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Question
Dear Rabbi,
If someone is entering a building on Shabbat with an electronic door which operated a guard (they push a button to allow you entry), would this present an issue of Amirah lenochri?
Answer
ב"ה
Shalom,
Your question to our website coincides with a question, recently answered at length by Rabbi Daniel Mann Shlit"a, of Kolel Eretz Chemda,in the OU Torah Tidbits, Parshat Miketz 5783 issue. (See https://www.torahtidbits.com/past-issues/ )
My answer will basically reiterate Rabbi Mann's answer with the addition of some notes and additional references.
It does not present an issue of Amirah lenochri, because he is doing his job which is to open the door which he could have done in a permitted manner, by getting up and opening the door manually. The fact that he buzzed the person in electronically was the choice of the non-Jewish guard for his convenience, which is the concept of " adata denafshei".
This ruling was already given in 2001, by Rav Uri Dessberg zt"l in the book, Tzedah La'derech, which is a guide to the Jewish traveler abroad (Chapter 32:3:1) published by Machon Zomet Nonetheless, he added, that it would be more proper if the persomn entering followed a non- Jew who was let in by the guard.
It also written explicitly in the book, Orchot Shabbat, by Rav Shalom Yoseph Gelber, (Volume II, Chapter 23: 57) that there is no prohibition by being let in by the guard. He also added that in order to avoid any issue of disrespect for Shabbat, it would be better if the guard would open the door manually.
It is upon this answer Rabbi Mann based his ruling in the aforementioned article.
Shemirat Shabbat K’hilchata (Vol. I chapter 30:24) also touches upon briefly, the issue of having a non-Jew doing some task for a Jew on Shabbat which could be done in a fashion which does not involve any Shabbat prohibition, but chose for his convenience to do it in a way which is forbidden on Shabbat, such as telling the non-Jew to wash the dishes, which could be done manually, but chose to turn on the hot water boiler, or used the dishwasher. However, door opening in particular is not related to.
The same ruling, permitting entering after being buzzed in electronically, without posing any reservations can be found in Yalkut Yoseph on Hilchot Shabbat 276 ( By Sephardi Chief Rabbi Yitzchak Yoseph ) also in "Amira Lenochri "( RaV A. Dravmediker – Vol II Chapt 12, pg. 133) See also :
תשובות והנהגות כרך ג סימן שסג, שו"ת בצל החכמה חלק ו סימן סה
( On the issue of " adata denafshei".אדעתא דנפשיה , see also
שו"ת דברי חיים או"ח ח"ב סי' כב, שו"ת ישיב יצחק חלק מ"א סעיף י"ט) )
All the best

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