From: 	 heb_roots_chr@mail.geocities.com
Sent: 	 Friday, August 15, 1997 12:38 AM
To: 	 Hebraic Heritage Newsgroup
Subject: Re: Fire on Shabbat - Part II


From:          Barbara Cohen
To:            heb_roots_chr@geocities.com
Subject:       Re: Fire on Shabbat

Oy!  Such a mishagas.  Brain waves are electrical impulses.  
Are we not to think on the Sabbath.  You can take this too far.  
Perhaps that's why Yeshua stated the Pharisees only added to the 
people's burden.  As Eddie says, we need balance here.

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From:          "Suzanne Lancaster" 
To:            <heb_roots_chr@geocities.com>
Subject:       Re: Fire on Shabbat

Dear Rooters,

I have been reading with interest the various postings
concerning "fire on Shabbat", and have felt that there was
enough interest and response that my 2 cents worth wouldn't be
helpful one way or the other, and it probably won't be and
that's okay.  But I thought I would anyway because I haven't
seen this one little slant.  

I was in Israel in 1985 and stayed on the 9th floor in a very
nice hotel in Yerushalayim on Shabbat.  Well I remember that
they didn't have an automatic elevator that stopped on each
floor so, in order not to do work and push an elevator button, I
avoided all that work by walking up and down those 9 flights of
stairs...several times...puff, puff.  Any more rest and I'd have
probably spent the next day in bed...?!

I can tell there is much I have yet to learn!  Thanks for giving
us a place to "root" and to learn and grow and rejoice...and
laugh at ourselves!

Suzanne (Shoshannah)

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From:          Kathleen Marion 
To:            heb_roots_chr@geocities.com
Subject:       Re: Fire on Shabbat -Reply

>
>From:          "Linda Browning, Ph.D., RD" 
>To:            heb_roots_chr@geocities.com
>Subject:       Re: Fire on Shabbat
>
> The Holy Spirit impresses on me that God does not want us to 
> work on the Sabbath, but to rest. God kindly spelled it out "don't 
> start a fire". Ok   Starting fires with charcoal and matches is
> alot of work. I won't do  that. But, turning on my burner on the stove
> or turning on the crock pot  is not work. As far as I'm concerned I could
> have a blazing forest fire  going on top of my stove. It's not work, and I
> did not kindle a fire. I  turned on a knob. Turning on electricity does
> not detract from rest. It  keeps food clean and allows me to eat and
> keep my blood sugar normal.
>
> If one forbids electricity as fire, then all the food should be taken 
> out of the refrigerators and they should be turned off. No cleaning 
> up with hot water....cold showers included, and turn off the heater/air 
> conditioning. The compressors  could be said to kick in and kindle 
> electricity after the Sabbath starts. Also, Moses said no fires in your 
> (Israel's) dwellings....the whole community. That means the power 
> plants  take a break too? As far as I know, traditional Sabbath fire 
> controversies may have overshot the point. The point for me is to 
> delight myself in the L*rd and not get bogged down cooking and all 
> the stuff (including a whole lot of other things besides  making fires) 
> involved in cooking. I could add "don't go out in the garden and pick 
> green beans." "Don't peel carrots with a vegetable peeler". Basically, 
> don't work...study and spend time with God. If the emphasis turns on 
> one  example of how not to work, like "lighting fires", or "what if the can 
> opener is manually operated rather than electrical" rather than on 
> resting in the L*rd, Sabbath gets ruined anyway.
>
> As a point of sanitation: leaving food cooking - starting on Friday and 
> going through Saturday -is not healthy. Bugs/microbes can grow in it, 
> and many of the nutrients break down. Leaving food out at room 
> temperature is not a good idea either.
>
> Don't mean to step on toes. This is how God has dealt with me.
>
>Blessings,
>
>Linda Browning, Ph.D., RD
>
>*****************************************************************
>
>
>To:            heb_roots_chr@geocities.com
>From:           (Randy Felton)
>Subject:       Re: Fire on Shabbat
>
>Dear Eddie,
>
> It occurs to me that if we are going to go by the strict rabbinical
> interpretation of kindling fire on Shabbat that it would be necessary
> to unplug all electrical appliances.  A person would have to unplug
> the refrigerator to prevent it from coming on by thermostat as well as
> the heating and air conditioning system.  All clocks, timers and even
> phones would have to be uplugged.....the phone ringing or an 
> answering machine would cause a current to be energized.  Now, 
> what do we do about wool carpet in the winter time? If you
> walk and create static electricity and upon touching someone or
> something create a spark, have you kindled a fire?
> These things can be taken to the absurd....and often are.
>
> I like Rabbi Michael Silvers answer....do these things because you
> have a personal conviction from the scriptures.  Having done that, do
> not impose on others what the Holy Spirit has not imposed on them. 
> We are all at various levels of understanding and faith.  It seems to 
> me the worst thing we can do is break fellowship over these kinds of
> different interpretations.
>
> Eddie, thanks for the forum and the opportunity to work out some of
> thorny issues that plague us from time to time.
>
>Shalom,Randy Felton
>
>**********************************************************************
>

Amen, Amen, Amen!  These two are the
only ones who have made sense!  I truly
believe God is more interested in the
condition of our hearts, rather than
WORKING so hard at trying not to work on
the Sabbath. 

My Shabbat begins with a nice dinner out
with my husband.  We spend quality time
praying and discussing what is going on in our
lives over coffee by the beautiful San Diego
Bay or while soaking in our spa.  The second
Friday of the month we have a Shabbat
service in our home. Saturday morning a
piece of toast and coffee starts our day of
peace.  We spend the day together with our
family preparing to worship with our spiritual
family on Saturday evening and playing with
our 2 year old granddaughter.  We sometimes
work on our music preparing to lead worship
Saturday evening.  During the day we may
eat a sandwich or something warmed in the
microwave.  No big deal! We strive to spend
the day with the Lord, not focusing on
avoidance to the point of excluding God. 
Sunday we do our laundry, grocery shopping,
etc.

I believe if we focus on our relationship with
God, all other things will fall into place.

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