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Last update - 11:39 30/09/2009
Ultra-Orthodox balk at new rabbinical ban on Sabbath elevators
By Yair Ettinger, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: Haredi, Israel News 
Announcement snowballed into strong disagreement that threatens to destroy a rare halachic consensus.

It would be an overstatement to conclude that the latest halachic ruling banning the use of elevators on the Sabbath shocked residents of the Tovei Ha'Ir retirement home in Jerusalem.

Most residents at this institution, which caters to the religious and ultra-Orthodox, received news of the rabbinical edict with indifference.

Tovei Ha'Ir residents have been using elevators on the Sabbath for years - this is the only way they can get from their rooms on the upper floors to the dining hall and synagogue.
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One of the retirees, a Haredi man, barely concealed his sarcasm when he responded, "What changed suddenly? What was kosher until now is suddenly treyf?"

Another woman was releaved to hear the edict was issued by Rabbi Yosef Sholom Elyashiv, the head of the Lithuanian Haredi community.

"Lucky for me that he isn't my rabbi," she said. "I only follow the Gerrer rebbe," she said.

Residents were unanimous in their opposition.

This is an edict that will not work," one said. "If we all adhere to it, not only will we not leave our rooms on Shabbat, but life in places like Manhattan will come to a standstill."

In halachic terms, Tuesday's announcement, which appeared as a tiny notice in the religious newspaper Yated Ne'eman, has snowballed into a strong disagreement that threatens to destroy a rare halachic consensus, not to mention the routines of hundreds of thousands of observant Jews around the world.

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      1.   Not supposed to use umbrellas either.. 06:10  |  Truthteller 30/09/09
      2.   This is News??! 06:15  |  B`galil 30/09/09
      3.   What are they surpirsed about 06:24  |  Dan 30/09/09
      4.   Shabbat Lift - Trefa? 06:52  |  MENACHEM 30/09/09
      5.   The Ridiculousness of 21st Century Halacha 06:56  |  Tzfonit 30/09/09
      6.   Shabbat Elevators 07:08  |  JJ Gross 30/09/09
      7.   New ban on Shabbat elevators 07:15  |  I. Hirsch 30/09/09
      8.   Shabbat 08:04  |  Dov 30/09/09
      9.   Tsunami on the Way 08:44  |  Walid 30/09/09
      10.   Not enough to do and too much power 08:51  |  Eugenio 30/09/09
      11.   Riot on Shabbat but what ever you do dont take an elevator 09:04  |  SJ 30/09/09
      12.   train and lifts 09:19  |  Malcolm 30/09/09
      13.   So what`s new? There was life before Shabat elevators 10:32  |  sh 30/09/09
      14.   Follow up report. Please note 11:36  |  Sherlock Holmes 30/09/09
      15.   Reply to #13 Times have changed 11:44  |  Joe 30/09/09
      16.   Walid 11:45  |  Jack 30/09/09
      17.   Reply to #5 12:00  |  Akiva 30/09/09
      18.   If this were a report on some scientific or techy taboo . . . 13:09  |  Zev Davis 30/09/09
      19.   stupid article 13:24  |  Jon 30/09/09
      20.   Joe 13:26  |  sh 30/09/09
      21.   The thing about fatwas 13:29  |  sh 30/09/09
      22.   You can`t break halacha because it is inconvenient 14:44  |  Carl Finnstein 30/09/09
      23.   treif fin 15:17  |  peter rouget 30/09/09
      24.   What;\`s good for the goose... 15:51  |  Danny Sonedat 30/09/09
      25.   Ban on using Shabbat lifts 15:56  |  Jon Fedler 30/09/09
      26.   Walid has a point 16:03  |  Jay 30/09/09
      27.   Who Is The Authority Here? 16:27  |  Yaakov Sullivan 30/09/09
      28.   the next ruling says you can`t tie both shoelaces on shabbat - 17:20  |  ivo 30/09/09
      29.   obstacle 17:29  |  Chaphari 30/09/09
      30.   Objection 17:52  |  Mayer 30/09/09
      31.   TODAY NOT YESTERDAY 18:49  |  TOBIA 30/09/09
      32.   The Last Time... 03:45  |  DenverChuck 01/10/09
      33.   Ruling based on error (electricity=fire) is error, not Halakhah 17:10  |  Paqid Yirmeyahu 01/10/09
      34.   Does Anyone Recall?? 19:05  |  Yaakov Sullivan 01/10/09
      35.   # 28/Ivo 20:22  |  Yohanatan 03/10/09
      36.   Decision-makers have too much time on their hands 07:26  |  Gur 10/10/09
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