DailyHalacha.com for Mobile Devices Now Available

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

      
(File size: 1.22 MB)
Ordering a Taxi for Immediately After Shabbat

The Poskim discuss whether it is permissible to order a non-Jewish taxi service to pick one up immediately after Shabbat. Obviously, the non-Jewish driver would have to violate the Shabbat in order to reach the address on time. The question is whether his driving on Shabbat is considered Melacha done for the Jew, which is prohibited to benefit from.

Rav Yishak Yaakov Weiss (1901-1989), in his Minhat Yishak (Vol. 6:25) was asked a similar question with regard to calling a non-Jewish driver on Friday to pick up Jews who spent Shabbat in Meron at the tomb of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai. He concluded that it is prohibited to do so.

This strict ruling was questioned by other authorities, including Rav Shelomo Miller. They rule that it is permitted based on the Mishna Berura (Rav Yisrael Meir Kagan, 1839-1933, 276:27). The Mishna Berura cites the opinion of the Taz (Rabbi David Segal, Poland, 1586-1667) who permits instructing a non-Jewish maid to wash dishes, which is intrinsically a permitted act, even though she will have to turn on the lights in the kitchen to do so. He reasons that the Jew has no direct benefit from the light; it was her prerogative to turn them on, and she did so for her own benefit. The Mishna Berura applies this leniency to sending a non-Jewish messenger on a mission on Shabbat, even though he will kindle a candle to illuminate his path. Based on these precedents, these Poskim are lenient and permit ordering the taxi for Mosei Shabbat, since the Jew did not direct him to drive on Shabbat; he is doing so for his own benefit.

This lenient opinion is the accepted Halacha. However, one must exercise caution not to accidentally order a Jewish driver.

It is possible that the Minhat Yishak was strict on this issue, because he was dealing with a case where the taxi company charged for the drive to the Jew on Shabbat. In such a case, the time driving on Shabbat constitutes an integral part of the service provided to the Jew.

SUMMARY: It is permitted on Friday to order a non-Jewish driver to pick one up immediately after Shabbat.

 


Recent Daily Halachot...
If a Person Prayed or Recited a Beracha Without a Kippa
If One Thought the Words of a Beracha in His Mind, Without Verbalizing Them
If it Cannot be Determined Whether a Fruit Requires “Ha’etz” or “Ha’adama”
If One Recited the Wrong Beracha Over a Fruit or Vegetable
The Beracha Over a Chocolate Bar With Nuts, and Over Coated Nuts
Which Beracha Does One Recite Over Sugar-Coated Almonds?
The Beracha of “She’ha’kol”
The Beracha Over Papaya, Banana, Pineapple, and Passion Fruit
The Beracha Over Eggplant, Papaya, Banana, Pineapple and Passion Fruit
Answering to a Zimun if One Did Not Eat
Does One Recite Birkat Ha’mazon After Eating Dairy Bread?
Reciting a Beracha When Eating a Spice On Its Own
Which Beracha Does One Recite Over Cereal with Milk?
Women’s Obligation in Birkat Ha’mazon
Reciting a Beracha When Eating a Fruit and a Sugar Candy
Page of 239
3585 Halachot found