Sabbath Laws and Battery-Powered Vehicles

Dear Rabbi, I recently purchased an electric Tesla, motivated by a desire to reduce my environmental footprint. Considering that this vehicle operates without combustion, I am curious to know whether its use aligns with our Shabbat observances. Could you please provide guidance on whether driving this electric car on Shabbat is permissible? Best regards,

Thank you for your question.

It is intriguing how the Melachot of Shabbat are defined. The Torah specifies 39 types of work, derived from those used in constructing the Mishkan. For instance, cooking dye was essential for the colors in the Mishkan; thus, cooking is prohibited on Shabbat. This principle is based on the passage in Parshat Vayakhel where Hashem commands the observance of Shabbat:

Exodus 35:1-5 states, "Moses assembled the whole community of Israel and said to them, 'These are the things that Hashem has commanded you to do: Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day shall be holy for you, a sabbath of complete rest to Hashem. Whoever does any work on it shall be put to death. Do not kindle a fire in any of your dwellings on the Sabbath day.' Moses then said to the Israelites: 'This is the command Hashem has given: Take from among you an offering to Hashem. Everyone who is of a willing heart shall bring it as Hashem's offering: gold, silver, and bronze...'"

Rashi clarifies that the juxtaposition of the Mishkan’s construction and the Sabbath command teaches that the Mishkan must not be built on Shabbat.

Regarding modern technologies like electric cars, we must determine if they can be compared to any of the 39 prohibited Melachot. If a parallel exists, it would be forbidden to use them on Shabbat according to Torah law. Let us first examine the operation of gasoline cars and then see how this applies to battery-operated vehicles.

Operating a gasoline vehicle on Shabbat is seen as violating the prohibition against kindling a fire, making it forbidden according to traditional Jewish law. Here’s how it typically works: The car pulls in a mix of gasoline and air into its engine. It then compresses this mixture tightly inside a small chamber. A spark plug creates a small spark that ignites the compressed mixture. This explosion pushes a piston down, which helps turn the wheels of the car. The engine expels the burnt gases out of the car after the explosion. This process occurs not just when you start the car, but every time you press the gas pedal, controlling how much fuel the car takes in and thus how fast it goes.

From the above, we can deduce that driving a gasoline car involves 'Kindling a Fire' (Mav'ir), one of the 39 prohibited categories of work. A. Burning Gasoline: The operation of the internal combustion engine inherently involves igniting the gasoline-air mixture. This act of combustion is a direct form of kindling a fire. B. Electric Sparks: The use of spark plugs to ignite the fuel mixture is another form of creating fire. Spark plugs produce a small but intense spark to start the combustion process, clearly falling under the prohibition of kindling.

When examining the electric car, as you pointed out, there is no combustion involved; however, certain prohibited activities (melachot) are still being violated. The Chazon Ish, in Orach Chaim, Section 50, Subsection 9, writes that generating an electric current falls under the Melacha of Boneh (building). According to this interpretation, initiating an electric circuit is comparable to the act of construction.

Conversely, Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach, in Minchas Shlomo (page 111), offers a different perspective. He argues that since the process involves heating metal wires, it should be classified under the Melacha of Mav'ir, which is kindling.

Thus, it is still considered a melacha to drive an electric car on Shabbat.

However, there is an advantage of the battery-powered car over gasoline in cases of necessity, such as driving a wife to the hospital for childbirth. In such a case, one should try to minimize the violation of Sabbath laws in a case that it is possible to do so, as specified in the Shulchan Aruch 322,12 and Mishnah Berurah Se'if 33. Therefore, when selecting a vehicle for such emergency use, it would be preferable to opt for a Tesla. This is because the act of igniting the battery engine occurs only once when the electric car is turned on, as opposed to a gasoline car, where fuel combustion occurs each time the accelerator is pressed, as explained above, thus repeatedly engaging in a prohibited activity.

Wishing you great joy with your new car.

1. The Torah Book of Eodus 35,3
2. Rashi’s Commentary Ibid
3. Chazon Ish, Orach Chaim, Section 50, Subsection 9
4. Minchas Shlomo by Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach, Page 111
5. Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 322:12 and Mishnah Berurah Se'if 33