lates us from the people around us.
And therefore it defeats part of the
purpose of Shabbat.
What abet some exceptions to
the rule?
Let's say someone is disabled and
the only way of reading is through a
Kindle that enlarges type, then you
might say that his human dignity
would supersede.
Any thoughts on what's become
known as the "Half-Shabbos" in
the Orthodox community, when
observant teenagers will text
their friends on Shabbat, but oth-
erwise observe the laws?
I address this in the footnotes.
The "Half-Shabbos" phenomenon is
testimony to the great allure of digi-
tal media, but I feel that this makes
us realize that it's distracting. And I
would say to teens, davka [precisely]
don't text on Shabbat. Talk to people.
Make eye contact.
What about for Jews who are liv-
ing in isolation, who are lonely on
Shabbat?
OK, you're in Alaska, you're on an
army base, and you're the only Jew
on the base ... I can understand
the desire to interact with others.
But still, texting involves writing, so
therefore I think it's forbidden.
What about competing values?
For example, a Jewish person in
an area with no community wants
to watch a live stream of Shabbat
services or wants to study Torah
with a friend on Skype during
Shabbat afternoon.
I also talk about these issues in
the paper. Certainly, the motivation
to participate in a community is very
strong and should be respected. If
there's a way to participate without
violating the prohibition on writ-
ing, then I would be sympathetic to
it. But, it's a bit of a slippery slope.
Once you're using your computer and
using your TV, then you might use it
for other things as well.
Aren't these gadgets just a way of
life and Jewish law has to adapt?
Yes, that's true, but we need vaca-
tions from routines now and then,
and Shabbat is about challenging us
to change our routine one day a week
and experience life a bit differently.
How does one define "Shomer
Shabbat - [Sabbath observant]
today?
A person trying to be "Shomer
Shabbat" is committed to differen-
tiating Shabbat from the workweek
by abstaining from certain activities
and engaging in other activities that
are specific to Shabbat. As I say in
the paper, we desist from melachah
and some other activities, which
detract from the tranquility of the
day. We engage in activities like eat-
ing, sleeping, praying and studying.
That makes the day sort of an image
of an ideal world, the experience of
an ideal world.
The
Craig Fahle
Show
Jewish law evolves and the hala-
chic system progresses, so doesn't
this teshuvah keep the system
from adapting to technological
innovation?
I think it's the opposite. I think it
engages with the reality of digital
culture — its attraction, its usefulness
and its negative consequences. This
paper tries to take the feel of Shabbat
and apply it to the digital age that
we're living in. For good and for bad.
How will you help young people
access your teshuvah and apply
your prescriptions to their tech-
nology-dominated lives?
I'm working on a curriculum for
Ramah camps, Schechter day schools
and USY [Conservative movement's
youth agency]. You don't do some-
thing like this without the intention of
teaching it to people who aren't going
to read a 60-page paper.
Finally, would it be ironic if some
one read your teshuvah on their
iPad on Shabbat afternoon?
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Yes (laughs). I've told people not to
read my paper on the Kindle because
that would be ironic: I don't believe
that we've come to the final chapter in
this. In the paper, I explained that as
technology continues to evolve, we'll
gain new insights. It may be that in
the future there may be a way to use
e-readers on Shabbat without violat-
ing the concerns I raise in this paper,
and I would like that.
The complete teshuvah can be
accessed at http://jewi.sh/nevins .
❑
Rabbi Jason Miller is a local
entrepreneurial rabbi and blogger. He is
president of Access Computer Technology
in West Bloomfield. He blogs at http://
blog.rabbijason.com and is on Twitter at
®RabbiJason.
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WAYNE STATE
UNIVERSITY
July 26 • 2012
9