Jerusalem – A man gets his arm amputated and it is replaced by a prosthesis that operates via brain signals. Can he use his artificial hand to type on Shabbat? Do the neural messages being sent by his brain constitute a physical act or are they just intangible thoughts?
Subscribe to our Daily Roundup Email
And if someone breaks that arm, is he liable for property damage or does it constitute personal injury?
What if we can operate a car using the same brain signals, without having to touch the gas pedal, turn the steering wheel or step on the brakes? Could observant Jews start driving on Shabbat? Would we be responsible for the damage caused if we had an accident?
Normally, operating a car or typing on a computer is prohibited on Shabbat. Mankind is supposed to stop all creative acts on the day of the week that, according to Jewish tradition, God “rested” after creating the world.
If I just think about doing something, I have not upset my restful state. But if those thoughts have tangible consequences, should they be forbidden on Shabbat?
Meleches MACHSHEVES osrah Torah !
If a jewish amputee was able to be fitted with some type of robotic arm or leg that really worked based on thought control that would restore his mobility and motion, I can’t imagine any rationale rav or posek fretting about possible malacha b’shabbos issues. Instead, they should all be benching gomel for his healing and restored health. Why do people walk around trying to come up with new chumrahs that only seem to be focused on how to make life more miserable for yidden and restrict their ability to enjoy life, especially for an amputee.
A personal injury is also a damage its called choivel and is a mazik and chayiv to pay.(unless its a knas??)
did he DO a melacha? no! A machine did it! even though he controls the machine, its like setting a time clock before shabbos, – the light gets turned on but i didnt do a mashe issur.
one hundred percent muttar!
Can an amputee with a prosthetic hand, shake hands with the opposite gender – is it still negiah or not?!
BTW, how do you think the flesh and bone that we call our hands & arms operate to start with? -It is ONLY due to our brain thinking, telling it to move, the hand and arm dont have a thought process themselves. I’m no posek but to me it is very clear that a prosthetic limb that is controlled by thought process is no different to real live limbs operating on shabbos – osur.
Reply to 2: Sorry buster, but you have some serious reading comprehension issues. The excerpt here discussed performing existing issurim via a new method, not creating any new chumros! Where did you get that absurd idea? Did you think they are trying to prohibit opening a door with a thought controlled prosthesis?! Stop it already with this cynical attitude towards halacha & Rabonim!
Interesting questions. Is the prosthetic totally integrated with the person, so doing a melachah would be assur, or is it not and at worst he would be doing gerama?
“Would we be responsible for the damage caused if we had an accident?”
I dont understand that sentance. If you CAUSE damage, how could you ever NOT be responsible?
There are already gramma car starters that was created for Ambulances in israel in order to drive for an emergency. It sounds to me like this isnt much different. using the electronic arm should be fine for the mutar acts a human arm would be used for. But the computer or driving a car issue sound like they are mutar but we should refrain from them except on emergency situations like gramma
Indeed, according to Kabbalah, one should refrain from THINKING about a melocho on Shabbos. This scientific breakthrough ehlps us better appreciate the Kabbalah.
All very good, but maybe more important is if the Rabbonim can work out the halacha and policy with respect to child molesters. In Australia we give them airline tickets out of the country and let them re-offend elsewhere.