And my response would be that your statement is in error. It depends on whose yardstick you use. For example for some people they have a nice meal friday night, open up a bottle of wine, and try not to do anything like taxes, but will watch tv, use the computer, or anything else they see as shabbosdik, and so by the yardstick they use they are shomer shabbos. You are using a particular yardstick, which speaks to only a fraction of the Jewish community. But I think you acknowledge that pretty much in your response to wil.
Like I said before, when someone asks why there are no posters in here on Shabbat, then it is most likely that people are observing Shabbat, now, it has nothing to do with "yardsticks", I think you will find, that I don't do petty measurements, people can please themselves. Now, if people want to use their computers or go out shopping or work on Shabbat, that's up to them, but you see, if someone was to come up to me and say: "I tried to get my Jewish friends to come shopping with me on Saturday, but they said that it is Shabbat and cannot go shopping", what do you think I would say to them? "oh, hang on a minute, let's get my measuring stick out and see what I can measure here".
Actually, I would probably say: "well, in Judaism, we observe Shabbat as our day of rest, we refrain from shopping and working and like to spend time with our families or even in prayer or at the Synagogue, so, yes, you would probably find it hard to get your Jewish friends to come shopping with you".
But, hey, like I have stated before, if you read my initial post: "most of us Jews who are observant, will not be on our computers on Shabbat". Now, does this particular statement read as: "ALL of us observant Jews will not be in here on Shabbat" or does this statement read as, "most of us who are observant?"
Now, when I wrote, most of us who are observant, this does not mean that every single one of us is observant, as a Worldwide view, many Jews will not enter onto their computers in discussion forums on Shabbat, maybe there are those who will go online to do online Torah study, and maybe there are many who just use their computers for whatever?
I think, you will find that when I stated, things like "generating electricity etc", I was implying that, in general use of electrical items to create work. Yes, I know people have to cook and prepare their meals, but as an overall statement, I was explaining about the day being a day of rest.
Are you measuring me, with your yardstick? waiting for me to "slip up" perhaps
