Turning on an Air Conditioner for the Sake of Shabbat Enjoyment
Question
Is it permissible to ask a non-Jew to turn on an air conditioner on Shabbat if the weather is hot, for the sake of the Shabbat meal and sleeping?
Answer
Shalom u'vrachah.
It is forbidden, since this is a Torah-prohibited melachah.
However, if there is a child for whom the heat is difficult, or an adult who is defined as a “choleh she’ein bo sakanah” — an ill person whose condition is not life-threatening — it is permissible to tell a non-Jew to attend to their needs. Similarly, it is permissible to tell him to turn on a light for them.
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