A Shabbat lamp is a special lamp that has movable parts to expose or block out its light so it can be turned "on" or "off" while its power physically remains on. This enables the lamp's light to be controlled by those
Shabbat observant Jews who accept this use,
to make a room dark or light during Shabbat without actually switching the
electrical power
Electric power is the rate at which electrical energy is transferred by an electric circuit. The SI unit of power is the watt, one joule per second. Standard prefixes apply to watts as with other SI units: thousands, millions and billions o ...
on or off, an act prohibited by Orthodox Judaism on both Shabbat and the Jewish Holidays.
Shabbat lamps for children, such as the teddy bear pictured here, have features for covering the light without tampering with electricity. Under the bear's hat is a black shell that turns to completely hide the lightbulb.
Halakha of the Shabbat lamp
There are various
Jewish laws
''Halakha'' (; he, הֲלָכָה, ), also transliterated as ''halacha'', ''halakhah'', and ''halocho'' ( ), is the collective body of Jewish religious laws which is derived from the written and Oral Torah. Halakha is based on biblical commandm ...
governing Shabbat lamps that enable their use by those
[ who permit controlling them during Shabbat.
The lamp itself cannot be moved from its location due to the laws of ]muktzah
Muktzeh (Hebrew: "separated") is a concept in Jewish rabbinical law. Muktzeh objects are subject to use restrictions on the Sabbath. The generally accepted view regarding these items is that they may be touched, though not moved, during Shabba ...
. However, most authorities agree the component that is used to open or close the light is not attached, and under Jewish law, has the status of a lamp shade
A lampshade is a fixture that envelops the lightbulb on a lamp to diffuse the light it emits. Lampshades can be made out of a large variety of materials like paper, glass, fabric or stone. Often times conical or cylindrical in shape, lampshade ...
, which can be moved during Shabbat in order to control the amount of light that is exposed.
In addition, it is problematic in halacha to move a light because, historically, the most common lights were candles or other flames which could easily go out if moved. (This applies only to Shabbat; during a Yom Tov
Jewish holidays, also known as Jewish festivals or ''Yamim Tovim'' ( he, ימים טובים, , Good Days, or singular , in transliterated Hebrew []), are holidays observed in Judaism and by JewsThis article focuses on practices of mainstre ...
that does not coincide with Shabbat, the lamp may be moved but not unplugged, as moving a candle on such a day is permitted.) The restriction on moving candles may also apply to incandescent lights, which are generally treated in halacha as similar to fires. However, Shabbat lamps are lit by and only accept a compact fluorescent lamp
A compact fluorescent lamp (CFL), also called compact fluorescent light, energy-saving light and compact fluorescent tube, is a fluorescent lamp designed to replace an incandescent light bulb; some types fit into light fixtures designed for inca ...
. These bulbs do not contain electrical filament
An incandescent light bulb, incandescent lamp or incandescent light globe is an electric light with a wire filament heated until it glows. The filament is enclosed in a glass bulb with a vacuum or inert gas to protect the filament from oxidat ...
s like those found in incandescent light bulb
An incandescent light bulb, incandescent lamp or incandescent light globe is an electric light with a wire filament heated until it glows. The filament is enclosed in a glass bulb with a vacuum or inert gas to protect the filament from oxid ...
s, and therefore, according to some rabbinical authorities, do not constitute a fire, but rather, an electrical appliance that is permissible to move on Shabbat.[Shemirath Shabbat Kehilchathah 13:40]
Practically speaking, a normal lamp could be coveredcompact fluorescent bulb
A compact fluorescent lamp (CFL), also called compact fluorescent light, energy-saving light and compact fluorescent tube, is a fluorescent lamp designed to replace an incandescent light bulb; some types fit into light fixtures designed for inca ...
(CFL) used also has the benefit of using a minimal amount of energy, as the lamp must remain on for a period of at least 25 hours.
See also
*Electricity on Shabbat
Many Jews who strictly observe Shabbat (the Sabbath) refrain from using electrical devices on Shabbat, with the exception of passive enjoyment of devices which were set up before Shabbat. Various rabbinical authorities have pronounced on what ...
*Shabbat clock
Many Jews who strictly observe Shabbat (the Sabbath) refrain from using electrical devices on Shabbat, with the exception of passive enjoyment of devices which were set up before Shabbat. Various rabbinical authorities have pronounced on what ...
*Sabbath mode Sabbath mode, also known as Shabbos mode (Ashkenazi pronunciation) or Shabbat mode, is a feature in many modern home appliances, including ovens, dishwashers, and refrigerators, which is intended to allow the appliances to be used (subject to vario ...
References
External links
Shabbat lamp U.S. patent info
{{Shabbat
Shabbat innovations
Types of lamp