Shoveling Snow on Shabbat

The Aish Rabbi Replies

The concern that someone might walk by and slip is not grounds to permit shoveling your walkway on Shabbat. Only cases of imminent or near-term danger justify doing labor on Shabbat – such as driving a person with a medical emergency to the hospital. In your case, you could try applying salt to your sidewalk before Shabbat. Alternatively, you could hint to a non-Jew that your sidewalk needs cleaning - which you can't do yourself on Shabbat, and hopefully, he will recognize the need. (In general, we may not ask a non-Jew to do that which we may not do ourselves on Shabbat.)

If you were in a city with an eiruv, permitting carrying outside, you would still not be allowed to shovel yourself. An activity such as shoveling snow is considered "uvdin d'chol" - a weekday activity, Rabbinically forbidden on Shabbat. In addition, some authorities consider snow to be muktzeh - an item not "prepared" for Shabbat (especially if it fell on Shabbat itself), and so may not be moved on Shabbat. However, in such a case, you would surely be able to ask a non-Jew to shovel for you. You could further ask him directly - rather than just hint to him. Since shoveling snow when there is an eiruv is only Rabbinically forbidden, you could definitely ask a non-Jew to clean your walkway for you (also only a Rabbinical prohibition) since a slippery sidewalk does present somewhat of a public hazard.

Whether there is an eiruv or not, you should not hire the non-Jew to do work for pay (even though of course you'll pay him only after Shabbat). Preferably, you should just ask him - with the tacit understanding that it will be worth his time - and after Shabbat you can give him compensation.

(Source: Shulchan Aruch O.C. 307:5.)