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Jun 8, 2015
Headline of the Day
'Orthodox Jewish’ Horse Violates the Sabbath to Win Triple Crown
-The Jewish Press
the horse violated shabbos.. perhaps. I am not sure how. The family of the owner stayed in an RV near the track for Shabbos, as no hotel was within walking distance. What did the horse do? He did not plow. He did not turn on any lights or send emails. He did not write a document or open the refridgerator with the light on. He went for a run which might be a problem with "psiyos gasos", but I am not sure that is an actual issur... The track has a fence on it, which probably qualifies as en eruv, so carrying the jockey would not be a problem. The jockey did not do anything wrong because he was a Shabbos Goy.
So what issur did the horse actually violate?
Picking on the headline sounds funny, but online there is a lot of criticism for the Orthodox or traditional owners of American Pharoah for racing the horse on Shabbos despite the obligation to allow one's animals to rest on shabbos from melahca. but I cannot figure out what the horse did wrong, what melacha was performed. It perhaps was not within the spirit of Shabbos observance, but I can't figure out an actual violation of an issur.
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Maybe not a דאורייתא, but possibly (Shabbat 113a-b):
ReplyDeleteמעשות דרכיך שלא יהא הילוכך של שבת כהילוכך של חול
as in the song:
הלוכך תהא בנחת
The owner's are earning money for activity done on Shabbat, and only on Shabbat. That's not allowed: i.e. שכר שבת
ReplyDeleteHerb is right. The horse ran for money on Shabbos. Big money, in fact.
ReplyDeleteAre you seriously contending that operating a business through a non-Jew is permitted on Shabbos?
No way can you say the "activity" was "only on Shabbat" - it takes years of work to prepare a horse for a race. Much more than the waiter who works at your kiddush and "prepares" for it in Friday by opening a package of cups so he can get paid.
ReplyDeleteThe work at the the track is only on shabbat. That is all they get paid for by the track if they win. All other preparatory work is their own prerogative and not what the track pays for. Your case of the waiter is irrelevant as in that situation the waiter is actually working for the same establishment that is paying them. That is not the case with a horse race which is only on shabbat.
Deleteexcuse me, not one of you knows the corporate or business structure that this horse is owned under. when you go on the attack of mursing home owners and real estate moguls among the many orthodox businesses open on shabbos, then you can take an ignorant swipe at this horse. schar shabbos is not a simple issue that "it's assur". our kollel is learning it right now and as in everything in halacha, not so simple. plus, on a very basic level, just cuz they call him owner, doesn;t mean that there isnt some sort of legal business structure that may allow him to run and won on shabbos. yaak, especially, I am dissapointed in your lack of attempting to find schar rather than join in the rabble who so ignorantly yet loudly yell chillul shabbos.
ReplyDelete"in your lack of attempting to find schar"
DeleteHuh? Shaya, you've said some idiotic things, but this one takes the cake.
Do you mean my lack of attempting to be Melamed Zechut?
First of all, if you even looked at my post about it, you would notice that I only said positive things about the Zayats.
Secondly, I was only giving a possibility of why it may be a "violation". In fact, I was trying to be Melamed Zechut on the Jewish Press - not criticize the Zayats. In fact, I could ask you why aren't you trying to be Melamed Zechut on the Jewish Press? Why are YOU joining the rabble who so ignorantly yet loudly yell "Mutar Lach, Mutar Lach"?
maybe he has non-jewish partners. maybe he doesnt take the money from the shabbos winnings and will only take the [more] money from the coming breedings. Espinoza said he is donating what he earned from the iwnnings, maybe Zayyat is doign similar (maybe not).
ReplyDeletelots of people work on shabbos or their companies do, and they find ways to earn their income within halacha, whether by calling it schar bittul or getting paid for the preparation (think of the baal kriya in shul), stores that rely on a non-jewish partner or the owner sells the schar shabbos to a goy, etc.
I dont know what the Zayyats did, and I dont know if they did everything right or wrong. I am just trying to understand what the big issur was in allowing the horse to run.
see שש"כ פרק כח ס"ק נד (new edition) and footnotes for sources
DeleteI don't know what Zayyat actually did, but שכר שבת is clearly an issue.
And while it's most likely unintentional, the chilul hashem of having someone who news sources frequently refer to as the Orthodox owner doing what in the eyes of the world is work on Shabbat is painful beyond words.
I am not familiar with the racing industry, but I'm sure there are plenty of investors in this industry.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, the actual winnings are nominal compared to the "breeding rights" he is reported to have sold for $200 million before the race (thus the concept of "havlaah"; that the income is mixed in with non shabbat labor.)
Interesting article on this
ReplyDelete