August 7, 2026 Categories: Ask the Rabbi / Torah
Q & A: Riding a Bicycle on Shabbat (Part I)
Question: Is it permitted to ride a bicycle on the Sabbath or holidays in an area that has an eruv?
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Answer: Yours is an interesting question. I recently was in North Miami Beach, Florida, where there is an eruv. I saw two things of interest that one does not see up in the Northeast: first, adults riding tricycles, and second, a person who was riding a bicycle to shul on Shabbos. As to the tricycles, although I didn’t see anyone riding one on Shabbos, I still found it rather unusual as I always thought of a tricycle as a kiddie bike. However, as to the bike-rider on Shabbos, that touched exactly to your question. I searched through my library of sefarim and finally came across the wondrous sefer of HaGaon HaRav Tuvia Goldstein, zt”l (Responsa Emek Halacha, vol. 1:26), wherein he discusses this issue. Rabbi Goldstein cites from Responsa Rav Pa’alim (vol. 1:25, the halachic work of Rabbi Joseph Hayyim ben Elijah al-Hakam, popularly known as Ben Ish Hai due to his famous work of the same name), where your question was raised: “Is one permitted to ride a bicycle on the Sabbath?” He answered as follows: “It would seem to be that there is reason to permit riding a bicycle, albeit that the one in question moves via the pedaling of the person who is sitting upon it, whether it be the Sabbath or Yom Tov, [as long as it is being ridden] in a city that is encircled with an eruv. There is no disregard [of the laws of the Sabbath or Yom Tov] due to uvdin d’chol [i.e., that one is viewed as engaging in a matter that resembles a weekday activity] since it is within an eruv-bound city, and the entire city is considered a reshut ha’yachid – a private domain. Therefore, one may rely on those who are openly lenient in this matter.” Rabbi Goldstein then turns to the author’s “omissions” (actually notes), which are found at the beginning of the book. “I have heard that some say that there is reason to prohibit this [riding a bike] due to mar’it ha’ayin – the prohibition of an act because of the appearance of wrongdoing – and further [in their view] there is reason to decree a prohibition because some will confuse the matter and come to ride in a coach that is either motorized or horse-drawn.” Ben Ish Hai comments: “That which they write that one is to prohibit due to [possible] mar’it ha’ayin is a mistake, because the possibility of mar’it ha’ayin is only in a matter where it relates to ch’shad d’var issur – where we might suspect violating a Biblical violation, such as where we have something that approaches in appearance a Biblical violation. An example would be one who eats meat in or with almond milk [or any other non-dairy milk, i.e., coconut or soymilk]; in such an instance, one who views this has no idea that the person is not consuming cow’s milk, which is a clear and definite prohibition, since both liquids appear the same. Therefore, we are careful [when serving such milk-substitutes] to place some almonds therein [or to display the container itself] in order to be saved from suspicion. “Now as for this bicycle, there is nothing like it that is prohibited [in an eruv-bound area] because the ‘bicycle’ form of transport that is forbidden is one that is either motorized or horse-drawn. It is neither of those two. Rather, it is an implement that moves about via the pedaling of the person who sits upon it. What is there to suspect in its regard? Thus, surely there is no mar’it ha’ayin involved here.” Further, regarding those who would wish to enact a prohibition because some may come to confuse a bicycle with a motorized or horse-drawn carriage, he asks: “Are we to take into account every fool who can’t tell the difference between the two, who can’t tell the difference between [that powered by] a person and [that powered by] an animal and between light and darkness? For if so, let us enact that one shall not carry any object in an eruv-bound area.” Ben Ish Hai notes another point: “And what I heard, that we are to consider the possibility of some sort of breakdown [of the bicycle’s mechanical parts], this is totally without reason since this is an implement that is not prone to breakdowns [easily]. Furthermore, we are not to issue enactments on our own that our Sages did not enact.” Yet, as we will see, not all are in agreement with Ben Ish Hai in this matter.To be continued.
