20 Jan TRAVELING IN A HIGH-TECH WORLD HALACHIC QUESTIONS FOR HOTEL STAYS ON SHABBOS

Throughout the year—and especially during
yeshiva break—many people travel and stay in
hotels or motels over Shabbos. Modern technology
has introduced numerous halachic questions. Ari
Hirsch of The Jewish Vues sat down with Rabbi
Moshe Elefant of the Orthodox Union to address
some of the most common concerns.

Can one use an electronic automatic
front door when entering a hotel
or motel on Shabbos?
Using an automatic electronic front
door on Shabbos is not permitted,
as walking through a door with an
electronic sensor causes it to open.

This is similar to triggering motion-
sensor lights. Hotels running kosher

programs should disable at least one
automatic door before Shabbos so
guests can enter and exit normally. If
that option is unavailable, one may
follow a non-Jew who is entering
or exiting so that the door is not
activated by the Jewish guest. While
not ideal, this may be relied upon
when there is no alternative.
If one has a reservation and arrives
within 18 minutes of Shabbos, may
they check in on Shabbos?
If someone is running late on Erev
Shabbos and expects to arrive close
to or after the onset of Shabbos, it
is recommended to call the hotel in
advance and provide all necessary
information, such as credit card
details. If the hotel insists on
seeing the physical credit card or
identification, the guest should

allow the desk clerk to remove
it from the wallet and return it,
thereby avoiding handling muktzah
items.
What should one do if the hotel
room only has electronic door
openers and no physical keys?
Electronic room keys present a
serious issue on Shabbos, as one
may not enter or exit a room using
an electronic key. A practical
solution—though not a halachic
endorsement—is to ask hotel
staff to disable the electronic lock
using a magnet or tape, leaving the
door unlocked for the duration of
Shabbos. Guests should be aware

that the room will remain unlocked,
may be asked to sign a waiver, and
should secure valuables in the hotel
safe before Shabbos. The OU does
not permit giving an electronic
key to a non-Jew to open the door,
as this involves handling muktzah
and asking a non-Jew to perform
melachah on one’s behalf.
May a refrigerator in a hotel room
be used on Shabbos, and does it
need to be kashered?
A refrigerator may be used. If there is

visible food residue, it should
be cleaned, though kashering
is not required. The primary
concern is an interior light; if
one will be in the room over
Shabbos, the light must be
disabled beforehand to avoid
turning it on when opening
the door.
May one use the microwave
in a hotel or motel room?
A microwave may be used provided
it is completely clean. Any food

placed inside should be double-
wrapped using plastic wrap or wax

paper. Aluminum foil should not
be used. If one wishes to kasher the
microwave, it should first be cleaned
thoroughly. A cup or bowl of water
should then be placed inside and
heated until the microwave fills
with steam. The water should then
be moved to a different spot and the
process repeated so that all areas are
exposed to the steam.
May hotel-provided soaps and
shampoos be opened on Shabbos?
Hotel soaps and shampoos may
not be opened on Shabbos. Any
bottles that will be needed should
be opened before Shabbos, and only
liquid soap should be used.
Is it permitted to have hotel room
service or housekeeping clean the
room on Shabbos?
Housekeeping may clean the room
on Shabbos as long as the guest did
not request the service. Since the
cleaning is done on the hotel’s own
initiative, there is no issue.
If there is live music in the lobby
of a non-Jewish hotel, may one sit
and enjoy it on Shabbos?
One may sit in the lobby and enjoy
the music, as it is not being played
specifically for Jewish guests.
However, if a Jewish group has
taken over the hotel for Shabbos,
this situation requires further
consideration.

May one drink hotel-provided
juices at complimentary breakfasts
if no hechsher is visible?
Plain orange juice and plain apple
juice are generally kosher and
permitted.
If a hotel requires checkout on
Shabbos afternoon, may one
simply leave and return the key?
If a hotel requires guests to check
out on Shabbos because there is no
availability for Motzaei Shabbos,
one may leave the room and return
the key if necessary. Although the
key may be muktzah, walking out
without carrying prohibited items is
allowed. Care must be taken not to
take any muktzah items along when
leaving the room.