In recent weeks, a story that shook the entire Jewish world was publicized for the first time on Matzav.com. It was revealed that a gentile who served as a Shabbos goy in Shikun Skver in New York, aged seventy, is actually Jewish.
The Skverer dayanim, led by the Av Beis Din, Rav Yosef Yisrael Eisenberger, who investigated and examined the facts, indeed ruled to stop using him, since it became clear that halachically he is considered Jewish in every respect.
Many residents of the area were greatly astonished by this surprising revelation, and they were pained due to the chillul Shabbos caused inadvertently through their actions. They sent their question to the senior posek, Rav Yitzchok Zilberstein, and asked whether they need kapparah for causing a Jew to inadvertently desecrate Shabbos.
In the shailah, it was written that every time someone needed a Shabbos goy, after receiving permission from the rov, they would approach him, and he performed the necessary work. What happened was that a few weeks ago, one of the residents spoke with him, and he mentioned that his family name was “Ruditsky” and he fled from Ukraine due to some incident. When it became known that this was indeed his grandfather’s surname, they were astonished, because it sounded like a Jewish surname.
Indeed, after investigating, they were astounded to discover that this grandfather of his, his mother’s father, was indeed Jewish, as was his grandmother. Therefore, according to halacha, he is considered a Jew in every respect, despite being considered a gentile for all these years. They immediately annulled his employment as a Shabbos goy.
The question was whether all those who over the years used this “Shabbos goy” need kapparah, as they inadvertently caused a Jew to perform work on Shabbos, or perhaps they do not need kapparah because they were unaware and assumed he was a gentile.
Rav Zilberstein, in his extensive teshuvah regarding matters of unintentional aveiros and ones committed under duress, deliberated whether this case is considered duress or unintentional. In his words, he decisively ruled it as absolute duress, since this individual was considered a gentile. It is explicitly stated by the Rambam in three places that a sin committed under absolute duress does not require atonement.
However, towards the end of his remarks, Rav Zilberstein added an interesting halachic novelty, that all those who used the revealed Shabbos goy who turned out to be Jewish do not require kapparah. This applies only to those who invited the gentile without proper halachic permission from the rov and transgressed the prohibition of instructing a gentile to perform work on Shabbos. Since sometimes people are unaware and not knowledgeable about the laws of instructing a gentile, and they invite the gentile without halachic permission and transgress the prohibition of amira l’akum, such a person does not need to repent only for instructing a gentile, but must repent for causing a Jew to desecrate Shabbos through him. Even though he was under duress and did not know that he was Jewish, nevertheless, since he transgressed by instructing a gentile, he is also punished for not knowing that he was Jewish.
{Matzav.com Israel}
Sadly, there are lots of Jewish Shabbos Goyim / Goytess and like the above report, many times they find out about their being Jewish years later. If so, many Jews worldwide need kapparah.
Perhaps it’s a good time for someone reliable to post the correct manner in which one is supposed to engage the help of a Shabbos goy?
Confusing first line of psak as presented: “Rav Zilberstein added an interesting halachic novelty, that all those who used the revealed Shabbos goy who turned out to be Jewish do not require kapparah.” I believe what was meant was that they don’t need ONLY that kapparah, but also additionally etc.
I’m sorry, but one can not simply assume that anyone from the Ukraine or Russia is not Jewish just because he says so. And if one can’t assume the person is not Jewish then giving him מלכה to do and on such a massive level is a terrible desecration of Shabbos and a huge Chillul Hashem.
The more serious question is how did no one pick up that he’s Jewish earlier? Including people who knew that his name is Ruditsky? And why he himself never mentioned that he has Jewish ancestors (by the goyim, the religion goes after the father so while he may never have suspected that he’s Jewish, he might have mentioned his “connection”)?