It is permissible to play with fidget spinners on Shabbat, rabbis at an institute that evaluates science and Jewish law have determined.
Rabbis at the Scientific and Technological Institute for Halacha in Jerusalem determined the movement of the spinners does not violate the laws of Shabbat unless the spinner has lights that are triggered by the movement of the spinner, the Ynet news site reported Wednesday.
An electrical charge may not be initiated by someone observing Shabbat. The palm-sized toy, which can be spun like a propeller, does not need electricity.
The institute suggested, however, that children not bring the spinners to synagogue services on Shabbat “in order not to harm the sanctity of the place, and certainly they must be careful not to play it during prayer and the reading of the Torah.”
The rabbis also said children should not take the spinners out during classes at school. Playing with spinners during lessons “is disrespectful and disdainful of both the material and the rabbis and teachers.”
Get The Times of Israel's Daily Edition
by email and never miss our top stories
By signing up, you agree to the
terms
The inventor of the ubiquitous stress-reducing toy said she came up with the idea during a trip to Israel in the 1980s, during the first intifada, as a way to distract the “young boys throwing rocks at police officers.”
It's not (only) about you.
Supporting The Times of Israel isn’t a transaction for an online service, like subscribing to Netflix. The ToI Community is for people like you who care about a common good: ensuring that balanced, responsible coverage of Israel continues to be available to millions across the world, for free.
Sure, we'll remove all ads from your page and you'll unlock access to some excellent Community-only content. But your support gives you something more profound than that: the pride of joining something that really matters.
Join the Times of Israel Community
Join our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You're a dedicated reader
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Join Our Community
Join Our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this