NY Times Discovers Shabbat Elevators

The Times discovers Shabbat elevators exist, but incorrectly thinks the reason regular elevators are prohibited on Shabbat is because they make sparks or fire.

The New York Times discovers Shabbat elevators, but gets the reason why regular elevators are (for most Orthodox Jews, anyway) prohibited on Shabbat:

From sundown on Friday until the sun sets on Saturday, many observant Jews refrain from certain activities, including pushing elevator buttons, following a restriction that comes from a prohibition against creating sparks and fires. So in some buildings, elevators are programmed to stop automatically on every floor during the Sabbath. That way, observant Jews can hop right in and, eventually, get where they are going.

Here's a good overview of electricty usage on Shabbat issues.

[Hat Tips: DR. R-F., Ban the Rabbis, Devorah.]

Comments

[Sol]

In recent years, some buildings have adopted speedier versions: an express Sabbath elevator, stopping only at specific floors requested in advance by observant families.

Very smart! I had no idea that this option was available. As they say, "necessity is the mother of invention". Well done!

[Aleksandr Sigalov]

Shabboth elevators is a prime example of idiocy of the rabbis and their little cult.

But what i do not get, Shmaryah, is the point of this post. Are you surprised at the ingnorance of Times or something?

[Junarchist]

sasha, patchemu ti takoy zloy?

[Aleksandr Sigalov]

2 Junarchist:

Because people who enact these so-called "rules" not only mislead the other people and spread lies. But they also the main source of why Jews are so much hated around the world.

If you like to be hated... be my guest...believe these idiots.

[Haimish McHorny]

Aleksander. What a lot of bullshit you are spewing. Nobody but nobody cares about little OCD rules except the peop,e who keep them.

You appear to have the analytical powers of a rabbit. Maybe avoid the thinking stuff eh?

[Aleksandr Sigalov]

Nobody but nobody cares about little OCD rules except the peop,e who keep them.

That's my point actually. Only the Times does not say it either, so any non-jewish layman who read this piece now thinks that all Jews do those crazy things.

Do you think its ok?

[Just saying]

Since when does the New York Times report accurately about anything?

[Aleksandr Sigalov]

Lol, I dunno ;) Why you asking me ?!? ;)

[Haimish McHorny]

You miss the point. The irreligious think all religious are stupid. Jewish, Moslem, hindu. No difference. So what drummers do is no more or less stupid than what Catholics do.

Guess what mate, they don't all hate us. Most couldn't care less.

[Haimish McHorny]

Frummers. Not drummers. Autocorrect maybe has a better sense of humour than anticipated though!

[Steven W]

Maybe your autocorrect joined a Jewish drum circle. Wait 'til it starts taking yoga.

[Haimish McHorny]

Well tomorrow is the end of time. iPad 3, a new Rolex and a Bentley SUV. Looks like the Mayans were correct after all!

Yoga is so last millenium.

[Malka Gittel]

So reading this makes the goyim think we are all stupid and crazy? What else is new? When crazy Christian evangelicals have articles written on their latest foibles, other Christians do in fact worry that other readers will believe that all Christians are awful.

So everyone's hypersensitive. Everyone feels misreported. We can all share our sorrows about that with the other misrepresented groups.

[Emanuel]

What's the difference between following mitzvot and superstition? I won't say sorry if I offended anyone, I really intended to, because it is what it is, superstitions.

[Le Newyorkais]

the NYT is basically correct that the prohibition against electricity, which did not exist in Biblical times, is based upon the ancient "39 types of work prohibited on Sabbath," 1 of which is starting fire or sparks.
what do u expect from the Times? a 5-page footnote explaining all the details?

[Shmarya]

the NYT is basically correct that the prohibition against electricity, which did not exist in Biblical times, is based upon the ancient "39 types of work prohibited on Sabbath," 1 of which is starting fire or sparks.
what do u expect from the Times? a 5-page footnote explaining all the details?

Posted by: Le Newyorkais | March 06, 2012 at 10:11 PM

I expect accuracy.

And if I can find an accurate English-language explanation of the issue in less than one minute of using Google, so can they.

[Adam Neira]

My elevator is very upset by this story. (Like HAL in 2001-A Space Odyssey, it is sneakily intelligent. It surreptitiously reads my lips as I mouth the words to the latest news stories I peruse on my phone whilst in the UDPCM, so thus it found out about this just today. I know it is upset because it stopped mid floor today for five minutes and it is usually a reliable beast with impeccable manners. I’m always on the lookout for glitches in the matrix.) In our building people have to push the buttons and this does creates wear and tear to our “Up and Down Person Carrying Machine”. Every day the buttons get pushed, squashed, bashed, forcibly pressed and snubbed by normal, tired, angry, rushed and lazy residents from the twelve floors. The fact that his (elevators are masculine pronoun) cousin across the Atlantic gets such special treatment on Shabbat is unfair. The International Criminal Court for Aggrieved Elevators in The Hague must be called into session tout de suite, or else all the poor downtrodden elevators of the world will revolt in protest.

Dylsexic Elevators of the World Untie !

Happy Purim !

[BibleBeltJew]

Adam, nicely done, esp. for a fast day. Chag Purim Sameach! Roll Tide.

[Gevezener Chusid]

I find that fast days go MUCH faster when you eat on them.

[Le Newyorkais]

Shmarya, NYT is accurate enough on this matter! next time any secular person says that Shabbat is from Friday sundown until Saturday sundown, I will correct them. "No, my friend, Shabbat is from 18 minutes before sundown on Friday until 3 stars appear Saturday evening."

[Junarchist]

Posted by: Aleksandr Sigalov | March 06, 2012 at 03:33 PM

I would suggest you read "Black Rednecks and White Liberals". One of the chapters is dedicated to different minority communities and how their success has translated to discrimination. this is not a fundamentally Jewish trait, although we seem to be better at it then most.

And the only idiots I believe are the ones that reaffirm my own beliefs and prejudices.

http://www.amazon.com/Black-Rednecks-Liberals-Thomas-Sowell/dp/1594031436/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_5

[Truth Teller]

This makes total sense, because, clearly, pushing an elevator button is work, whereas climbing 4 stories to your apartment is not.