Ch’ai tech

The kosher gadget industry — that’s how reporter Dan Levin sums up a niche but growing market aimed at helping Orthodox Jews follow halacha (Jewish legal code) while still staying connected to modern conveniences. In his New York Times piece, Entrepreneurs Find Ways to Make Technology Work With Jewish Sabbath, Levin offers examples of inventions that are making pre-Sabbath preparations a little less labor intensive.

For those not versed in Sabbath, it’s an official day of rest, from sundown Friday night until star rise Saturday night. Thirty-nine activities are forbidden during this time, which means a lot of preparation has to go on Friday during the day in order to get through Saturday rested and fed but without breaking the rules.

For example, one pre-Sabbath ritual Levin offers is putting tape over that button inside the refrigerator that typically turns the light on, a Shabbat no-no. He also reports:

In the last 10 years, manufacturers like Whirlpool and Viking have put Sabbath mode settings on most of their ovens, refrigerators, and even wine cellars. General Electric introduced its Sabbath mode in 2000, and said the special setting is featured on more than 150 of its wall ovens, ranges and other cooking appliances. These modes either turn off certain lights, fans and alarms, or use a Jewish legal concept known as “gramma,” or indirect action, to operate the appliance on holy days.

One really interesting invention — pens with ink that disappear after a few days is “based on a rabbinic interpretation that only forbids permanent writing…”  There are more examples — Sabbath-friendly wheelchairs, alarm clocks and lampshades that can be turned to block light without actually having to switch the light off. So far though, seems Sabbath email is still out of reach. One of these days…