Kosher?

August 26th, 2023| Topic: RaMbLeS | 0

Of course, the question was bound to come up. Are self-driving cars kosher?

Self-driving cars—aka robotaxis, autonomous vehicles or driverless cars—with their whirring sensors have by now become a familiar sight on the streets of San Francisco.

Familiar they might be, but not without controversy. With local incidents of self-driving cars trying to drive into active fire zones, stalling en masse and even crashing into a fire truck this month, reports of autonomous misconduct by these non-human operated vehicles have been plentiful. Regardless, the California Public Utilities Commission in mid-August expanded commercial robotaxi service to daytime hours in San Francisco. City officials, on the other hand, are opposed to the expansion, citing safety and other concerns.

But these self-driving things offer intriguing possibilities for observant Jews on Sabbath—these folks traditionally refrain from driving and using electricity on the day. So are these conveyances kosher?

Said Rabbi Joel Landau of Adath Israel, an Orthodox synagogue in San Francisco:

As Orthodox Jews, in order to evaluate new realities, we are going to try and understand how they work and categorize them within already existing precedent in Jewish law.”

One might think that a preprogrammed autonomous vehicle would meet the same requirements as, say, a Sabbath elevator (these often stop on every floor, so that you don’t have to “work” = push a button).

But Landau said things aren’t that simple.

Not everyone is happy with a Shabbat elevator. Many of these contrivances make adjustments based on the weight of the passenger, which negates their neutrality. By contrast, a running escalator or moving walkway that makes no such adjustment is OK.”

Therein lies the rub. If self-driving cars react to a passenger’s weight or position, that might rule them out for Shabbat use among observant Jews. Even more so, if riders would need to activate anything to start the ride.

Rabbi Amanda Russell of Congregation Beth Sholom, a Conservative synagogue in San Francisco:

The ideal is that one does not drive on Shabbat and that people live close by to their Jewish communities—to walk to synagogue, share meals, raise families. But not everyone can reach that ideal. We know that to be in community on Shabbat, many people have to drive.”

But what about self-driving robotaxis, not your personal self-driving Tesla? Would they be better than driving?

Continued Russell:

The question comes down to the way the cars operate, what they are used for and whether they undermine the spirit of Shabbat. If pre-arranged and prepaid, self-driving taxis could be more ideal on Shabbat than someone driving even an electric car. To make it permissible, one would want to make the arrangements before Shabbat: pickup and drop-off locations, payment, etc. That would prevent the passenger from having to use their phone, any ride-share-related technology and any form of money, all of which are prohibited on Shabbat.”

All these complications. To please God.

But the first step to please God?

Without faith it is impossible to please Him [God].
Hebrews 11:6

Coming into a faith-initiated relationship with God, becoming a child of God, by believing in Jesus Christ, as one’s only God and Savior from sin.

Of course, once one comes into a filial relationship with God, that relationship with God mandates responsibility to God, to reflect the heavenly Father in his holiness.

Walk in a manner worthy of the Lord,
to please Him in all respects,
bearing fruit in every good work
and increasing in the knowledge of God.
Colossians 1:10

Whether this means not hailing a robotaxi, I don’t know!

SOURCE: The Jerusalem Post