rulings

Kosher Elevators Are No Longer Kosher, Say Rabbis

Shabbos elevators, which are programmed to stop on every floor from Friday evening to Saturday evening so that Orthodox Jews can use them without pushing buttons, were ruled a possible “desecration of the Sabbath” last week by a group of prominent Rabbis in Israel, and the news is trickling down to NYC’s Orthodox community. The Rabbis claim the decision is based on their research into “new technology,” which the Times guesses is probably an elevator mechanism that measures the weight of its load and adjusts its power accordingly. So far, though, the Times couldn’t find a member of NYC’s Orthodox community who was fazed by the decision: “Look,” said Jacob Goldman, 38, walking on Friday morning on Grand Street. “Just because there is one opinion doesn’t mean that it is everyone’s opinion. One of the wonderful things about Judaism is that there are competing opinions about everything.” [NYT]

Kosher Elevators Are No Longer Kosher, Say Rabbis