Q. New technology enables the totally invalid or paraplegic to drive a wheel chair only via their brain electrical waves. Electrodes connected to their head receive those waves and with some training allow the invalid to control his thoughts and change his mind wave patterns. Those are interpreted by the wheel chair computer to start, stop and direct the movement of the chair. Since no melacha is done using normal body activity or voice, is it permitted on Shabbos?
A. Horav Shlomo Miller's Shlit'a opinion is that a melacha or work performed on Shabbos by using only the electrical charges that emanate from ones controlled and willing thoughts, collected by electrodes attached to the head, is considered a proper melacha. However, for someone who does not usually use his thoughts for the creation of electrical discharges, it likely would be a melacha performed with a shinui or significant deviation from the norm and therefore only rabbinically prohibited. But, an invalid or paraplegic that uses this method constantly to move and perform other works, it becomes the norm and would constitute a biblical prohibition.
Rabbi A. Bartfeld as revised by Horav Shlomo Miller Shlit”a
Important Numbers
