Gedolei Yisroel are issuing a call to put a halt to chilul Shabbos in the form digital water meters installed by the utility company or the municipality, as the case may be. With these new meters, every time the tap is turned on, it creates an electrical impulse and feeds water consumption data into a computer.
In response to a letter by gedolei Yisroel shlita, local authorities and commercial firms consulted with the rabbonim of Mishmeres HaShabbos. Two companies are now in the final stages of development of a meter that does not transmit data on Shabbos and Jewish holidays.
The rabbonim of Mishmeres HaShabbos conveyed the approach of Maran HaRav Eliashiv shlita that unlike in the case of an agunoh, where every effort is made to seek a heter, when ruling on Shabbos issues one must strive not to enter into questions and doubts.
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B"H, Tammuz, 5771
To Remove a Stumbling Block from Beis Yisroel
Recently some have wanted to install water meters in homes and other places, that will be connected to an electronic instrument so that when opening a water faucet an electronic sensor will be activated that will send information about the amount of water used to a computer disk (and thereby [the water companies] will not have to employ workers to come and write down water usage numbers [from meters], because all the data will already be stored in the computer of the company that supplies water).
However this method has chashashos of entailing chilul Shabbos when using water in the home [on Shabbos], and therefore we have come to ask all those involved not to connect the aforementioned electronic instrument to water meters, and they should find other solutions that do not involved chilul Shabbos.
And in the merit of keeping Shabbos according to the halochoh may we be redeemed an eternal Redemption with the coming of Moshiach Tzidkeinu, speedily, in our days, Amen.
(Signed)
Shmuel Halevi Wosner
Nissim Karelitz
I also join the above, Yosef Sholom Eliashiv
Chaim Kanievsky
A. L. Shteinman
Shmuel Auerbach
As Yehuda added to a posuk I also join, Shalom Cohen
Shimon Ba'adani
Moshe Zadkah
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B"H, Shvat, 5772
Veshomeru Bnei Yisroel Es HaShabbos
As is know, new instruments are invented in our times some of which may involve prohibited work on Shabbos if used on Shabbos. Recently digital water meters have been installed in every home by some local authorities, and it has been determined that there are serious chashashos of chilul Shabbos R"l, in every opening of a water faucet [on Shabbos] since the wheel that is turned by the flow of water causes electric activity and supplies data about water usage to a computer.
HaRav HaGaon Shmuel Yosef Shtitzberg shlita, one of the rabbonim of Beit Shemesh, has been negotiating with Nisko Telematics which manufactures these meters, and at his request they developed digital water meters that work without any electric activity on Shabbos and holidays, and it is called Sun Meter. Chareidi experts checked them and certified their claims. Also the technical expert employed by the company came to us and explained to us how the meter works on Shabbos and how it has no chashash of chilul Shabbos.
Therefore whoever fears the dvar Hashem, if they come to install a digital water meter he should try to ensure that only these meters, which have no chashash of issur, are used. And one should try to ensure that the authorities use only this kind of water meter, and not any kind of meter, some of which operate relying on leniencies that the chachomim are uneasy about.
And in the merit of keeping Shabbos according to the halochoh may we merit a complete Redemption, speedily, in our days, Amen.
(Signed)
Moshe Shaul Klein
Ezriel Auerbach
Shevach Tzvi Rosenblatt
Moshe M. Yadler
Moshe Mordechai Karp
We wish to encourage all who strive to avoid chilul Shabbos from Bnei Yisroel using solutions that have no chashash without any strained leniencies. And in the merit of keeping Shabbos Kodesh may we merit to be Redeemed speedily.
Yosef Sholom Eliashiv
For kedushas Shabbos Kodesh, Shmuel Halevi Wosner
Nissim Karelitz
