A p’sak halacha is expected to be released by Maran HaRav Yosef Sholom Elyashiv Shlita in the coming days regarding shabbos elevators following the recent media stir on the matter. YWN-Israel in September published a report that gedolei hador issued a new ruling, prohibiting the use of the elevators based on new realities.
It now appears that Rav Yosef Efrati met with experts, along with Maran Rav Elyashiv, and the gadol hador permits the use of shabbos elevators ‘l’chatchila’ for people with special needs, a category that seems to include the elderly and their care-takers, the ill, pregnant woman and those who just gave birth.
It appears the meeting was held in response to a request from HaGaon HaRav Chaim Dovid Shubkis, a Belzer dayan.
(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)
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4 Responses
Hodu l’Hashem Ki Tov that we still have an Adam Gadol. We barely deserve him!
How about we avoid psak by rumor.
And how about making clear that “shabbos elevator” is one that has been especially constructed according to plans that eliminate all the shaylos, and that taking an ordinary elevator and putting it on a timer does NOT turn it into a shabbos elevator? That is where most of the confusion is coming from.
Does it also include women who have to shlep their not-yet-walking children up the steps? In my opinion, that’s a lot harder than walking up the steps while pregnant.