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The Shabbos App is a proposed Android app that will enable Orthodox Jews, and all Jewish Sabbath-observers, to use a smartphone on the Jewish Sabbath. The app is highly controversial in Jewish Orthodox circles. The current position of the established Orthodox community is that using a smartphone on the Sabbath is prohibited by Halakha (Jews law), a view disputed by The Shabbos App team and who claim they are relying on the view of Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach (1910-1995).

As of October 3, 2014, the project was listed as a draft Kickstarter project and was inactive. According to the proposed draft, project founders aimed to raise $25,000 and launch the app during February 2015.

Current halachic problems of using a smartphone on the Sabbath

Using a smartphone on the Sabbath may violate one of several rabbinic prohibitions as follows:

• Battery: The battery can get extremely hot from use - this can be a potential rabbinical prohibition of making a fire.
• Writing: Text that one types and erases remains on the phone's hard drive and is theoretically permanent - this is a potential problem of writing/erasing according to some opinions.
• Sounds: Sounds are made when one notifies or is notified of new messages, etc. This is a potential problem of making noise which is prohibited.
• Screen: Turning the screen on and off is similar (according to some opinions) to turning a regular light on and off. This can be a potential prohibition of making a fire (ma'avir) according to some opinions.
• Charging: When one plugs a wall charger into or out of the phone, according to one opinion of Rabbi Avrohom Yeshaya Karelitz (1878-1953) known as the Chazon Ish) one is building and breaking a circuit and in violation of the prohibition of building and destroying. and This ruling of the Chazon Ish is disputed by many rabbis, including Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach (1910-1995).

Solutions to the halachic problems resolved by the Shabbos App

The Shabbos App addresses the potential halachic problems that can occur when using a smartphone on the Sabbath as follows:

• Battery: Similar to a Sabbath elevator, the Shabbos App forces consistent battery power so any phone use will not cause additional battery strain, thereby not causing the battery to heat up, preventing Halachic problems of ma'avir.
• Writing: The Shabbos App features two options for those who wish to satisfy one or both of these stringent opinions.

1. Delayed Typing option: Selecting this option this will cause a slight and random delay when typing, which is considered grama.
2. Wipe Data option: Selecting this option will cause the app to reset all new data every hour. This will render any text typed not permanent.

• Sounds: All sounds are disabled when the app is active. The user can choose to receive a vibration for new notifications, visual indicators, or both vibration and visual. The visual indicator on the information bar will display any new notifications.
• Screen: The app forces the screen to stay on the entire time (a user can set the brightness prior to activating the app), which inhibits any problems of turning the screen on and off.
• Charging: The phone will need to be charged more often than usual as the Shabbos App will place additional strain on the battery. To increase battery charge, there is an indicator on the information bar (that looks like a power plug) that will be green and red. When the green indicator light is on, you can plug your phone device in and out of a phone charger, as no charging action will occur until the indicator light turns red. Charging will only begin when the indicator light is red. To warn of an impending charging status change, the indicator light will blink red to alert the user not to plug the device in or out until the user can safely identify the charging status, when a solid green or red light will then appear. The indicator light will change to green for five minutes after every fifteen minutes, and continue to cycle in this method indefinitely.

Controversy

According to its supporters, the Shabbos App supposedly resolves many of the problems related to using a smartphone on the Sabbbath. However, many rabbis find the app to be a desecration of the Sabbath and forbid it. The developers of the app feel that they are doing good for people who are texting on Shabbos.

When the Sabbath mode was introduced by The Star K under the auspices of Rabbi Moshe Heinemann it met with tremendous resistance. There was a Kol Koreh (rabbinical proclamation) signed by many authoritative rabbis, including Rabbis Yosef Shalom Eliashiv (1910-2012), Nissim Karelitz (b. 1926), Shmuel Wosner (b. 1913) against the Sabbath Mode and against Rabbi Moshe Heinemann.

This Kol Koreh included statements such as: "In our opinion, use of 'Sabbath Mode' to change the temperature of an oven on Yom Tov (Jewish holidays) represents an assault on the sanctity of Shabbos and Yom Tov and will lead to deterioration in their observance" and "Surely one is obligated to protest this leniency with all our might. Such leniencies are a great degradation in the foundation of Shmiras Shabbos and those that are careful with the honor of Shabbos will bring an eternal Brocho upon themselves."

External links

• Shabbos App official website
• Times of Israel App Lets Jewish Kids Text on Sabbath by David Shamah October 2, 2014
• Fink-or-Swim Shabbos App Tragic Commentary by Rabbi Eliyahu Fink October 2, 2014
• Fink-or-Swim The Shabbos App by Rabbi Eliyahu Fink, October 1, 2014
• Sacred texts: App aims to solve SMS-during-Sabbath problem, October 1, 2014

References

1. "App lets Jewish kids text on Sabbath – and stay in the fold". The Times of Israel. Retrieved October 3, 2014.
2. "Sacred texts: App aims to solve SMS-during-Sabbath problem". Haaretz.com. October 1, 2014. Retrieved October 3, 2014.
3. "The Shabbos App (Yes it is Real)". Finkorswim.com. Retrieved October 3, 2014.
4. "Shabbos App - Enhancing Shabbos for everyone! by Shabbos App — Kickstarter". Retrieved October 3, 2014.
5. Ma'avir
6. Kosaiv
7. Mochek
11. "Lose Your Shabbos Rest With Newly Created Smartphone Shabbos App - JP Updates". JP Updates. Retrieved October 3, 2014.
14. "Sacred texts: App aims to solve SMS-during-Sabbath problem". Haaretz.com. October 1, 2014. Retrieved October 3, 2014.
15. "The Shabbos App (Yes it is Real)". Finkorswim.com. Retrieved October 3, 2014.
16. "The Yeshiva World UPDATE: Preventing Transgression: Gedolei HaPoskim Asur Pressing Buttons on 'Shabbos Mode Ovens' on Yom Tov «  » Frum Jewish News". Retrieved October 3, 2014.
17. "The Yeshiva World UPDATE: Preventing Transgression: Gedolei HaPoskim Asur Pressing Buttons on 'Shabbos Mode Ovens' on Yom Tov «  » Frum Jewish News". Retrieved October 3, 2014.

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