What are things Jews do NOT do on Shabbat?

Answer 1

There are lots of things Jews can't do but here are 5 things

- They can't work

- Can't kindle a fire

- Can't use electronic things

- Can't destroy things

- Can't create things

Answer 2

1) We don't avail ourselves of all the devices and techniques that Man has developed to master and control Nature. A few examples are: fire, electronics, machinery. The day is dedicated to reconnecting with the One who created the universe, and to living in our part of the universe as it was created.

2) We don't conduct business or work our jobs. The day is dedicated to reminding ourselves that people don't own people, that we ultimately serve and report to God and not to other people, that our success and comfort are decided by God apart from all of our striving and our overtime, and that our success in living life involves other dimensions in addition to our net taxable income.

3) We don't occupy ourselves with the concerns that keep us on our toes during the ordinary days. A few examples are: watering/weeding the garden; washing the car; painting the boat; mowing/edging the lawn; repairing the window; cleaning the garage; doing a crossword puzzle; doing the laundry; practicing the piano; checking our email; cooking dinner; washing dishes.

The Shabbat is a different kind of day, not one of the ordinary ones. Jews who observe it are careful to avoid the habits of the ordinary days, because ... being the creatures of habit that we are ... we could so easily relax into the same frame of mind as on the ordinary days, and lose sight of the higher, more spiritual pursuits that are available to us on the Shabbat, and to which the Shabbat is actually dedicated.

Note that although the list of DON'Ts is always the more fascinating for non-Jews, it's important to try and understand that the essence of Shabbat is to DO the proper things. The DON'Ts are simply things that are inconsistent with that, and would spoil it.

Answer 3

Non-Orthodox Jews keep Shabbat in very personal ways, not always following the same restrictions as Orthodox Jews.

The kind of labor that one ordinarily engages in on weekdays. That should mean not engaging in your ordinary business or your ordinary activities.

But centuries upon centuries of interpretation, questioning and reinterpretation have made this a far-reaching concept. So it includes not driving a car even though most people no longer live within short walking distance of their synagogues and doesn't take into consideration weather conditions or a physical impairment that could make walking more difficult. It also includes not cooking because even just getting a stove ready to cook on took work even though today you just press a few buttons.

The goal of restricting work on Shabbat at its basis is to allow the human soul to have a time to refresh itself, and to facilitate worship. Putting splintered rules in place that in effect can diminish that rest or make worship more difficult would seem to be contradictory to the basic purpose.

Reform and some Conservative Jews observe the sabbath in various ways, but generally don't focus on prohibitions. Traditional Jews can't work on the Sabbath. Orthodox Jews define work by 39 laws, because these activities are listed in the Torah and were the activities prohibited during Shabbat when the First Temple was being built.

A few examples of prohibited activities are:

We are not supposed to kindle a fire. We can't turn on/off electrical items as that is creating/breaking a circuit. We cant carry anything outside of our homes. We can not create or destroy, we cant draw because it is creating and we cant rip paper because it is destroying.

The entirety of the 39 laws are listed below.

1. Zoreah - Sowing (seeding)

2. Choresh - Plowing

3. Kotzair - Reaping (cutting)

4. M'amair - Gathering (bundling sheaves)

5. Dishah - Threshing

6. Zoreh - Winnowing

7. Borer - Sorting (selecting, separating)

8. Tochain - Grinding

9. Merakked - Sifting

10. Lishah - Kneading

11. Ofeh / (Bishul) - Baking/cooking

12. Gozez - Shearing

13. Melabain - Whitening (bleaching)

14. Menafetz - Disentangling, Combing

15. Tzovayah - Dyeing

16. Toveh - Spinning

17. Maisach - Mounting the warp (stretching threads onto loom)

18. Oseh Batai Neirin - Setting two heddles (preparing to weave)

19. Oraig - Weaving

20. Potzai'ah - Separating (removing) threads (Unweaving)

21. Koshair - Tying a knot

22. Matir - Untying a knot

23. Tofair - Sewing

24. Ko'reah - Tearing (unsewing - ripping)

25. Tzeidah - Trapping

26. Shochet - Slaughtering (Killing)

27. Mafsheet - Skinning

28. M'abaid - Salting/tanning process [1]

29. Mesarteit - Tracing (scratching) lines

30. Memacheik - Smoothing / scraping

31. Mechateich - Cutting (to shape)

32. Kotaiv - Writing two or more letters

33. Mochaik - Erasing two or more letters

34. Boneh - Building

35. Soteir - Demolishing

36. Mechabeh - Extinguishing (putting out a flame)

37. Mav'ir - Kindling (making a fire or turning electricity off or on)

38. Makeh B'Patish - Striking the final blow (Finishing an object)

39. Hotza'ah - Transferring (transporting) from domain to domain

Answer 4

The common thought is work, and in an essence, that is true, but the Hebrew actually means you are not allowed to create. One example is creating a "spark." This means, no lighting fires, no pressing buttons, no using electronics. As long as the labor being performed is purely physical and does not create anything, it is okay (so you can walk places or lift a heavy chair indoors).

Answer 5

Traditional Jews do not work on Shabbat (the sabbath). Orthodox Jews define work by the following 39 activities:

1 Planting

2 Plowing

3 Reaping

4 Binding sheaves

5 Threshing

6 Winnowing

7 Selecting

8 Grinding

9 Sifting

10 Kneading

11 Baking

12 Shearing wool

13 Washing wool (Scouring/Laundering)

14 Beating/Combing wool

15 Dyeing

16 Spinning

17 Weaving

18 Making two loops

19 Weaving at least two threads

20 Separating two threads

21 Tying

22 Untying

23 Sewing

24 Tearing for the purpose of sewing

25 Trapping

26 Slaughtering

27 Flaying

28 Curing hide

29 Scraping hide

30 Scoring

31 Cutting hide into pieces

32 Writing

33 Erasing

34 Building

35 Tearing something down

36 Extinguishing a fire

37 Igniting a fire

38 Applying the finishing touch

39 Transferring between domains

Answer 6

Religiously observant Jews will not participate in any of the 39 categories of work described in the Torah. An example of 8 of these categories is:

1. carrying
2. writing
3. tearing
4. planting
5. burning
6. harvesting
7. demolishing
8. marking

Answer 7

We're not supposed to "work." This is usually taken to mean anything involved in building: digging, lifting, carrying, turning on electrical currents, cutting wood or stone, etc. In the Jewish tradition, we "build a fence around the Torah," which means we extend the rule to make absolutely sure we don't accidentally violate it. So a number of additions to the definition of "work" have grown up over the generations -- when in doubt, check with a local rabbi.

See the attached Related Link.

Answer 8

There are two main aspects to Shabbat observance: what we do and what we don't do.
What we don't do: we're not permitted to work on the Shabbat (Exodus ch.20). This includes 39 categories of productive interaction with the world, such as planting, writing, kindling fire, etc. (Talmud, Shabbat 73b).

• Link: More about Shabbat-observance
  

What we do: candles are lit, customarily by the lady of the household, around 20 minutes before sunset on Friday afternoon. We then attend synagogue for the Friday afternoon prayer (mincha), the kabbalat Shabbat (ushering in of the Shabbat), and the Shabbat evening prayer (maariv), consecutively.
On Shabbat morning, we again attend synagogue. The services are longer than on weekdays and include prayers as well as reading the weekly Torah-portion.

There's often a kiddush (refreshments) afterwards, and congregants then have a chance to schmooze (to talk). Towards the late afternoon, there's another (short) service (Shabbat mincha).

After Friday night services and on Shabbat morning after services, we come home, often with guests, make kiddush (blessing over wine), and have a leisurely multi-course Shabbat meal including singing and words of Torah. Customarily, that week's Torah-reading (parsha) will be a topic of conversation; and the children of the family will be asked to speak of what they've learned in school.

• Link: The Shabbat meals
  

After that, Shabbat is a quiet time: no phones, radio or TV (etc.), just schmoozing, taking walks, visiting friends, reading, learning Torah, playing Board Games, etc.

Husband and wife, in particular, finally have a chance to be together after a hectic week.

Answer 9

There are many thing including but not limited to driving, turning on/off lights, use money (synagouge members pay dues instead of giving an offering) turn any electricity on/off,

Answer 10

Short answer: Jews are forbidden to do any work on Shabbat (the Sabbath). Long answer: There are 39 categories of activity that the Rabbis inferred from the Torah to be forbidden on Shabbat. Planting, Plowing, Reaping, Gathering, Threshing, Winnowing, Sorting, Dissection, Sifting, Kneading, Cooking, Shearing, Scouring, Combing, Dyeing, Spinning, Warping, Threading, Weaving, Separating threads, Tying, Untying, Sewing, Tearing, Trapping, Killing, Skinning, Curing, Smoothing, Scoring, Measured cutting, Writing, Erasing, Construction, Demolition, Extinguishing fire, Igniting fire, Finishing a project, Moving things between domains. All of the above restrictions may be lifted to save a human life.