Shabbat Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.Anti-spam check. Do not fill this in! ==Prohibited activities== {{Main|39 Melachot|Rabbinically prohibited activities of Shabbat}} [[Halakha|Jewish law (halakha)]] prohibits doing any form of ''melakhah'' (ΧΦ°ΧΦΈΧΧΦΈΧ, plural ''melakhoth'') on Shabbat, unless an urgent human or medical need is life-threatening. Though ''melakhah'' is commonly translated as "work" in [[English language|English]], a better definition is "deliberate activity" or "skill and craftmanship". There are 39 categories of ''melakhah'':<ref>[[Mishnah]] Tractate Shabbat 7:2</ref> {{Div col|colwidth=22em}} * plowing earth * sowing * reaping * binding sheaves * threshing * winnowing * selecting * grinding * sifting * kneading * baking * shearing wool * washing wool * beating wool * dyeing wool * spinning * weaving * making two loops * weaving two threads * separating two threads * tying * untying * sewing stitches * tearing * trapping * slaughtering * flaying * tanning * scraping hide * marking hide * cutting hide to shape * writing two or more letters * erasing two or more letters * building * demolishing * extinguishing a fire * kindling a fire * putting the finishing touch on an object, and * transporting an object (between private and public domains, or over 4 [[cubit]]s within public domain) {{div col end}} The 39 ''melakhoth'' are not so much activities as "categories of activity". For example, while "winnowing" usually refers exclusively to the separation of [[chaff]] from [[cereal|grain]], and "selecting" refers exclusively to the separation of debris from grain, they refer in the Talmudic sense to any separation of intermixed materials which renders edible that which was inedible. Thus, filtering undrinkable water to make it drinkable falls under this category, as does picking small bones from fish ([[gefilte fish]] is one solution to this problem). The categories of labors prohibited on Shabbat are [[exegesis|exegetically]] derived β on account of Biblical passages juxtaposing Shabbat observance ({{Bibleverse|Exodus|35:1β3|HE}}) to making the [[Tabernacle (Judaism)|Tabernacle]] ({{Bibleverse|Exodus|35:4 etc.|HE}}) β that they are the kinds of work that were necessary for the construction of the [[Tabernacle (Judaism)|Tabernacle]]. They are not explicitly listed in the Torah; the Mishnah observes that "the laws of Shabbat ... are like mountains hanging by a hair, for they are little Scripture but many laws".<ref>[[Chagigah]] 1:8.</ref> Many [[rabbinic literature|rabbinic scholars]] have pointed out that these labors have in common activity that is "creative", or that exercises control or dominion over one's [[environment (biophysical)|environment]].<ref>{{cite news|last1=Klein|first1=Miriam|title=Sabbath Offers Serenity in a Fast-Paced World|url=http://www.triblocal.com/northbrook/community/stories/2011/04/sabbath-offers-serenity-in-a-fast-paced-world/|agency=Chicago Tribune|publisher=Triblocal|date=April 27, 2011|access-date=July 7, 2015|archive-date=July 8, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150708062609/http://www.triblocal.com/northbrook/community/stories/2011/04/sabbath-offers-serenity-in-a-fast-paced-world/|url-status=dead}}</ref> In addition to the 39 ''melakhot'', additional activities were [[Rabbinically prohibited activities of Shabbat|prohibited by the rabbis]] for various reasons. The term ''[[shomer Shabbat]]'' is used for a person (or organization) who adheres to Shabbat laws consistently. The (strict) observance of the Sabbath is often seen as a benchmark for orthodoxy and indeed has legal bearing on the way a Jew is seen by an [[Beit din|orthodox religious court]] regarding their affiliation to Judaism.<ref>See [[Yosef Dov Soloveitchik]]'s "Beis HaLevi" commentary on [[parasha]] [[Ki Tissa]] for further elaboration regarding the legal ramifications.</ref> ===Specific applications=== ====Electricity==== {{Main|Electricity on Shabbat}} [[File:Teddy bear Shabbat lamp.tif|thumb|upright|Teddy bear lamp in the collection of the [[Jewish Museum of Switzerland]]. The cap can be twisted, which covers the lightbulb with a dark shell and dims the light in a way arguably acceptable on the sabbath.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Lubrich, Battegay |first=Naomi, Caspar |title=Jewish Switzerland: 50 Objects Tell Their Stories |publisher=Christoph Merian |year=2018 |isbn=978-3856168476 |location=Basel |pages=202β205}}</ref> ]] Orthodox and some Conservative authorities rule that turning [[Electricity|electric]] devices on or off is prohibited as a ''melakhah''; however, authorities are not in agreement about exactly which one(s). One view is that tiny sparks are created in a switch when the circuit is closed, and this would constitute lighting a fire (category 37). If the appliance is purposed for light or heat (such as an [[incandescent bulb]] or electric oven), then the lighting or heating elements may be considered as a type of fire that falls under both lighting a fire (category 37) and cooking (i.e., baking, category 11). Turning lights off would be extinguishing a fire (category 36). Another view is that completing an electrical circuit constitutes building (category 35) and turning off the circuit would be demolishing (category 34). Some schools of thought consider the use of electricity to be forbidden only by [[rabbinical law|rabbinic injunction]], rather than a ''melakhah''. A common solution to the problem of electricity involves preset timers ([[Shabbat clock]]s) for electric appliances, to turn them on and off automatically, with no human intervention on Shabbat itself. Some Conservative authorities<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Neulander|first=Arthur|date=1950|title=The Use of Electricity on the Sabbath|journal=Proceedings of the Rabbinical Assembly|volume=14|pages=165β171}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Adler|first1=Morris|last2=Agus|first2=Jacob|last3=Friedman|first3=Theodore|date=1950|title=Responsum on the Sabbath|journal=Proceedings of the Rabbinical Assembly|volume=14|pages=112β137}}</ref><ref>Klein, Isaac. ''A Guide to Jewish Religious Practice.'' The Jewish Theological Seminary of America: New York, 1979.</ref> reject altogether the arguments for prohibiting the use of electricity. Some Orthodox also hire a "[[Shabbos goy]]", a Gentile to perform prohibited tasks (like operating light switches) on Shabbat. ====Automobiles==== {{Main|Driving on Shabbat}} Orthodox and many Conservative authorities completely prohibit the use of automobiles on Shabbat as a violation of multiple categories, including lighting a fire, extinguishing a fire, and transferring between domains (category 39). However, the Conservative movement's [[Committee on Jewish Law and Standards]] permits driving to a synagogue on Shabbat, as an emergency measure, on the grounds that if Jews lost contact with synagogue life, they would become lost to the Jewish people. A halakhically authorized [[Shabbat mode]] added to a power-operated [[mobility scooter]] may be used on the observance of Shabbat for those with walking limitations, often referred to as a Shabbat scooter. It is intended only for individuals whose limited mobility is dependent on a scooter or automobile consistently throughout the week. ====Modifications==== Seemingly "forbidden" acts may be performed by modifying technology such that no law is actually violated. In [[Sabbath mode]], a "[[Sabbath elevator]]" will stop automatically at every floor, allowing people to step on and off without anyone having to press any buttons, which would normally be needed to work. ([[Dynamic braking]] is also disabled if it is normally used, i.e., shunting energy collected from downward travel, and thus the [[gravitational energy|gravitational potential energy]] of passengers, into a [[resistor]] network.) However, many rabbinical authorities consider the use of such elevators by those who are otherwise capable as a violation of Shabbat, with such workarounds being for the benefit of the frail and handicapped and not being in the spirit of the day. Many observant Jews avoid the prohibition of carrying by use of an [[eruv]]. Others make their [[Key (lock)|keys]] into a [[tie bar]], part of a [[Belt (clothing)|belt]] buckle, or a [[brooch]], because a legitimate article of [[clothing]] or [[jewelry]] may be worn rather than carried. An elastic band with clips on both ends, and with keys placed between them as integral links, may be considered a belt. [[Shabbat lamp]]s have been developed to allow a light in a room to be turned on or off at will while the electricity remains on. A special mechanism blocks out the light when the off position is desired without violating Shabbat. The [[Shabbos App]] is a proposed [[Android app]] claimed by its creators to enable [[Orthodox Judaism|Orthodox]] [[Jew]]s, and all Jewish Sabbath-observers, to use a [[smartphone]] to text on the Jewish Sabbath. It has met with resistance from some authorities.<ref name=uproar>{{cite web|url=http://www.thejewishweek.com/news/international/new-shabbos-app-creates-uproar-among-orthodox-circles|title=New Shabbos App Creates Uproar Among Orthodox Circles|author=Hannah Dreyfus|work=[[The Jewish Week]]|date=October 2, 2014|access-date=October 12, 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141007195945/http://www.thejewishweek.com/news/international/new-shabbos-app-creates-uproar-among-orthodox-circles|archive-date=October 7, 2014}}</ref><ref name=toi>{{cite web|url=http://www.timesofisrael.com/app-lets-jewish-kids-text-on-sabbath-and-stay-in-the-fold/|title=App lets Jewish kids text on Sabbath β and stay in the fold; The 'Shabbos App' is generating controversy in the Jewish community β and a monumental on-line discussion of Jewish law|author=David Shamah|date=October 2, 2014|work=[[The Times of Israel]]|access-date=October 3, 2014}}</ref><ref name=shalom>{{cite web|url=http://www.shalomlife.com/business/26132/finally-now-you-can-text-on-saturdays-thanks-to-new-shabbos-app/|title=Finally, Now You Can Text on Saturdays Thanks to New 'Shabbos App'|date=October 2, 2014|author=Daniel Koren|work=Shalom Life|access-date=October 12, 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141007135626/http://www.shalomlife.com/business/26132/finally-now-you-can-text-on-saturdays-thanks-to-new-shabbos-app/|archive-date=October 7, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://jewishbusinessnews.com/2014/10/02/will-the-shabbos-app-change-jewish-life-raise-rabbinic-ire-or-both/|title=Will the Shabbos App Change Jewish Life, Raise Rabbinic Ire, or Both?|date=October 2, 2014|publisher=Jewish Business News|access-date=October 12, 2014}}</ref> ====Permissions==== {{Main|Pikuach nefesh}} If a human life is in danger (pikuach nefesh), then a Jew is not only allowed, but required,<ref>[http://www.israel21c.org/briefs/8-saved-during-qshabbat-from-hellq 8 saved during "Shabbat from hell"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100119072338/http://www.israel21c.org/briefs/8-saved-during-qshabbat-from-hellq |date=2010-01-19 }} (January 17, 2010) in [http://www.israel21c.org/ ''Israel 21c Innovation News Service''] Retrieved 2010β01β18</ref><ref>[http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3835327,00.html ZAKA rescue mission to Haiti 'proudly desecrating Shabbat'] Religious rescue team holds Shabbat prayer with members of international missions in Port au-Prince. Retrieved 2010β01β22</ref> to violate any halakhic law that stands in the way of saving that person (excluding murder, idolatry, and forbidden sexual acts). The concept of life being in danger is interpreted broadly: for example, it is mandated that one violate Shabbat to bring a woman in active labor to a hospital. Lesser rabbinic restrictions are often violated under much less urgent circumstances (a patient who is ill but not critically so). {{quote|We did everything to save lives, despite Shabbat. People asked: "Why are you here? There are no Jews here," but we are here because the Torah orders us to save lives .... We are desecrating Shabbat with pride.|Mati Goldstein, commander of the Jewish [[ZAKA]] rescue-mission to the [[2010 Haiti earthquake]]<ref name="ynews">{{cite news|url=http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3835327,00.html|title=ZAKA mission to Haiti 'proudly desecrating Shabbat'|newspaper=Ynetnews|date=17 January 2010 |access-date=8 October 2017|last1=Levy|first1=Amit}}</ref>}} Various other legal principles closely delineate which activities constitute [[Sabbath desecration|desecration of Shabbat]]. Examples of these include the principle of ''shinui'' ("change" or "deviation"): A violation is not regarded as severe if the prohibited act was performed in a way that would be considered abnormal on a weekday. Examples include writing with one's nondominant hand, according to many rabbinic authorities. This legal principle operates ''bedi'avad'' (''[[ex post facto]]'') and does not cause a forbidden activity to be permitted barring extenuating circumstances. ===Reform and Reconstructionist views=== Generally, adherents of [[Reform Judaism|Reform]] and [[Reconstructionist Judaism]] believe that the individual Jew determines whether to follow Shabbat prohibitions or not. For example, some Jews might find activities, such as writing or cooking for [[leisure]], to be enjoyable enhancements to Shabbat and its holiness, and therefore may encourage such practices. Many Reform Jews believe that what constitutes "work" is different for each person, and that only what the person considers "work" is forbidden.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.shamash.org/lists/scj-faq/HTML/faq/18-04-17.html |title=Soc.Culture.Jewish Newsgroups Frequently Asked Questions and Answers |page=18.4.7 |date=2003-09-04 |access-date=2009-03-27 |last=Faigin |first=Daniel P. |publisher=[[Usenet]] |archive-date=2006-02-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060222101110/http://www.shamash.org/lists/scj-faq/HTML/faq/18-04-17.html }}</ref> The radical Reform rabbi [[Samuel Holdheim]] advocated moving Sabbath to Sunday for many no longer observed it, a step taken by dozens of congregations in the United States in late 19th century.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://americanjewisharchives.org/publications/journal/PDF/1982_34_01_00_olitzky.pdf |title=The Sunday-Sabbath Movement in American Reform Judaism: Strategy or Evolution |website=AmericanJewishArchives.org |access-date=8 October 2017 }}</ref> More rabbinically traditional Reform and Reconstructionist Jews believe that these ''halakhoth'' in general may be valid, but that it is up to each individual to decide how and when to apply them. A small fraction of Jews in the Progressive Jewish community accept these laws in much the same way as Orthodox Jews. Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. If you do not want your writing to be edited mercilessly, then do not submit it here. You are also promising us that you wrote this yourself, or copied it from a public domain or similar free resource (see Christianpedia:Copyrights for details). Do not submit copyrighted work without permission! Cancel Editing help (opens in new window) Discuss this page