[Avodah] shabbos app

[Micha Berger via Avodah]

On Tue, Sep 30, 2014 at 09:16:48PM +0300, Eli Turkel VIA AREIVIM wrote:
: see
: http://www.shabbosapp.com/
:
: claims to allow the use of a cell phone on shabbat through an app that
: overcomes various problems
: (they dont discuss uvdah de-chol)
: They write that rabbinic endorsements are to come but I dont believe that
: any rabbi would endorse such an app (assuming this is a serious venture)

It's kickstarter, so given the implausibility of any O rabbis' endorsements,
I would question its seriousness.

That said, I replied here on Avodah in case anyone else wants to play:
What's wrog with this ad?

The rules are alot like Boggle. Do not read below until the timer runs
out, and then lets compare lists. Notice not all my issues are reasons
I don't think it would work, a couple (2, 5) are reasons why I think
the step is unnecessary.

1- Udva dechol -- R' Eli Turkel's opening issue

2- Similarly, if you use RSZA's argument that the primary issur is that
observant Jewry universially accepted this avoidance, and therefore it's
as binding a gezeira as if Sanhedrin passed it.

Now, on to their bullet items:

3- "Battery"... since battery usage is entirely unobservable, I doubt
there is an issue to circumvent. (OTOH, I see technical problems
implementing this claim, aval ein kan hamaqom lehaarikh.)

4- Writing, delayed typing option:
Gerama doesn't mean mutar. So, perhaps if it were needed by doctor...

5- Writing, wipe data option:
Kesiva is based on tzuras ha'os. There is no advantage to wiping data.
OTOH, temporary writing is assur anyway. (SA OC 340:4)
You would also have to address tzovei'ah and mechiqah.

6- Screen. I'm not sure LED backlighting poses a specific issue for
them to need to circumvent it. OTOH, it's probably how they keep
battery drain close to constant.

7- Charging.... See "gerama" in #3, above. Also, as I don't know
how the boneh argument to plugging things in works to know if delayed
action on the actual charging makes plugging the thing into the outlet
any less boneh. The issur isn't the charging, but the attachment to
the ground, so it there any materiality to the delay? It's like saying
that it's okay to open an umbrella if you don't hold it over your
head for the first 15 min.

Thoughts? Objections to any of my "boggle words"?

GCT!
-Micha

[menucha via Avodah]

They're going after the wrong market. This would be a great Machon
Tzomet type thing, much of what they are using is Gramma, and they
should be marketing this to those who are using phones for pikuach nefesh.

[Kenneth Miller via Avodah]

Sounds to me like they think grama time-delays can make melachos mutar,
but my understanding is that it merely brings them to a d'rabanan
level. Of course, that is a gross oversimplification, but I would point
out on Rav Heineman's Sabbath Mode ovens (which not everyone allows)
there is no visual change on any of the controls, and even that is
allowed only for yom tov, not Shabbos.

7- Charging.... See "gerama" in #3, above. Also, as I don't know how
the boneh argument to plugging things in works to know if delayed action
on the actual charging makes plugging the thing into the outlet any less
boneh. The issur isn't the charging, but the attachment to the ground,
so ...

I would add that charging would also pose a tikun maneh problem. I can't
see it being any less assur than winding one's non-electric wristwatch.
Granted, there are heterim for that if the wristwatch is still running,
and that parallels the case of the phone which is still running, but
still, it is yet another problematic point.

Akiva Miller

[Kenneth Miller via Avodah]

... but I would point out on Rav Heineman's Sabbath Mode ovens
(which not everyone allows) there is no visual change on any of
the controls, and even that is allowed only for yom tov, not
Shabbos.
After a random delay period of approximately 30 seconds to 1
minute, "][" will appear in the display indicating that the
oven is baking/roasting.

Let's say for a minute that Rav Heineman is being more machmir than the Shabbos App. Just for the sake of illustration, let's suppose that the Shabbos App programmers designed it with a delay of only 5-10 seconds. I will now note that their Home Page shows five sample text messages, whose lengths are 69, 38, 39, 3, and 75 characters. This means that these messages would take 8.6, 4.7, 4.9, 0.3, and 9.3 MINUTES to type out!

Besides all the halachic problems, I suspect that this extreme slowness would make the Shabbos App very unpopular. On the other hand, this very fact might mitigate the Uvda D'Chol that R' Micha pointed out.

Akiva Miller
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