I observe the Jewish Sabbath every week from sundown Friday night, through sundown Saturday night. Part of what this means for me is that I won’t use any electronics for those 24 hours. Therefore, I won’t turn on or off a light switch because I cannot change the circuitry. This could pose some difficulties, but the invention of the Shabbat Lamp allows me to control the light in my room, without transgressing the Sabbath. It is a simple device: A lamp with a cover with a hole in the front of it. When the hole lines up with the exposed lightbulb, the light shines through the to room. When I no longer want the light, I simply spin the outer plastic cover that conceals the light behind its solid side of the cover. With this device, I am able to control the exposure of light with a mechanical, detached cover, without affected the circuit of the light. It is a simple thing that has made something that could be a hindrance much less difficult.
