Chapter 23
Housekeeping and Use of Domestic Facilities on Shabbath and Yom Tov.
ELEVATORS*
*Due to the complicated technicalities involved and the differences of opinion among the authorities, one would be well advised not to use an elevator on Shabbath or Yom Tov without consulting a properly qualified rabbi.
50.a. 1) The objections to descending in an elevator on Shabbath or Yom Tov stem from the way in which most modern elevators operate.
2)The weight of the passengers can
a) cause the elevator to descend more quickly and
b) affect the amount of current passing through the motor.
3) It is argued that a Torah prohibition (and not just a Rabbinical restriction) is involved when lights are turned on or powered as a result of these factors.
50.b. This is of course disputed by the eminent authorities referred to in paragraph 49c, above, who permit the use of an elevator for descending (subject to the conditions set out in paragraph 49a).
51.a. It is not permitted to benefit from the transgression of a Jew who is operating an elevator on Shabbath or Yom Tov.
51.b. For the use of an elevator operated by a non-Jew on Shabbath and Yom Tov, see Chapter 30, paragraph 54.
