New York, NY – Throughout the ages, Jews have gone to all lengths to avoid chillul shabbos. Nowadays, instead of physical sacrifice, it takes ingenuity and resourcefulness to avoid a transgression in our hi-tech, fast-paced world.
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Along those lines, there is a new company in Israel that offers a unique service for the Jewish clientele. Shomer Shabes, has a programmed internet system, that shuts down a site on Shabbos or Yom Tov, according to the surfer’s location in the world. Users in Israel, for example, could view the website, while Americans cannot, being that Shabbos is over in Israeli time. Shomer Shabes solves both the halachic problem of operating a website on Shabbos, and also the technical ramifications of simply shutting down your site, since that results in low google ratings.
Keeping ones site open on Shabbos causes to owner to transgress four severe prohibitions. Most site administrators have not given adequate thought to this issue, and as a result are neglicent in the mitzvah of shabbos, causing other yidden to violate the day of rest. Shomer Shabes aims to prevent yidden to fall into this trap, from chalilah committing more chilul shabbos. [VIN News]
Webber 3:01PM … And besides, this
(VIN) is just a News & Comment Website (b-Log), not an internet Halacha Course!
p.s.: We should put in effort to observe the existing (low-tech, old-fashioned) Mitzvos, and not speculate about non-existing ones.
p.p.s: I have a Shailoh. (My Rov is on vacation, so I can’t ask him/her). Salt; Is it Mechouyev Bemaasar?! or, maybe, NOT?!
Anon. 9:25PM Are you sure that the pre-fix (UN) didn’t fall off somewhere?! Just kidding. Enjoy!
I personally have spoken with R’Shlomo Miller about this issue and he stated clearly there is no reason for Issur.This refers to ebay listings starting and ending on shabbos as well as websites…
I can explain his ruling but it is a bit lenthy
Re yoel 7:17pm 1/14/08
Are you sure that the rov told you that its muttar to start a listing on shabus????
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yoel said…
my rov who is a chasideshe rov from bp. told me it muter to sell on ebay on shabbos…either to begin a listing or end a listing as long as its done every day during the week as well in other words one sells every day 30days a month….
January 14, 2008 7:17 PM
It just shows you that you can be a frum businessman, act al pi halacha & still make $$. And I am told they give A LOT of Tzedaka.
Nice job, B&H!
B&H PHOTO’s site is closed Shabbo & Yom-Tov-What a kidush Hashem. They are also closed on Chol-Hamoed.
B&H server is open on shabbos. B&H has the products on “hold” meaning you can’t buy it on shabbos but the product will be held in the sopping cart so when you come back on Saturday night the purchase will go through and an e mail will remind you.
This is what B&H says.
Whatever the case is I have not tried this on shabbos!
B&H also asks shaylos about everything in business and they are a tremendous kiddush hashem. If only all frum comapnies were as straight moshiach would be here already.
A happy B&H employee.
My son in law has an internet business that he “closes” Shabbos & Yom Tov. Customers can’t place orders then. He’s making a very nice living B”H.
FORGET ABOUT THE COMPANY
THE Q IS A VERY GOOD SHAALOH WORTHY OF ATTENTION AND THOUGHT REGARDLESS WHAT YOUR PSAK IS AT THE OUTCOME
THE STAR-K HAS A NICE ARTICLE BY RAV HEINEMAN AFTER ITS RELEASE THERE WAS A CORRECTED VERSION PUT OUT
SOME OF THE Q? INVOLVED??
IS A WEBSITE DIFFERENT THAN KEEPING A STORE OPEN ON SHABBOS?
IS IT SIMILAR TO A VENDING MACHINE THAT A YID OWNS ON A STREET CORNER?
AS BROOKLYN WOLF SAID DO WE FOLLOW THE TIMEZONE OF THE CUSTOMER OR OWNER?
SCHAR SHABBOS (EARNING PROFIT) IS AN INDEPENDENT ISSUR TO BE DEALT WITH?
EBAY IS A DIFFERENT SHALOH REGARDING AN AUCTION THAT ENDS ON SHABBOS AND INSTRUCTING THE COMPUTER TO BID FOR YOU WHICH IS UNRETRACTABLE
WHAT IS THE POINT OF SALE??
AND ANOTHER HALF DOZEN ISSUES
“HAFOCH BAH V’HAFOCH BAH DEKULA BAH” THATS THE BEAUTY OF HALACHAH
my rov who is a chasideshe rov from bp. told me it muter to sell on ebay on shabbos…either to begin a listing or end a listing as long as its done every day during the week as well in other words one sells every day 30days a month….
jewler…you are 100% right.
3:20…R’ Chezkel Roth shlita also says it’s ok. This i got first hand from a friend of mine who has an internet store and spoke at length with R’ Chezkel Roth about various halachic matters before he set up the site.
1. Why can’t they just have a notice like on CD’s: “Please do not access this web page on shabbos or yom tov” Oh, right, by then it’s too late.
2. Halachically, this seems a bit odd. I’m not responsible if someone uses my property to commit an aveirah without my consent. Do I have to shut off my doorbell, too? Once, in Yerushalayim, I bought popcorn from an elderly frum guy who had an old-time corn popper/wagon. When I asked him if he had butter to go with it, he replied, “how do I know that you didn’t just eat fleishig?” I was too snack-hungry to argue.
Reb yudel – is it true about Reb Dovid Cohen ?
Many rabonim including Reb Dovid Cohen shlita hold that it is perfectly fine. Ask your local orthodox rabbi!
B&H PHOTO’s site is closed Shabbo & Yom-Tov-What a kidush Hashem. They are also closed on Chol-Hamoed.
The whole thing is a crock….
Let’s protrect from dvd’s, magazines, tv, all of it-let’s all move into caves
Is the problem the surfer’s location, or the site owner’s location? Or is it where the servers are physically located? Or all three?
In other words, does the new service *really* solve any problems involved with owning a website and Shmiras Shabbos?
The Wolf
what prohibitions do you transgress by having your site operate on shabbos