Re: Theremin (nokh a bisl tsulib dem theremin...)

[Eliezer Kaplan <zelwel...>]

> > I don't think playing a Theremin on Shabbat would be kosher.



I'd guess that way too, but you have to realize that from the standpoint of
use of electricity in this case, you may be entering a gray area, since the
theremin is analog. .There's actually some institute in Israel (and others
would know more about this than me) specializing in Shabbos gadgets
(although AFAIK they deal mostly in things that promote safety and the
quality of life- so there may be some heters involved somewhere). And don't
forget- the injunction against playing musical instruments on the Sabbath
was based on tuning  them (plying an instrument is not in the 'top 39'
[classes of Sabbath prohibitions], so to speak), and I'd guess, bottom line,
that's the actual Halachic issue which would have to be dealt with, in this
case, though I ain't no rabbi.


----- Original Message -----
From: "Seth Austen" <seth (at) sethausten(dot)com>
To: "World music from a Jewish slant" <jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org>
Sent: Sunday, November 05, 2000 11:20 AM
Subject: Re: Theremin (nokh a bisl tsulib dem theremin...)


> on 11/5/00 3:18 AM, Ed Sieb at sieb (at) sympatico(dot)ca wrote:
>
> > I'm not a Rabbi, but...
> > I don't think playing a Theremin on Shabbat would be kosher.
> >
>
> >> I wonder - since the theremin is not touched when you play it,
> >> would the ultra-observant allow it to be played on Shabbat?
> >> Given the sound of the theremin, I find the idea rather unnerving.
> >>
>
> It has to be plugged in and turned on to operate, thus, it would have to
> have been turned on beforehand. Besides that, in most hands, it has a
> tendency to sound like a dybbuk (on a good day). I'm going to guess it
ain't
> kosher.
>
> --
> Seth Austen
> please visit me on the web at http://www.sethausten.com
> email; seth (at) sethausten(dot)com
>
> Download a song (mp3) at www.mp3.com/sethausten
>
>
>

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