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Internet Sales on Shabbos

Shalom! I am about to start selling mobile applications via the internet. When somebody downloads them, the transfer is automatically made on my bank account. My questions are: Should I close it for shabbes, or take a non-Jewish shutaf for the shabbes earnings? Does shabbes count according to my place (Hungary), or the downloader’s? F.e. if someone downloads in the US, when it is still shabbes there, but here it is already motzaei shabbes, or when I have shabbes, but for the downloader it is still erev shabbes? Is there a difference between a Jew or a non-Jew pays in shabbes, but for me it is not shabbes? Thank you, Yehuda

Answer:

According to the strict halachah, it is permitted to keep the website open on Shabbos. However, doing so involves something of a desecration of the spirit of the Shabbos, and without a partnership with a non-Jew, it is preferable to keep the website closed for the Shabbos in Holland — in your place of residence. There is no need to close the site for Shabbos elsewhere.

As noted, the best option for keeping the site open is to have a partnership with a non-Jew, whereby the non-Jew takes the Shabbos profits, and you take the profits of a different day. An acceptable, if less ‘mehudar’ alternative is to have a partnership with a non-Jew, whereby you take a share of the Shabbos profits in proportion to your share of the partnership.

Sources:

The sources for this ruling are somewhat complex. Please G-d, we will present them in an article for the coming Parashah Vayishlach.


Apologies for the delay in replying to this question.

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