In my modest Hebrew library is a small, cheaply printed, booklet whose title page reads:
A Study in Jewish Law
Are we allowed to use transistor radios on the Sabbath and on holidays? It works by battery and not by electricity. Therefore, there is no light that comes on or turns off when one turns the dial to start or stop the flow of the battery’s flow.
The answer: In this action of turning the dial we encounter several concerns that require study and judgment:
a. Is the transfer of electricity (through turning the dial) considered “work” on the Sabbath or not?
b. Is this considered “the emitting of a voice” or the fixing of a tool?
c. Is the carrying of the transistor radio considered the “handling of a forbidden object (on Sabbath)?
I won’t translate the rest of the booklet, unless there’s substantial demand. However, I shall include photos of all the 11 other pages. That way, anybody who can read Hebrew will be able to gain some insights from it.
If this does find its way to the Orthodox community, the reaction will be predictable: It will be dismissed as an outlier opinion, and the authority of famous rabbis will prevail. They consider ANY TYPE of electricity to be forbidden on Sabbath and holidays – not because there’s actually a strong basis for this in traditional Jewish law (obviously, there is not), but because they would never disagree with famous rabbis who preceded them (the “gedolim”).
This is a case of, “We must consider this forbidden because previous famous rabbis ruled thusly (based on a misunderstanding of the nature of electricity). Once we’ve established that, we’ll do everything we can to come up with post hoc justifications. Off the top of my head, I remember hearing that electricity is forbidden on Sabbath because it’s a. Lighting a fire, or b. considered “building” since we’re completing a circuit. I’m sure there are others. Using electricity to cook is a different issue.
When I was still religious, I did use electricity. I was discreet about it. I’ve heard that some religious Jews do so. In fact, it’s been a subject of conflict in some communities. I hope this booklet finds its way to those who need ammunition to defend their point of view.
Notably, the booklet was written anonymously, even though the author was clearly an accomplished scholar. He didn’t want to become a pariah in his community. It’s not dated, but it was probably printed sometime in the 1930s or 1940s.
What’s a transistor radio?
You must be young. They were small, hand-held, radios that worked on batteries.