Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utcsrgv.UUCP Path: utzoo!utcsrgv!dave 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