Genizah — Quotations from Verses, Lashon Hara, an Old Refrigerator on Shabbat
Question
Hello, I have several questions:
1. Regarding genizah: a. Does the verse “ואכלת ושבעת וברכת” (“And you shall eat, and be satisfied, and bless”) require genizah?
b. Does the phrase “בניין עדי עד” (“an everlasting edifice”) require genizah?
c. If one writes four words from a verse and replaces one word with something else, does it require genizah? For example: “אני ישנה וראשי ער” (“I am asleep, but my head is awake”).
2. Is it permissible to tell about someone that he got divorced, or is that considered lashon hara?
3. We have an old mechanical refrigerator, about 20 years old. It has no light, and there is no option to set it to Shabbat mode. Is it permissible to open it on Shabbat even when the motor is not running?
Answer
Hello and blessings.
1. a–b. It depends: if they were written as a verse, they require genizah. If they were written as a figure of speech, they do not require genizah. c. It does not require genizah.
2. Since people consider this a shortcoming, it is permitted only when there is a need; without a need, it is forbidden.
3. When the motor is running — it is permitted. When it is not running — this is a matter of dispute. One should be stringent.
