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From: dave@utcsrgv.UUCP (Dave Sherman)
Newsgroups: net.religion.jewish
Subject: Re: Ann Landers on Judaism
Message-ID: <5020@utcsrgv.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 8-Aug-84 17:01:32 EDT
Article-I.D.: utcsrgv.5020
Posted: Wed Aug  8 17:01:32 1984
Date-Received: Wed, 8-Aug-84 17:22:13 EDT
References: <154@mhuxv.UUCP>  <585@ihuxs.UUCP>  <335@houxb.UUCP>
Organization: The Law Society of Upper Canada, Toronto
Lines: 22

In article <335@houxb.UUCP> hrs@houxb.UUCP (H.SILBIGER) writes:
~| 
~| Since it is permissible to answer a knock on the door on the Sabbath,
~| why is it not permissible to answer the telephone. I don't recall
~| a prohibition against this in the bible, which is very explicit
~| on what is and is not permitted.

Jewish law is not all set out in "the bible". Jewish law is made up
of the "written law" (the Torah) plus the "oral law", set out in
the Mishnah and the Talmud, and compiled in the Shulchan Aruch.
The Torah prohibits "melachah" on the Sabbath. The Mishnah and
Talmud detail the 39 specific acts of melachah, one of which is
lighting a fire. Rabbinic interpretation of this prohibition in
the context of electricity is that any active use of electricity
(e.g., turning on a light, or making an electrical connection)
constitutes lighting a fire. Using a telephone is an active use
of electricity.

Dave Sherman
Toronto
-- 
 {allegra,cornell,decvax,ihnp4,linus,utzoo}!utcsrgv!dave