Watching television on Shabbat
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Question
Topic: Use of electricity on Shabbat
Question: Is sitting in front of a television that is on during Shabbat considered desecrating Shabbat?
Question: Is sitting in front of a television that is on during Shabbat considered desecrating Shabbat?
Answer
Shalom u'vracha
With Israeli television, it is forbidden to watch it on Shabbat because of the prohibition against benefiting from an act done in violation of Shabbat.
With non-Jewish television, there is no prohibition from the perspective of benefiting from an act done on Shabbat.
[Of course, the discussion here is only with regard to the prohibitions of Shabbat, but many other prohibitions are involved in watching television: immodesty, statements of heresy against Hashem, and many other prohibitions.]
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