According to this answer some Rabbis (to my understanding, generally Hasidic ones) give a Heter for playing instruments on Shabbat because of the fact that nowadays most people aren’t skilled in repairing instruments. My question is, does this Heter apply universally, or does it only apply to people who don’t know how to repair instruments, and people who do know aren’t included in the Heter. Furthermore, are there any leniencies for Oneg Shabbat?
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5There aren't any Orthodox rabbis that allow playing instruments on shabbos.– DudeCommented Nov 29 at 19:07
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1 Answer
That wasn't what the Ramah said. His two explanations for why the hoi polloi clap and dance today are:
1.) Really, it's prohibited; but today's rabbis gave up on saying "no" because people will do it anyhow.
2.) Very few people do proper instrument repairs today. So "if we allow clapping and dancing, people will start playing instruments, and then do proper repairs on them" is exceedingly unlikely. So "everything" -- i.e. dancing/clapping -- is actually permitted today, unlike the above answer.
Let's assume in the times of the Mishna, the probability of going from clapping/dancing to using musical instruments was A, and from using them to fixing them (in a truly Biblical way) was B. Both A and B are numbers somewhere between 0 and 1. A x B yields a probability that's still plausible, so the Sages prohibited.
The Ramah says that today, the probability of going from using instruments to fixing-them-in-a-Biblical-craftsman way is now C, which is less than B. And A x C = something so negligible as to not be subject to a rabbinic enactment.
Just because A x C = negligible, does not mean that C alone is negligible. If you start clapping/dancing, you have A x C; but once you start using instruments, you have C alone, which is greater than A x C, and therefore prohibited.
Please. No musical instruments on Shabbos. (Not until you're working in the Beis HaMikdash.)
