Question:
Hi if you’re happily sitting in a pitch dark room (and your apartment is only that 1 room) on Shabbat because your light was accidentally switched off. So you can’t really do anything but sit there. You were going to try to eat in the dark by feeling around. And then a gentile comes and turns the light on for you without you asking, what are you supposed to do? Would you not be able to stay in the apartment because anything you did would be benefiting from the light he turned on for you? What should you do in that situation?
Answer:
Hello,
Initially you should prevent the gentile from turning on the light. After the fact (if he already turned the light on) you can remain in the room but you are not allowed to do something that you would have been unable to do had he not turned on the light (however if it’s a LED light and you need the light for the Shabbos evening meal- you would be allowed to have the gentile turn the light on, and you would be allowed to benefit from the light the whole Shabbos).
All the best
Sources:
Shulchan Aruch (Rema) O:C 276:1, Mishna Berura 276:11,13
LED lights- Minchas Yitzchak 3:23
So if you were going to try to eat in the dark, how should you go about eating? Should you close your eyes and try to eat that way?
Please see above regarding LED lights.
If the lights are not LED, you do not have to close your eyes (Mishna Berura 276:14). The answer to your question is as above- “you are not allowed to do something that you would have been unable to do had he not turned on the light”, meaning that since you would be able to eat albeit with difficulty, you are allowed to eat. Reading, certain games etc. which are impossible to do with the light off are not allowed.
I hope this clarifies things more.
Hi I didn’t see what link you were referring to regarding LED lights. Thanks.
Oh I see the comment, nevermind. I can’t read Hebrew though so I don’t know. Is it something to do with leds not being considered fire?
Yes. With regards to hinting to a gentile on Shabbos, we are more lenient (in certain cases) where the issue is turning on electricity (LED lights), as opposed to turning on a light that has an element of fire to it which is more stringent.
Ok thanks again. You said “If the lights are not LED, you do not have to close your eyes” – was this a typo?
No, it wasn’t a typo. I’ll rewrite the original answer to your question with the additions that were added in the comments. Maybe this will clear things up.
If the lights are not LED (we are more stringent with these lights, because aside from the issue of turning on electricity, there is also the issue of lighting a fire/spark): Initially you should prevent the gentile from turning on the light. After the fact (if he already turned the light on) you can remain in the room but you are not allowed to do something that you would have been unable to do had he not turned on the light. For example, since you would be able to eat in the dark, albeit with difficulty, you are allowed to eat. You do not have to close your eyes when you eat or when you do anything that you could have done (albeit with difficulty) in the dark. However, reading, certain games etc., which are impossible to do with the light off, are not allowed.
If the lights are LED (these lights are less stringent because there is no issue of lighting a fire/spark, there is only the issue of electricity): If you need the light for the Shabbos evening meal- you would be allowed to have the gentile turn the light on, and you would be allowed to benefit from the light the whole Shabbos.
I hope this clarifies things a little more.
Yes thanks a lot!
Many thanks for the helpful and comprehensive information facilitating our learning the halacha in Chapter 23 (50) “Orchot Shabbat” by Harav Yosef Gelber and Harav Yitzchak Mordekhai Rubin Shalita.
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