Shabbat and the Disabled

As many of my friends know, I will not drive or ride in a car on the Sabbath except in cases of emergency health related situations. Shoe sale emergencies don't count. This is true of Orthodox Jews the world over. In fact, direct use of electricity is also not allowed, so you could leave your lights on for Saturday, or put them on a timer that turns them on and off automatically, but couldn't flip the switch.

For most of us, this is not an issue on a regular basis, but the prohibition of riding in a car can become an onerous burden as we grow older, or our parents age, or we become disabled. Wheelchairs are permissible, but they have to be mechanical, and if you require one on a regular basis, you may also need someone to push it, and if you live alone, you need to rely on the kindness of friends, neighbors, and family. What about the person who lives far from synagogue, and who could walk before, but can't walk so far now? What does he do. Up until now? Stay home and forgo the community of the synagogue, or break the Sabbath.

Now there is an alternative. A company called MyAmigo in upstate NY has created a motorized cart (scooter) with a Sabbath setting. They even had the product certified by a recognized organization in Israel. Zomat works with vendors who want to make modern technology, phones, electricity, etc., that make life easier for the Sabbath observant.

Of course this isn't for everyone, and as always, the caveat is "consult your local Rabbi," but what a boon to those of us with parents who are shut-ins on Shabbat for want of a little ingenuity.