An Electric Scooter on Shabbat: Can an ill person use an electric scooter if it’s a gerama (delayed action, permissible on Shabbat in certain extenuating situations as it constitutes a lower Rabbinic violation-TS) device?

Rav Aviner: Yes. Gerama is allowed on Shabbat for security or ill people, or any other situation where Rabbinic (mide’Rabanan) violations of Shabbat are permitted with a shinui (unusual way of doing it to avoid an outright violation of Shabbat). However, Rav Kook (Orech Mishpat 301), Rav Benzion Meir Chai Uziel (Shu”t Mishpat Uziel II 36:20), and Rav Ovadia Hadaia (Shu”t Yaskil Ovadia 5:38-MZ) all forbade using electricity on Shabbat in these circumstances, as they believed this constituted a Biblical (mide’Orayta) violation of Shabbat. Most people don’t follow this, and it is considered only a Rabbinic violation of Shabbat, especially if the device doesn’t contain a current filament (to prevent negative resistance in the electrical circuit—without this, the device naturally is somewhat gerama). All of this is only true for someone who is ill and doesn’t have any other solution.

Trempiada: Is it dangerous to stand at a trempiada (highway intersections or central locations where Israelis hitchhike from)?

Rav Aviner: It’s only dangerous if the security forces forbid hitchhiking from there. If not, then it’s certainly fine to wait there. However, there is some, very small, danger, as there is with everywhere else in Israel and the rest of the world.

Hebrew Print: Am I allowed to read a book written with Hebrew letters in a restroom?

Rav Aviner: From the responsa of Rambam (Rav Moshe ben Maimon, Spanish-born philosopher and Halacha expert also known as Maimonides-TS), it seems as if it’s forbidden, but Rav Yosef Irgas (Italian-born Kabbalist, one of the main antagonists of Rav Moshe Chaim Luzzatto-TS) allows it (Shu”t She’elat Shlomo 3:296, and the Belzer Rebbe was very strict about this-MZ).

Clinical Death: Is clinical death a real thing?

Rav Eliyahu: Clinical death is a real thing—there are more than one million documented cases in the world.

Price Tag: What does the Rav think about actions that provoke the nations, like recent reports of “Price Tag attacks?

Rav Eliyahu: The State of Israel is able to and needs to teach our enemies that there is a price for spilling blood. If they are firing at us from Gaza, then the State needs to turn off their electricity until they pay (in Area A). (Note that at the latest Israeli estimate, which was later checked and verified by the New York Times in an article in May 2015, the PA owes over $430 million to the Israeli Electrical Company- TS). If the Palestinian Authority continues to incite to kill Jews, then the State needs to stop their tax payments (in Area A). The State can also deport the families of anyone who threw a stone or molotov cocktail, or waved a knife, etc. Generally, there are many efficient, interesting and creative ways to explain to Arabs that they shouldn’t be waving knives at Jews. There’s no need to write this in graffiti on an Arab’s house—it isn’t helpful and it’s very dangerous.

Reading Shema to a Baby: I heard that some have the custom to say the first verse of Shema every night when putting a baby to sleep, even if the young infant doesn’t understand it. What is the reason for this custom, and is it worthwhile to adopt it?

Rav Eliyahu: It’s always good to have a religious atmosphere in the house. Also, the neshama (soul) of the baby certainly understands Shema.

Printed in Olam Katan on December 18, 2015. Edited by Rav Mordechai Zion, reprinted and translated with permission.

Rav Shlomo Chaim Aviner is the French-born head of Yeshivat Ateret Yerushalayim in the Old City of Jerusalem. Rav Shmuel Eliyahu, son of the famed Rishon Lezion (Israeli Sefardi chief rabbi) Rav Mordechai Eliyahu zt”l, is the Chief Sefardi Rabbi of Tzefat. Together they answer about 400 questions every day about Judaism, Halacha and philosophy, as well as the occasional gem of advice, via SMS messages. They publish their best ones every week in the Olam Katan Shabbat newsletter. Shu”t SMS questions can be sent to Rav Aviner at +972 52-3653028.

By Translated by Tzvi Silver/JLNJ Israel