Delayed Light Sensors on Shabbos

 

Question:

We stopped davening at our campus minyan because of the question that the room is has a kvi’us for the tefila of Notzrim and I thank the Rav for taking the time to clarify. Now for Rosh Hashana, they move to a regular campus auditorium. However, that room has a certain kind of motion sensor. Once the lights are on, it senses movement in the room. If there’s movement, the lights remain on for a certain amount of time before turning off. If there’s more movement, then the timer in the light restarts itself – hence more movement indirectly keeps the lights on for longer. And thus, the lights remain on during all of davening because of the congregant’s constant movement.

Background info: In this room is a combination of Jews and l’havdil non-Jews (because a couple of the congregants are converts of a conservative rabbi)

Question #1: Can I daven in this room if we find the lights are already on and I am the only one in the room making the movement being picked up by the sensors?

Question #2: Can I daven in this room if there are other Jews in the room, and it is not clear whose movement is being picked up by the sensors?

Question #3: Can I daven in this room if the non-Jews are in room, and it is not clear whose movement is being picked up by the sensors?

 

Answer:

According to what you wrote, if people are in the room but not moving the lights will turn off. It is difficult to assume that this is indeed the case.

In any event, davening in such a room without making prior arrangements is problematic. Ultimately, the lights turn on when someone will walk in the room. A Jew may not activate such a light to benefit from it. Similarly, a Jew may not benefit from the light if a non-Jew activated it in order for the Jew to benefit from the lights.

Therefore, one should check if there is a way to set up that the lights can run on a timer or to be lit the entire Shabbos or Yom Tov.

See Shulchan Aruch Admur Hazaken 276:1-2; see also Orchos Shabbos vol. 3 pg. 75.

 

Follow-up:

We checked into the option of setting up that the lights can run on a timer or to be lit the entire Shabbos or Yom Tov, but it’s impossible, there’s no switch to turn off the sensors. It would all have to be rewired electrically, and the university will not do that.

Perhaps we may rely on the non-Jew, since the non-Jewish janitor has business to do in the room, so he’s the first one in the room. Or perhaps, the congregants who were converted conservative enter the room first for their own benefit, So the question is – – after they enter, and are moving around – can I enter too and move around?

I know it’s problematic, but is there a way it can be done so that I can daven in the minyan on campus?

 

Answer:

In a pressing situation the following may be done:

1) Do not be the first one in the room. As you mentioned the non-Jewish janitor enters and activates the lights for his own benefit – this is absolutely required – the lights will need to stay on before Jews enter.

2) One may be pray there, however one should not stay in the room alone, rather they should leave while there are still other non-Jews in the room.

 

 

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