This Friday night, many people will be following the big game and eagerly awaiting the scores. From a Torah perspective, one should ideally not be preoccupied with sporting events, especially on Shabbat. Nevertheless, many people are deeply attached to their favorite teams, and for them, the curiosity and desire to know the outcome can be quite strong.

For them the question, therefore, is not whether one should be engrossed in the game, but whether and under what circumstances it is permissible to learn the score on Shabbat.

Let us examine the various methods by which one might learn the score and whether they are halachically permissible.

Leaving a Radio On Before Shabbat

Many poskim, particularly in Israel, addressed the permissibility of leaving TV or a radio on before Shabbat in order to listen to broadcasts during Shabbat. A common reason for prohibition is that the listener is benefiting from Shabbat desecration performed by Jewish broadcasters and technicians who actively operate the station on Shabbat. Since one may not benefit from a fellow Jew’s violation of Shabbat, listening to such broadcasts is forbidden.

However, this rationale may not apply outside of Israel where the game is broadcast by non-Jewish stations and personnel. In such cases, the concern of benefiting from a Jew’s Shabbat desecration would seemingly not exist. One would then need to examine whether there are other reasons to prohibit listening to the broadcast, independent of the identity of those operating the station.

 The Rabbinic Prohibition of Musical Instruments

Another possible concern is the rabbinic prohibition against playing musical instruments on Shabbat. Chazal prohibited the use of musical instruments out of concern that if an instrument were to break, one might come to repair it.

Some poskim (Yad Aaron 12) argued that a radio which plays music should be included in this prohibition, since it functions as an instrument through which music is heard. According to this view, listening to a radio on Shabbat would be no different than listening to a musical instrument.

Others disagreed (Erets Tzvi 64), maintaining that the decree of Chazal applies specifically to actual musical instruments that produce music. A radio, however, does not create the music; it merely serves as a medium that transmits sounds generated elsewhere. Since it is fundamentally different from a musical instrument, they argued that it is not included in the original rabbinic prohibition.

According to this latter approach, the prohibition of playing musical instruments would not necessarily apply to a radio that was turned on before Shabbat.

Concern That One May Adjust the Controls

Some poskim (Tshuvot Vehanhagot from Rav Shterenbuch 2, 188) raised a different concern. Even if the radio was turned on before Shabbat and no prohibition is involved in merely listening, there remains the possibility that a person may forget himself and adjust the volume, change the station, or otherwise manipulate the controls while listening.

According to this view, allowing a person to listen to a radio on Shabbat creates a significant risk that he will eventually interact with the device, resulting in a direct violation of Shabbat.

Others rejected this argument (Chelkat Yaakov 63), maintaining that Chazal did not enact such a decree. While rabbinic authorities have the power to enact safeguards under certain circumstances, one cannot simply create new prohibitions based on speculative concerns. Since we do not find that Chazal prohibited benefiting from an item merely because one might be tempted to adjust it, there is no basis to forbid listening to a radio that was properly turned on before Shabbat solely out of concern that one may later tamper with its controls.

Public activity– Avsha Milta

A further consideration discussed by the poskim is the issue of avsha milta—a noticeable activity that creates public awareness and potential suspicion.

We find a well-known dispute between the Shulchan Aruch and the Rema regarding leaving a machine running into Shabbat that produces noticeable noise (Siman 252, 5). The Shulchan Aruch is generally lenient, holding that if the action was started before Shabbat, there is no prohibition in allowing it to continue, even if it produces sound.

The Rema, however, is more stringent in cases where the noise is clearly noticeable to the public, expressing concern for marit ayin—that observers may mistakenly assume the person violated Shabbat by operating the machine on Shabbat itself.

Applying this discussion to a radio left on before Shabbat, according to the Shulchan Aruch it would be permitted even if others can hear it or are aware of its operation. According to the Rema, however, there may be concern that the audible broadcast could create suspicion that the radio was turned on during Shabbat, and therefore such a setup would be problematic in situations where the sound is publicly noticeable.

Ziluta DeShabbat (Disrespect to Shabbat)

Other poskim (Be’er Moshe 7, page 108) raise an additional concern of ziluta deShabbat—that the presence and use of instruments such as radio or television during Shabbat can be considered a degradation of the sanctity and atmosphere of Shabbat itself. Even if no direct melacha is being performed at the moment of listening, the overall environment created by constant media presence may be viewed as undermining the dignity of Shabbat.

In practice

Le’maase, the poskim are stringent and forbid leaving a radio or television on from before Shabbat, and even prohibit setting a timer for it to turn on during Shabbat. This is based on both the above concerns and the broader sensitivity to preserving the sanctity of Shabbat’s atmosphere.

However, in cases of significant need—such as times of war, security concerns, or other emergencies—leniencies may be relied upon where necessary, depending on circumstances and halachic guidance.

Asking a Jew Who Desecrated Shabbat

A further issue arises if one has a friend, neighbor, or acquaintance who is not Shabbat observant and therefore already knows the score.

Halacha generally forbids benefiting from a Jew’s Shabbat desecration (S. A. siman 318, 1). Accordingly, one may not ask such a person to provide information that was obtained through Shabbat violation. This would constitute benefiting from prohibited Shabbat activity.

Asking a Non-Jew

One may not ask a non-Jew to find out the score on Shabbat. Even though there are limited circumstances in which asking a non-Jew (amira le’akum) is permitted, those conditions are not met here.

In general, amira le’akum is only allowed when several conditions are present: the underlying issue is at most a rabbinic prohibition (shevut de’shevut), and it is being done for a significant need, such as a mitzvah purpose, a medical need, or to prevent a major financial loss.

Here, however, the request is simply to obtain information out of curiosity, such as learning a sports score. This does not meet the threshold of a halachic need that would justify amira le’akum. Therefore, even if one would classify accessing the information itself as only a rabbinic prohibition (and some authorities treat it more strictly), asking a non-Jew to do so remains forbidden.

Finding Out from a Non-Jew

The final and perhaps only clearly permissible scenario is asking a non-Jew who already knows the score.

In this case, the non-Jew is not being asked to perform any action on Shabbat. He is merely relating information that is already known to him. Furthermore, the information was not obtained through any violation of Shabbat performed on behalf of the Jew. Since no melacha is being done and no prohibited benefit is being derived from work performed for the Jew, there is room to permit it.

Accordingly, if a non-Jew already knows the score and is simply asked what it is, this would appear to be the most straightforwardly permissible way of finding out the result on Shabbat.