Shabbos App

A team of ten software developers at YidTec, Inc., including Yossi Goldstein, Yitz Appel, Yehuda Levi, and other programmers, were working on the app.{{cite web|url=http://www.i24news.tv/en/news/technology/47105-141013-observe-the-shabbat-with-your-iphone|title=Observe the Shabbat with your iPhone|work=i24news|date=October 13, 2014|accessdate=October 13, 2014}}{{cite web|url=http://www.juedische-allgemeine.de/article/view/id/20489|title=Kurzmeldungen: Auf die Schnelle|language= German |author= Sabine Brandes |work=Jüdische Allgemeine|date=October 15, 2014|accessdate=October 15, 2014}}

On October 22, 2014, its developers stated on the Shabbos App website that they were planning to release the app with full functionality on December 1, 2014, on Google Play. In this announcement, the developers also stated that the application is legitimate and not a hoax or a joke. The developers announced on November 16 that they were running behind schedule.

Under Jewish law, as interpreted by mainstream Orthodox Jewish rabbis, Jews are not allowed to work on the Sabbath, which is a day of rest, and Orthodox Jews do not turn electricity on or off on the Sabbath. An exception to these prohibitions is those situations that involve saving lives.

The developers said that the Shabbos App was built in a manner that avoids and resolves the Jewish law problems related to using a smartphone by texting on the Sabbath, allowing observant Jews to text on the Sabbath.{{cite web|url=http://www.refdag.nl/nieuws/buitenland/ophef_in_israel_om_joodse_berichten_app_1_863228|title=Ophef in Israël om Joodse berichten-app|language=Dutch|date=October 20, 2014|author=|work=Reformatorisch Dagblad|accessdate=October 23, 2014}}

They also said the screen stays lit for the entire day, texts can be automatically deleted, and an indicator lights green when plugging in the phone will not immediately trigger charging it.

The app was controversial in some Orthodox Jewish circles.{{cite web|url=http://www.haaretz.com/jewish-world/jewish-world-news/1.618622|title=Sacred texts: App aims to solve SMS-during-Sabbath problem|date=October 1, 2014|work=Haaretz|accessdate=October 3, 2014}}{{cite web|url=http://www.timesofisrael.com/app-lets-jewish-kids-text-on-sabbath-and-stay-in-the-fold/|title=App lets Jewish kids text on Sabbath – and stay in the fold; The 'Shabbos App' is generating controversy in the Jewish community — and a monumental on-line discussion of Jewish law|author=David Shamah|date=October 2, 2014|work=The Times of Israel|accessdate=October 3, 2014}}{{cite web|url=http://jewishvoiceny.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=9003:the-shabbat-app&catid=108:jewcy-news&Itemid=291|title=The Shabbat App|author=Rabbi Ari Kahn|work=Jewish Voice|date=October 29, 2014|accessdate=October 29, 2014|archive-date=November 12, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141112061700/http://jewishvoiceny.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=9003:the-shabbat-app&catid=108:jewcy-news&Itemid=291|url-status=dead}}

Rabbi Moshe Elefant of the Orthodox Union and Rabbi Yair Hoffman both spoke out against the app. The Orthodox Union ran two opinion pieces against the app{{cite web|url=http://www.ou.org/life/inspiration/throwing-esrogim-shabbos-app/ |date= October 7, 2014 |author=Rabbi Efrem Goldberg|title=Throwing Our Esrogim at the Shabbos App|work=OU Life|accessdate=October 14, 2014}} as well as another piece by Rabbi Ari Kahn which was also run by Aish.com.{{cite web|url=http://www.ou.org/torah/parsha/rabbi-ari-kahn-on-parsha/shabbat-app/|title=The Shabbat App|work=OU Torah|accessdate=October 20, 2014}}{{cite web|url=http://www.aish.com/jw/s/The-Shabbat-App.html|title=The Shabbat App |date=October 19, 2014 |author=Rabbi Ari Kahn |work=aishcom|accessdate=October 22, 2014}} Rabbi Dr. Raphael Zarum, Dean of the London School of Jewish Studies wrote that the Shabbos App developers:

"have found solutions to the halachic challenges of typing-writing, screen illumination, sound generation and battery drainage and charging.... I have no doubt that all major halachic authorities will come out against this, except for use in emergency situations. However, the real issue will be how many people, despite their rabbis, will download this new app, open it weekly and feel a bit less guilty about their Shabbat phone habits."{{cite web|url=http://www.thejc.com/judaism/judaism-features/124658/why-its-not-smart-have-a-shabbat-phone|title=Why it's not smart to have a Shabbat phone; A new app which offers the prospect of texting on Shabbat misses the point |author=Rabbi Dr Raphael Zarum|work= The Jewish Chronicle|date=October 23, 2014 |accessdate=October 28, 2014}}

Elie Klein said the Jewish community should use the app's introduction as an opportunity to examine how the meaning of Shabbat is being communicated to the next generation.{{cite web|url=http://www.jewishaz.com/religiouslife/feature/would-texting-ruin-spirit-of-shabbat/article_05c4512e-5972-11e4-a18d-0017a43b2370.html|author= Maayan Jaffe|title=Would texting ruin 'spirit of Shabbat'? |date=October 22, 2014|work=Jewish News of Greater Phoenix|accessdate=October 22, 2014}} Another commentator focused on the benefit of just disconnecting for a few hours, rather than using the app.{{cite web|url=http://5tjt.com/the-shabbos-app-a-psychological-threat/|title=The Shabbos App – A Psychological Threat|work=5 Towns Jewish Times |author= Eli Shapiro|date=October 8, 2014 |accessdate=October 14, 2014}}

Rabbi Yaakov Menken wrote in early October 2014 that while it was true the Shabbos App had attracted a great deal of attention and discussion, he was pretty sure the app is a hoax, "designed to make Orthodox Jews look bad by demonstrating their focus on … what, precisely, I’m not sure ..." intended to "mock attempts by serious, committed Jews to face the new challenges presented by modern technology".{{cite news | url=http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/the-shabbos-app-is-a-farce/ | title=The Shabbos App is a Farce | newspaper=The Times of Israel | date=October 7, 2014 | accessdate=October 22, 2014 | author=Menken, Yaakov}}

According to one of the developers, several rabbis are on board with the project whom the developer described in September 2014 as "Orthodox and knowledgeable in Torah and halacha", though he declined to name them.{{cite web|url=http://www.vosizneias.com/180370/2014/09/30/new-york-shabbos-texting-app-stirs-controversy/|date=September 30, 2014|title= New York Shabbos Texting App Stirs Controversy|publisher=vosizneias.com|accessdate=October 12, 2014}} Rabbi Steve Bar-Yaakov Gindi, a long-time rabbi who received ordination from the Chief Rabbinate of Israel and administers a Jewish educational website, notes that laws for observing the Jewish Sabbath have changed slightly over time to accommodate technological developments. He noted: "Today, there are security cameras everywhere, and no rabbis forbid walking in front of them. That is a good example of how halacha has adjusted, in a perfectly legitimate way, to answer the needs of society using a new technology. To my mind, this is very similar." Others explain that there is specific halachic leniencies that are applicable in such a scenario (ccvc cameras), in most instances, and are not at all a product of 'adjustment to the times'.

Facebook pages were created both in favor of and against the app. Jewish Business News listed it as # 2 in its article "Top 20 Tech Stories of 2014 With Jews in Them".{{cite web|url=http://jewishbusinessnews.com/2014/12/31/top-20-startup-stories-of-2014-with-jews-in-them/|title=Top 20 Tech Stories of 2014 with Jews in Them|date=December 31, 2014|publisher=}}

{{Portal|Judaism}}

• Activities prohibited on Shabbat
• {{section link|Electricity on Shabbat|Computers and similar appliances}}
• Rabbinically prohibited activities of Shabbat
• Shomer Shabbat

{{Reflist|30em|refs=

{{cite news | url=http://jewishbusinessnews.com/2014/10/27/shabbos-app-quits-kickstarter-will-be-released-dec-1/ | title=Shabbos App Quits Kickstarter, Will Be Released Dec. 1 | newspaper=Jewish Business News | date=October 27, 2014 | accessdate=October 29, 2014 | author=Tanenbaum, Gil}}

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• {{cite web | url=http://blogs.forward.com/forward-thinking/206927/in-defense-of-the-shabbos-app/ | title=In Defense of the Shabbos App | publisher=The Jewish Daily Forward | date=October 6, 2014 | accessdate=October 29, 2014 | author=Sugar, Julie}}
• Lisa Spear (October 17, 2014) [http://globalcitynyc.com/2014/10/17/shabbos-app-jewish-world-debates-smart-phone-application/ "Shabbos App: Jewish World Debates Smartphone Application"]. Global City. Retrieved November 3, 2014.
• Aharon E. Wexler (October 30, 2014). [http://www.jpost.com/Not-Just-News/Just-A-Thought-On-the-Shabbos-App-380295 "Just A Thought: On the Shabbos App"]. The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved November 2, 2014.
• {{cite web | url=http://forward.com/articles/211605/ditch-your-iphone-and-learn-to-listen/ | title=Ditch Your iPhone and Learn To Listen; What the 'Shabbos App' Can Teach Non-Observant Millennial | publisher=The Jewish Daily Forward | date=January 2, 2015 | accessdate=January 6, 2015 | author=Goldenberg, Anna}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20150920070358/http://shabbosapp.com/ Official website], archived from [http://www.shabbosapp.com the original] 2015-09-20
• [http://www.jewishpress.com/cartoons/the-shabbos-app/ "The Shabbos App"], The Jewish Press, cartoon by Asher Schwartz, October 27, 2014
• {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20141003194227/http://finkorswim.com/2014/10/02/shabbos-app-tragic-commentary/ "The Shabbos App Tragic Commentary"]}}, by Rabbi Eliyahu Fink, Fink-or-Swim, October 2, 2014
• {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20141003082041/http://finkorswim.com/2014/10/01/the-shabbos-app-yes-it-is-real/ "The Shabbos App (Yes it is Real)"]}}, by Rabbi Eliyahu Fink, Fink-or-Swim, October 1, 2014
• [http://yairspitz.wordpress.com/the-shabbos-app/ "The Shabbos App"], by Rabbi Yair Spitz

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Category:Shabbat innovations

Category:Laws of Shabbat

Category:Judaism-related controversies

Category:Judaism software

Category:Mobile software

Category:Android (operating system) software