Shabbat

My doctor told me that if I get up at night to go to the bathroom, I should use a flashlight to see my way there. This is for my own safety. What do I do about this on Shabbat? I can’t leave the light on all night because then I’ll never fall asleep.

I have a friend who makes ramen style noodle soup on Shabbos where you add hot water from an urn to a cup of dry contents including noodles. The rabbi my parents followed when I was growing up said this is forbidden because the hot water cooks the noodles, and this is what my family practiced. My friend follows a rabbi who permits it if you use a kli sheni and then transfer the water into the noodles. She served soup like this to all her Shabbos guests, and all the other ones accepted it. To not offend her, I declined by saying I was not in the mood for soup at the time. What should I do in the future if I am faced with a situation like this?

When Shabbat ends on the east coast, it is still Shabbat on the west coast for about 3 more hours. Is it permitted to have a phone conversation with a gentile on the west coast during that period of time?

Hi Rabbi, I find the concept of “rest” on Shabbat confusing. Why is walking up eight flights of stairs in my high-rise building considered not “work,” but pushing an elevator button is yes considered work? Thanks for any insight.

In a few weeks I am having minor elective surgery. It is no big deal, but I have to spend 3 days in the hospital to recover from anesthesia, probably including a Shabbos. I had a similar procedure once before, and during the recovery, I found I had to use the electronic controls to move the bed often to make myself comfortable and the call button to call nurses at times. What are the laws pertaining to using these on Shabbos when it is only to improve one’s comfort?