#161: Melachah Before Havdalah (Part 3)
- Saying "shavua tov" does not fulfill the mitzvah of Havdalah according to most opinions with respect to performing melachah. Thus, a Jew who does not keep Shabbat or recite Havdalah but says “shavua tov” may not perform melachah (Tzitz Eliezer 12:37).
- Nevertheless, one may benefit from melachah done by a person who does not recite Havdalah, since the prohibition of doing melachah only applies to one planning to make Havdalah (to ensure he/she actually does so) . For this reason, many poskim allow taking a taxi or bus after Shabbat driven by a Jew who does not keep Shabbat, despite the fact that he did not recite Havdalah. The same would apply to benefiting from other services involving melachah after Shabbat (Tzitz Eliezer 11:34, 12:37; Shemirat Shabbat K’hilchatah 59:8). It should be noted that if the driver began his trip before Shabbat was over, the halacha is more complex.
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Dedicated by Fran Broder as a zechus for the hostages to be released safely to their families and may everlasting peace come to Eretz Yisrael in the merit of learning Hilchos Shabbos.
