343: Gentiles and Shabbat

... Reish Lakish says: A gentile who observed Shabbat is liable to receive the death penalty, as it is stated: “And day and night shall not cease” (Genesis 8:23), which literally means: And day and night they shall not rest. This is interpreted homiletically to mean that the descendants of Noah may not take a day of rest. And the Master said (57a) that their prohibition is their death penalty, i.e., the punishment for any prohibition with regard to descendants of Noah [i.e., any non-Jew] is execution. Ravina says: If a descendant of Noah observes a day of rest on any day of the week, even one not set aside for religious worship, e.g., on a Monday, he is liable.

(20) They shall rejoice in Your kingship— those who preserve the Sabbath and call it a delight. The people who sanctify the seventh [day] will all be satisfied and delighted from Your goodness. And in the seventh [day], You took pleasure and You hallowed it. “Most desirable of days,” You called it— a commemoration of the work of creation.

(8) If a Gentile lights a lamp, an Israelite may make use of its light. But if [he does it] for the sake of the Israelite, it is forbidden. If he draws water to give his own animal to drink, an Israelite may water his [animal] after him. But if [he draws it] for the Israelite’s sake, it is forbidden. If a Gentile makes a plank to descend [off a ship by] it, an Israelite may descend after him; But if on the Israelite’s account, it is forbidden. It once happened that Rabban Gamaliel and the elders were traveling in a ship, when a Gentile made a plank for getting off, and Rabban Gamaliel, and the elders descended by it.

It is forbidden to say to a non-Jew to do labor for us on Shabbat despite that he was not commanded regarding Shabbat and despite that he said to him [to do the labor] before Shabbat and despite that there is no need for this labor other than [until] after Shabbat. And this matter is forbidden according to the words of the Rabbis so that Shabbat will not be light in their eyes and they will come to do [labor] themselves.

If a gentile kindled a candle [for his own benefit], a Jew is also permitted to perform activity by its light. If [the gentile] kindled the light on behalf of the Jew, it is forbidden. If a gentile made a ramp to descend from a ship [himself], a Jew may descend after him. If he made it for the Jew, it is forbidden. If he filled a trench with water to allow his animal to drink, a Jew may have his own animal drink afterwards. If he did so for the sake of the Jew, it is forbidden. If a [gentile] gathered grass to feed his animal, a Jew may bring his animal to eat from it provided that the gentile does not know this Jew, lest he bring more on his behalf at which point he would be performing a [forbidden] labor on behalf of a Jew. Similarly, whenever there is a possibility that the gentile will add more [on a Jew's behalf], [a Jew] should not benefit unless [the gentile] does not know [the Jew].

A lamp kindled at a gathering on the Sabbath: If most of the people in attendance are Jewish, it is forbidden to benefit from the light, since the one who kindles it does so for the sake of the majority. If the majority are gentiles, it is permitted to benefit from the light. If the proportions are equal, it is forbidden. If a fire broke out on the Sabbath and a gentile comes to extinguish it, we may not tell him, "Extinguish it," nor "Do not extinguish it," for his resting is not our responsibility. The same applies in all similar situations.

When a person contracts a gentile for a task [melakha] and sets the price, the gentile [is considered] as acting in his own interests. Even if he performs the task on the Sabbath, it is permitted. Similarly, it is permissible to hire a gentile for a prolonged period, although he performs [forbidden] labor on the Sabbath. How?: When a person hires a gentile for a year or two as a scribe or as a weaver, it is permissible for the gentile to write or weave on the Sabbath. It is as though he contracted him to write a scroll or weave a garment, [in which case, he may] perform the task whenever he desires. [This leniency is granted] provided he does not pay him on a day to day basis.

It is permitted to lend out utensils to a gentile although he will perform [forbidden] labors with them on the Sabbath, for we are not obligated to have our utensils rest [on the Sabbath]. It is, however, forbidden to [lend or hire out] one's servant or livestock [to work on the Sabbath], for we are commanded that they rest.

It is permissible for a gentile carrying his possessions to bring them into the Jew's house on the Sabbath. It is even permissible for [the Jew] to tell [the gentile], "Place them in this corner."

One may invite a gentile to visit on the Sabbath and serve food for him to eat. If he took the food outside [the Jew's] home, there is no difficulty, for one is not obligated to see that he observes the Sabbath...

When a person is carrying money while traveling on a journey and the Sabbath commences, he should give his wallet to a gentile to carry for him. On Saturday night, he may take it back from him. This is permitted even though he did not pay the gentile for his services and even though he gave it to him after nightfall. These leniencies are granted because a person becomes distraught over his money and cannot bear to discard it. If we do not allow him [to have a gentile carry it for him] - a matter forbidden merely by Rabbinic decree [which is considered less serious than a prohibition that is seen as coming directly from the Torah] - we fear that he will come to carry it himself and thus transgress one of the Torah's prohibitions. Regarding what does this apply? [With regard to] one's wallet. In contrast, a person may not give an ownerless object that he discovered to a gentile [to carry for him]. Instead, he should carry it less than four cubits at a time [until he reaches a place where he can deposit it].