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Developer(s)YidTec, Inc. The team includes Yitz Appel as President and staff of programmers including Yehuda Levi and Yossi Goldstein[1]
Websitewww.shabbosapp.com

The Shabbos App is a proposed Android app claimed by its creators, YidTech, Inc. to enable Orthodox Jews, and all Jewish Sabbath-observers, to use a smartphone on the Jewish Sabbath.[2][3][4][5][4]

The app is highly controversial[3][6] in Jewish Orthodox circles. The current position of the established Orthodox community is that using a smartphone on the Sabbath is prohibited by halakha (Jewish religious law), a view disputed by The Shabbos App team.[citation needed]

Developers

The app was created by YidTec, Inc. with a team that includes Yitz Appel, Yehuda Levi, Yossi Goldstein as well as other programmers.[1][7][8] Jewcy reported: "This is no cynical, gimmicky ploy: the developers (themselves observant Jews) have outlined all of the potential problems with texting on Shabbat, and explained how each one is circumvented by the app."[9]

Current halachic problems of using a smartphone on the Sabbath

File:Special Shabbos App Keypad.png
Special Shabbos App keypad
File:Shabbos App Options Screen.png
Prototype options screen

Using a smartphone on the Sabbath may violate one of several rabbinic prohibitions, as follows:[10][1]

  • Writing: Text that one types and erases remains on the phone's hard drive and is theoretically permanent – this is a potential problem of writing/erasing[11][12] according to some opinions.
  • Sounds: Sounds are made when one notifies or is notified of new messages, etc. This is a potential problem of making noise[13] which is prohibited.
  • Screen: Turning the screen on and off is similar (according to some opinions) to turning a non-incandescent lamp on and off. This can be a potential prohibition of making a fire (ma'avir) be assur according to some Poiskim.
  • Charging: When one plugs a wall charger into or out of the phone, according to one opinion of Rabbi Avrohom Yeshaya Karelitz (1878–1953) known as the (Chazon Ish) one is building and breaking a circuit and in violation of the prohibition of building and destroying.[14] and [15] This ruling of the Chazon Ish is disputed by many rabbis, including Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach (1910–95).

Controversy

As of October 5, 2014, no Rabbinical authority had approved of the app.[citation needed]

According to its creators, the Shabbos App resolves many of the problems related to using a smartphone on the Sabbath.[4][10] However, many rabbis find the app to be a desecration of the Sabbath and forbid it.[16][17] The Orthodox Union ran an two opinion pieces against the app, on October 7, 2014[18] as well as another piece by Rabbu Ari Kahn[19] Another commentator focused on the benefit of just disconnecting for a few hours, rather than using the app.[20] The developers of the app say that they are doing good for people who are texting on Shabbos.[6]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "Shabbos App for Sabbath Texting Roils Rabbis". Popular Mechanics. October 3, 2014. Retrieved October 13, 2014.
  2. ^ "New Shabbos App Creates Uproar Among Orthodox Circles". The Jewish Week. October 2, 2014. Retrieved October 12, 2014.
  3. ^ a b "App lets Jewish kids text on Sabbath – and stay in the fold". The Times of Israel. October 2, 2014. Retrieved October 3, 2014.
  4. ^ a b c "Finally, Now You Can Text on Saturdays Thanks to New 'Shabbos App'". Shalom Life. October 2, 2014. Retrieved October 12, 2014.
  5. ^ "Will the Shabbos App Change Jewish Life, Raise Rabbinic Ire, or Both?". Jewish Business News. October 2, 2014. Retrieved October 12, 2014.
  6. ^ a b "Sacred texts: App aims to solve SMS-during-Sabbath problem". Haaretz. October 1, 2014. Retrieved October 3, 2014.
  7. ^ "Observe the Shabbat with your iPhone". i24news. October 13, 2014. Retrieved October 13, 2014.
  8. ^ "Kurzmeldungen: Auf die Schnelle". Jüdische Allgemeine. October 15, 2014. Retrieved October 15, 2014.
  9. ^ [1]
  10. ^ a b "Lose Your Shabbos Rest With Newly Created Smartphone Shabbos App". JP Updates. September 29, 2014. Retrieved October 12, 2014.
  11. ^ "Kosaiv". halachipedia.com. Retrieved October 12, 2014.
  12. ^ "Mochek". halachipedia.com. Retrieved October 12, 2014.
  13. ^ "Making music on Shabbat". halachipedia.com. Retrieved October 12, 2014.
  14. ^ "Boneh". halachipedia.com. Retrieved October 12, 2014.
  15. ^ "Sosair". halachipedia.com. Retrieved October 12, 2014.
  16. ^ "New York Shabbos Texting App Stirs Controversy". vosizneias.com. September 30, 2014. Retrieved October 12, 2014.
  17. ^ "The Shabbos App". halachipedia.com. Retrieved October 12, 2014.
  18. ^ "Throwing Our Esrogim at the Shabbos App". OU Life. Retrieved October 14, 2014.
  19. ^ http://www.ou.org/torah/parsha/rabbi-ari-kahn-on-parsha/shabbat-app/
  20. ^ "The Shabbos App – A Psychological Threat". 5 Towns Jewish Times. Retrieved October 14, 2014.
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