What’s the Opposite of a Shabbos Goy?
From the towns of central Europe to the streets of Lower Manhattan, the “Shabbos goy” is a well-known figure, switching on the lights or turning up the heat for observant Jews, who are barred from such work on the Sabbath.
Now invert the picture. Could there be something called the Christmas Jew? He or she would be the Jewish surgeon or magistrate or police officer or reporter or bus driver who works on Christmas.
With jobs to be filled on Dec. 24 and 25, Jews are volunteering and, in some cases, being volunteered for duty.
Fair enough, no?
So true indeed. My Jewish Dr. friends are all on call Xmas eve.
Don’t forget the little guy, sixteen and pimpled, ripping your movie ticket on the way into the theater.
I thought it was wrong to ask someone to do something for you that you can’t do yourself on shabbos.
Is that an orthodox thing?
it’s wrong to ask a fellow jew
You shouldn’t really ask the goy either. You can bother them and hint around. If you have a neighbor that does it, you eventually just come to an understanding. Like saying, “I’m so upset, with my crockpot set on ‘high’ instead of ‘low’, it’s going to burn” or “it’s so dark in the bathroom”
so you can’t turn on a switch, but semantics are ok?
You can’t ask a Goy to do anything for you. He has to want to do it for himself.
Very questionable if halachikly (jewish law wise) one can ask the Q. in a way that the goy will understand as “can you do this for me?” i.e. words are just a way to convey an idea, even if your words don’t literally mean X, if they convey X what’s the difference?
Watch SportsCenter 12/24-25 on ESPN. All Jewish anchors.