Rabbi David Satyu and his son, Rabbi Avraham, allowed the use of exercise bikes and other tools, as long as they are not electric • Rabbi Avraham Satyu: "Everything is written and established"

• Haredim in a fitness garden

  Photo: 

  Yoav Ari Dodkevich

The talk of an impending closure has led to a precedent-setting ruling by Rabbi David Satyu and his son, Rabbi Avraham Satyu, that allows the use of exercise bikes and other tools on Shabbat, as long as they are not electric. The ruling was published in the journal Tachumin of the Tzomet Institute. 

The two rabbis explain in a reasoned article including ancient halakhic sources, starting from the Mishnah period, that opposition to exercise on Shabbat stems from the fact that in the past the creation of sweat was considered a medical need, while training for fitness or energy expenditure was never banned. This is why they allow for home fitness training, including gymnastic equipment such as cycling. 

"Some of the arbitrators have written that the use of gymnastics equipment should be banned in any case because it is an intrusive worker," they explain in the article, "but in the opinion of most arbitrators, this explanation should not be felt when it comes to a mechanical device that does not involve operation."

As for sports running on Saturday, their conclusion is more cautious. In principle, they tend to allow running, when it is done for pleasure and refreshment, and not just for health. But in fact they write that running in sportswear in the public domain may harm the honor of the Sabbath, and therefore should be avoided. "It is proper from the outset to wear throughout the entire Shabbat clothes that are special for Shabbat and not sand clothes." They also point out that bathing on Shabbat is an action that may involve various prohibitions and it is better not to need it. "Do not do physical activity that leads to washing if you do not know how to observe the appropriate laws," the article clarifies. 

"We do not change anything. Everything is written and established," Rabbi Avraham Satyu explains to "Israel Today." He notes that "once Shabbat was a day of rest, but today it can be experienced as a day of suffering and suffocation. Shabbat is given as a pleasure rather than a challenge, and today part of the freedom is to move the body, exercise and not feel imprisoned." 

This is a precedent-setting ruling, as many rabbis today believe that it is forbidden to perform sports activities on Shabbat. The autumn rabbis explain that the world has changed and that what was once considered something that is not consumed on Shabbat and with difficulty, has become part of the pleasure of Shabbat. However, Rabbi Avraham Satyu emphasizes, "This is not about going to the gym, because it does not respect Shabbat, but if a person has a gym at home there is no reason not to use it. Shabbat is not a sports day, but 30 minutes of physical activity is part of the pleasure. Of a person. 

"In the days when the corona has returned to our lives, and the closure threatens to imprison us in homes again," he adds, "the ruling of halakhah is even more relevant."