Chapter 30
General Rules Relating to Actions Performed by a Non-Jew on Shabbath and Yom Tov
TELLING A NON-JEW TO DO AN ACT WHICH IS FORBIDDEN BY A RABBINICAL PROHIBITION
17.a. 1) A Jew may tell a non-Jew on Shabbath to bring a prayer book to the synagogue, even in a place where there is no eiruv, so long as he will not have to carry it through an actual reshuth ha-rabbim, as defined in Chapter 17, paragraph 3.
2) The non-Jew must, however, take the prayer book by himself, without the Jew’s putting it into his
hand, and, in the synagogue, the Jew must not take it from the non-Jew’s hand, but the non-Jew should put it down by himself.
17.b. 1) A problem can arise if a Jew finds chametz in his house on the Yom Tov of Pesach, on Shabbath occurring during Pesach or on Shabbath occurring on the day before Pesach.
2) Despite the fact that the chametz is muktzeh and the Jew may not handle it himself, he may ask a non-Jew.
a) to remove it from the house (unless there is an actual reshuth ha-rabbim outside) or
b) to dispose of it in the toilet bowl or in the sea.
18.a. One is allowed to ask a non-Jew to wind up a watch which is still going, if one needs it for a mitzva.
18.b. An example would be if one needed to know when to go to a Torah study session or to prayers.
18.c. See also Chapter 28, paragraph 21.
