DailyHalacha.com for Mobile Devices Now Available

Click Here to Sponsor Daily Halacha
"Delivered to Over 6000 Registered Recipients Each Day"

      
(File size: 748 KB)
Renting Hotel Rooms to non-Jews for Shabbat

The Shulhan Aruch (246:1) rules that it is permitted to rent utensils to a non-Jew on Friday, even if he will do melacha with them on Shabbat. This leniency is based on the principle "En Shvitat Kelim B’Shabbat"-a Jew is not required to ensure that his utensils desist from working on Shabbat. The accepted interpretation of this ruling is that it is permissible to rent to a non-Jew even for the day of Shabbat alone. All the more so if it was done "B'havla'ah,"-where it's done for Friday and part of Saturday night, where the Shabbat rental is encompassed within the weekday period.

One important application of this Halacha is a Jew renting hotel rooms to non-Jews for Shabbat. The issue of the non-Jew using hotel amenities, such as lights and hot water, is not a problem because "En Shvitat Kelim B’Shabbat." There is also no issue of profiting from the Shabbat, since part of Friday and Mosei Shabbat are also included in the rental term. This constitutes "Havla’ah" and would solve the problem of earning profit on Shabbat, even according to the stricter opinions.

The same principle is also the basis for permitting the rental of cars and telephones over Shabbat. Hacham David permits this even if the client is paying per mile or minute.

SUMMARY
It is permitted to rent hotel rooms, cars or cellular phones to non-Jews on Friday.

 


Recent Daily Halachot...
The Special Month of Adar
2 Halachot on Purim: Seudat Purim, and Minha Purim
Purim-Halachot for Purim Day
Purim on Mosa’eh Shabbat – Hearing the Megila Before the Time of Rabbenu Tam
Purim- The Beracha After Reading the Megillah
Purim- The Proper Reading of the Megillah
Purim: The Layout of the Megillah
Purim: The Stick of the Megillah
Purim: Unraveling the Megillah
Purim: Is it Possible to Observe Two Days of Purim?
Purim: Night or Day: Which Megila Reading is More Important?
Purim: Do Mixed Nuts Qualify as Mishloach Manot?
Purim –Matanot La’ebyonim That Will be Given to Poor People in Jerusalem on the 15th of Adar
Performing a Berit Mila on Purim
Purim – The Reason for the Special Status of Walled Cities
Page of 239
3585 Halachot found