Sabbath Prohibitions

The restrictions on work are more strict for the Sabbath than for other holidays that prohibit work. Leviticus 23:3 commands the Jews to "do no manner of work" on the Sabbath, whereas Leviticus 23:7 requires them to "do no manner of servile work" on the festivals. The general interpretation of the latter is that work can be done on the festivals if it contributes to the enjoyment of the festival and could not have been done beforehand. Thus baking bread or grinding fresh coffee is allowed on the festivals, but not on the Sabbath.

The rabbis who wrote the Talmud established 39 categories of work that cannot be performed on the Sabbath according to the Hebrew Bible. These include cooking, washing clothes, constructing, repairing, writing, making a fire, cutting, fishing, and so on. They also added several other activities that could lead to violating the Sabbath - for instance, one should not climb a tree on the Sabbath to avoid breaking a twig and violating the rule not to cut.

Over the last century, rabbis have had to figure out how to apply the ancient laws to modern inventions. They have decided that, for instance, one cannot drive on the Sabbath because it involves both moving an object and igniting the fuel, both of which are prohibited. Because Jews attend synagogue services on the Sabbath, this explains why Jewish communities are often clustered in a small area and within walking distance of a synagogue.

As with all other aspects of Jewish law, different Jews observe the Sabbath prohibitions to different degrees. While Orthodox Jews often set their lights on timers and unscrew the lightbulbs in their refrigerators on the Sabbath, most Conservative Jews wouldn't worry about lights and feel comfortable driving to the synagogue as well. Many Reform Jews ignore the restrictions entirely, but might try to attend the Friday night Sabbath service.

The Sabbath restrictions do not prohibit everything that takes effort. On the contrary, Jews are encouraged to play games, take a stroll, study the Torah, sing, attend lectures, or make love with their spouse on the Sabbath. It is work that is forbidden on the Sabbath - play is encouraged.