strokes.)

But it's understandable if you see it not as part of some universal plan ("do this or God will smite you"), but rather as a way to a deeper faith. When you take the stairs, you remind yourself of God, and feel a connection to your faith. In that regard, these sorts of silly fictions (e.g. "God likes elevators, but not elevator buttons") that force people out of their routine make sense.

From that perspective, it also makes sense that a fundamentalist would need to go further out of his or her way, and would have to hurt a little more, to find that faith. For a fundamentalist, they want to walk up 40 flights because imagine the connection you'll feel to God after that sacrifice. For moderates, "walk up 40 flights" is a bit too much of a reminder of God. Neither is wrong -- it's all about finding the right level of closeness to whatever God you want to believe in.

(Now, that's not to say that fundamentalism is good. Oftentimes it's not enough for the fundamentalist to merrily sit in a cave, denying himself to reach a better connection with God. Some "fundamentalists" use religion as a weapon to control others. Other fundamentalists don't get that it's about them -- and think that they'll somehow get closer to God by making someone ELSE be "holier." Those people are fucking nuts.)