Parshas Beshalach: Are Telepathic Melachos on Shabbos Forbidden?
In this week's Parsha, Hashem miraculously presents Klal Yisrael with Mon (Manna). With this Neis, Hashem laid down requirements that they only pick a certain amount each day, and on Friday, one was to take double the amount for Shabbos. The following pasuk speaks on the preparation of Mon for Shabbos.
‘That which you will bake, bake; and that which you will cook, cook; and whatever is left over, put away for yourselves for a safekeeping until the morning.’ (Shemos 16:23)
The Mechilta comments on this verse saying that however a person desired to prepare the Mon, it would either cook or bake according to each person's need. The Jewish people had no need to make any physical preparations in any way to bake or cook their Mon. All they needed to do was ‘desire’ for it to occur, and it would happen of its own accord.
This Mechilta brings an interesting theoretical conversation on doing Melacha on Shabbos through telepathy. We know Hashem told Moshe that the Jews should not collect or prepare Mon on Shabbos. As well as one would prepare the Mon on Erev Shabbos using one’s own mind. Therefore, it would seem forbidden to have a mere thought on how to prepare Mon on Shabbos.
To bring this to a more real-life scenario, as technology advances, telepathy is no longer science fiction. Brain-computer interface (BPI) technologies and robotic limbs have been heavily researched and implemented to help individuals with disabilities. These technologies power a range of devices that can be operated using nerve stimulation and brain waves, and some of them are designed to be fully activated using the brain. These interventions introduce many halachic shailos, including the area of Hilchos Shabbos. The question is whether using one’s mind to perform a Melacha on Shabbos is permitted.
It seems from the above Mechilta that using such an intervention would be forbidden. Still, it is a discussion amongst many authorities. Many authorities compare this case with another in Mesechta Temuros, where one cannot get lashes without performing the negative commandment. But in the case of Temurah (switching a consecrated animal for another animal), one does get punished by lashes, where his words produce an act of sorts. The same can be said for the Mon, where a thought brings an actual change and, therefore, is considered a Melacha that is forbidden on Shabbos.
The Ketzos HaShulchan (109, footnote 12) infers from the halachos of muktzah that using one’s mind also creates action and, therefore, is forbidden on Shabbos. In order to use an object that would be muktzah on Shabbos, one must set it aside erev Shabbos and not on Shabbos. This shows that one’s machshava can create some type of action that is forbidden on Shabbos.
There is a fascinating Kli Chemda (see Orach Chayim 340:1, Biur Halachah s.v. V’Chayav and Mishnah Berurah S.K. 2) that explains why thoughts of doing Melacha would not be assur on Shabbos. The Yerushalmi argues on the Bavli about the source of cooking on Shabbos. The Bavli, like the other 38 Melachos, sources it from the creation of the Mishkan. However, the Yerushalmi uses the Psukim mentioned above. However, the Kli Chemdah writes that it can't be the source for the following reasons. Instead, the Yerushalmi illustrates how cooking on Shabbos is forbidden.
Mon could be eaten raw. There are opinions that say cooking food that can be eaten raw on Shabbos is assur but not fully considered a Melacha.
Mon did not undergo physical actions; it was instantly transformed into a baked or cooked item. Even if the Torah did forbid this specific act at that time, one cannot possibly learn a general rule from this about the Melacha of cooking or baking in ordinary cases.
One cannot derive the Melacha of cooking from the Mon because the whole idea of Malachos comes from actions and not thoughts. Therefore, a thought that created an action would not be considered an actual Melacha.
Therefore, if an item is usually cooked in a physical manner (as is the case for every act of cooking not involving the Mon), then if it is cooked using Machshava, that would not be considered a Melacha.
All agree, in conclusion, that even if there is a distant future where many acts can be completed through the vehicle of Machshava, their basic nature will remain the same. Cooking, for example, will always be performed by man’s ten fingers and physical body. If so, even in those future times, if one performs an act using Machshava, it will not be considered a Melacha that is Biblically mandated.
Adapted from medicalhalacha.org