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From: sher@rochester.UUCP (David Sher)
Newsgroups: net.religion.jewish
Subject: Re: Interpretations
Message-ID: <2658@rochester.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 29-Oct-84 00:22:40 EST
Article-I.D.: rocheste.2658
Posted: Mon Oct 29 00:22:40 1984
Date-Received: Tue, 30-Oct-84 19:27:51 EST
References: <1612@ucf-cs.UUCP>
Organization: U. of Rochester, CS Dept.
Lines: 30

> Electricity was not at all intended. For this reason,
> I also see no problem with driving on Shabbat. In
> both cases, the primary injunction could well be
> argued that the purpose was to curtail the 'work'
> which was involved it such activities. There is no
> evidence that modern interpretations of 'creative
> acts' was known in those early times. The consequence
> of such a conclusion would be that if it were the
> work which was involved which was the reason for
> forbidding kindling a fire and travel, then the
> lack of work in turning on a range (with pilot light
> already lit), an electric range, an electric light,
> or operating an automobile removes the cause of the
> prohibition. Since the prohibition of kindling a
> flame is specifically forbidden however, it remains
> just that. The intertwining of the two by those who
> interpret Torah to us is, in my opinion, subject to
> question and of doubtful validity.

The entire article that this is from is well thought out and interesting.
However, I would like to point out that the work involved in starting
a car (opening door putting on seat belt starting an engine) is
comparable to the work of taking a candle and lighting a pile of
kindling (I doubt that even in Moshe's time they gathered a new pile
of wood for every fire).  If your car has an internal combustion engine
then combustion results (my apologies if you have an electric car).
Thus while the other acts you mention may or may not be easily
justified as forbidden work, starting a car probably is forbidden work
even by this simple logical argument.  
-David Sher