Rest - Shvut
Midrash Mekhilta D’ Rabbi Yishmael
ושמרתם את היום הזה לדורותיכם למה נאמר והלא כבר נאמר כל מלאכה לא יעשה בהם. אין לי אלא דברים שהם משום מלאכה דברים שהם משום שבות מנין ת"ל ושמרתם את היום הזה להביא דברים שהן משום שבות.
Therefore shall ye observe this day. Why is this said? Has it not already been said: “no manner of work shall be done in them” (v.16)? From this I would know only about work that can be regarded as labor [melakhah]. How about activities which can be regarded only as detracting from the restfulness of the day [shvut]? Scripture therefore says: “Therefore, shall you observe this day,” thus prohibiting even such work as only detracts from the restfulness of the day.
Questions:
1) Describe Shvut in your own words.
2) How is Shvut different from Melachah?
3) What are some examples of actions you think would be forbidden by Shvut, but not by melachah?
4) The rabbis forbid climbing trees, swimming in water, and riding an animal on shabbat because of shvut. Why do you think they chose to prohibit these actions for shvut?
5) Does using electrical devices prevent us from resting on shabbat? Are some devices less restful than others?
6) Should the use of electricity be forbidden on Shabbat because of shvut?
Cooking - Bishul
(ו) הַמַּתִּיךְ אֶחָד מִמִּינֵי מַתָּכוֹת כָּל שֶׁהוּא אוֹ הַמְחַמֵּם אֶת הַמַּתָּכוֹת עַד שֶׁתֵּעָשֶׂה גַּחֶלֶת הֲרֵי זֶה תּוֹלֶדֶת מְבַשֵּׁל. וְכֵן הַמְמַסֵּס אֶת הַדּוֹנַג אוֹ אֶת הַחֵלֶב אוֹ אֶת הַזֶּפֶת וְהַכֹּפֶר וְהַגָּפְרִית וְכַיּוֹצֵא בָּהֶם הֲרֵי זֶה תּוֹלֶדֶת מְבַשֵּׁל וְחַיָּב. וְכֵן הַמְבַשֵּׁל כְּלֵי אֲדָמָה עַד שֶׁיֵּעָשׂוּ חֶרֶס חַיָּב מִשּׁוּם מְבַשֵּׁל. כְּלָלוֹ שֶׁל דָּבָר בֵּין שֶׁרִפָּה גּוּף קָשֶׁה בָּאֵשׁ אוֹ שֶׁהִקְשָׁה גּוּף רַךְ הֲרֵי זֶה חַיָּב מִשּׁוּם מְבַשֵּׁל:
A person who melts even the slightest amount of metal or who heats a piece of metal until [it glows like] a coal performs a derivative [of the forbidden labor] of cooking. Similarly, a person who melts wax, tallow, tar, brown tar, or pitch, and the like performs a derivative [of the forbidden labor] of cooking and is liable.
Similarly, a person who heats an earthenware utensil until it becomes hard clay is liable for cooking. The general principle is: Whether one softens a firm entity with fire or hardens a soft entity, one is liable for cooking.
Questions:
1) What does Rambam teach us here about the Melachah of Bishul?
2) How are the changes Rambam talks about similar to what happens to cooked food?
3) Why does Rambam count heating metal until it glows as cooking?
4) Some rabbis say that this source applies to using incandescent light on shabbat. Why do you think they apply this source to incandescent light?
5) Do you think that it makes sense for some rabbis to apply this source to incandescent light? Use what you know about
6) Are there other electrical devices that this source should apply to?
Making Something New - Molid
אין מוציאין את האור לא מן העצים ולא מן האבנים ולא מן העפר ולא מן הרעפים ולא מן המים,ואין מלבנין את הרעפים לצלות בהן
מ"ט משום דקא מוליד ביום טוב:
ONE MAY NOT PRODUCE FIRE EITHER FROM WOOD, OR FROM STONES, OR FROM EARTH, OR FROM TILES,19 OR FROM WATER; NOR MAY ONE MAKE TILES RED-HOT IN ORDER TO ROAST ON THEM.
What is the reason? Because he is creating [something new] on a Festival.
Questions:
1) What does this source teach us counts as making something new?
2) The rabbis also forbid creating a new scent in your clothes on shabbat. However, it is allowed to use perfume as long as it is not absorbed into the material. Why do you think they counted this as creating something new?
3) Molid is not one of the melachot listed in the Mishnah. Why do you think it is rabbinically prohibited on Shabbat?
4) Is something new created when an electrical device is turned on?
5) Is permanently changing something the same as making something new?
6) Do you think it makes sense to forbid using electrical devices on shabbat on the basis of molid?
Building - Bina
(א) הבונה כמה יבנה ויהא חיב, הבונה כל שהוא והמסתת, והמכה בפטיש ובמעצד, הקודח כל שהוא - חיב. זה הכלל: כל העושה מלאכה ומלאכתו מתקימת בשבת, חיב. רבן שמעון בן גמליאל אומר: אף המכה בקרנס על הסדן בשעת מלאכה - חיב, מפני שהוא כמתקן מלאכה.
(1) [If] one builds, how much must he build to be liable? [If] one builds the smallest quantity [he is liable]. [If] one chops stone, or strikes with a hammer, or uses an adze, or bores a hole - [if any of these are done] in the smallest quantity, he is liable. This is the principle: If one performs a Melakhah and that Melakhah endures on the Shabbat, he is liable. Rabbi Shimon ben Gamliel says: One is also liable if he strikes a hammer on an anvil because it is like he improves the tool.
Questions:
1) What does this source teach us about what counts as building on Shabbat?
2) Why do you think the rabbis included each of these specific actions in building?
3) Is it a contradiction to say "If one builds the smallest quantity, he is liable" and "If one performs a Melachah and that Melachah endures on shabbat, he is liable"? Why or why not?
4) The rabbis decide that closing a door does not count as building on Shabbat. Why might it count based on this text and why do you think the rabbis decided it doesn't count?
5) What part of using an electrical device on shabbat could count as building based on this source?
6) Do you think that this source justifies not using electrical devices on shabbat?
"The Final Blow of the Hammer" - Makeh B'Patish
(טז) הַמַּכֶּה בְּפַטִּישׁ הַכָּאָה אַחַת חַיָּב. וְכָל הָעוֹשֶׂה דָּבָר שֶׁהוּא גְּמַר מְלָאכָה הֲרֵי זֶה תּוֹלֶדֶת מַכֶּה בְּפַטִּישׁ וְחַיָּב. כֵּיצַד. הַמְנַפֵּחַ בִּכְלֵי זְכוּכִית וְהַצָּר בַּכְּלִי צוּרָה אֲפִלּוּ מִקְצָת הַצּוּרָה וְהַמְגָרֵד כָּל שֶׁהוּא וְהָעוֹשֶׂה נֶקֶב כָּל שֶׁהוּא בֵּין בְּעֵץ בֵּין בְּמַתֶּכֶת בֵּין בְּבִנְיָן בֵּין בְּכֵלִים הֲרֵי זֶה תּוֹלֶדֶת מַכֶּה בְּפַטִּישׁ וְחַיָּב. וְכָל פֶּתַח שֶׁאֵינוֹ עָשׂוּי לְהַכְנִיס וּלְהוֹצִיא אֵין חַיָּבִין עַל עֲשִׂיָּתוֹ:
A person who gives the [final] blow with a hammer is liable. [Similarly,] a person who performs any activity that represents the completion of a task is liable for performing a derivative of dealing [the final] hammer blow. What is implied? A person who blows a glass vessel, one makes a design, or even a portion of a design, on a utensil, one who planes [the edges of a utensil], one who makes a hole of even the smallest size in a piece of wood, a building, a piece of metal, or a utensil is liable for performing a derivative of dealing [the final] hammer blow. One is not liable for making [a hole] unless it can be used to bring in and bring out.
Questions:
1) The literal translation of this melachah is "the final blow of the hammer". What is this melachah actually forbidding based on this passage?
2) Many of us no longer have jobs that involve the actions listed above. Does this prohibition only apply to people with these types of jobs or are there actions you do on a daily basis that you think fall into this melachah?
3) Is it a contradiction to say "one who makes a hole even the smallest size in a piece of wood . . . is liable" and "one is not liable for making a hole unless it can be used to bring in and out"? What do we learn from having both of these lines?
4) What part of using electrical devices on shabbat could this prohibition be applied to?
5) Based on your answer to #4, are there any electrical devices that should be prohibited on shabbat?
6) Do you think it makes sense to use this source to forbid electrical devices on shabbat? Why or why not?
Burning - Mavir
(א) הַמַּבְעִיר כָּל שֶׁהוּא חַיָּב. וְהוּא שֶׁיְּהֵא צָרִיךְ לָאֵפֶר. אֲבָל אִם הִבְעִיר דֶּרֶךְ הַשְׁחָתָה פָּטוּר מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהוּא מְקַלְקֵל. וְהַמַּבְעִיר גְּדִישׁוֹ שֶׁל חֲבֵרוֹ אוֹ הַשּׂוֹרֵף דִּירָתוֹ חַיָּב אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהוּא מַשְׁחִית. מִפְּנֵי שֶׁכַּוָּנָתוֹ לְהִנָּקֵם מִשּׂוֹנְאוֹ וַהֲרֵי נִתְקָרְרָה דַּעְתּוֹ וְשָׁכְכָה חֲמָתוֹ וְנַעֲשָׂה כְּקוֹרֵעַ עַל מֵתוֹ אוֹ בַּחֲמָתוֹ שֶׁהוּא חַיָּב וּבְחוֹבֵל בַּחֲבֵרוֹ בִּשְׁעַת מְרִיבָה שֶׁכָּל אֵלּוּ מְתַקְּנִים הֵן אֵצֶל יִצְרָן הָרַע. וְכֵן הַמַּדְלִיק אֶת הַנֵּר אוֹ אֶת הָעֵצִים בֵּין לְהִתְחַמֵּם בֵּין לְהָאִיר הֲרֵי זֶה חַיָּב. הַמְחַמֵּם אֶת הַבַּרְזֶל כְּדֵי לְצָרְפוֹ בְּמַיִם הֲרֵי זֶה תּוֹלֶדֶת מַבְעִיר וְחַיָּב:
A person who kindles even the smallest fire is liable, provided he needs the ash that it creates. However, should a person kindle a fire with a destructive intent, he is not liable, for he is causing ruin.
Nevertheless, a person who sets fire to a heap of produce or a dwelling belonging to a colleague is liable, because his intent is to take revenge on his enemies. [Through this act,] he calms his feelings and vents his rage. He is comparable to a person who rends his garments over a deceased person or in rage [on the Sabbath],or a person who injures a colleague in an argument.These individuals are all considered to be performing a constructive activity, because of their evil inclinations. Similarly, a person who lights a candle or wood, whether to generate warmth or light, is liable. A person who heats iron in order to strengthen it by submerging it in water is liable for [performing] a derivative [of the forbidden labor] of kindling.
Questions:
1) What kinds of cases count as burning on shabbat?
2) What cases might seems like burning, but get exempted from counting as burning?
3) How is turning on an electrical device similar to burning a candle or wood?
4) How is turning on an electrical device different from burning a candle or wood?
5) Does it make sense to compare turning on a light or other electrical device to burning a candle or wood?
6) Could the line "heats iron in order to strengthen it" apply to turning on a light or other electrical device? Why or why not?
Other Helpful Halakhic Categories
As Mishnah Shabbat 12:1 declares, העושה כל הכלל זה חייב בשבת מתקיימת ומלאכתו מלאכה “this is the rule: anyone who performs work and his work is stable (or endures) on the Sabbath is culpable.”
1. Melacha she'einah tzricha legufah (an action not needed for its result). This occurs when one does a prohibited action on Shabbat not intending to commit the action prohibited by halacha. For example, pouring water on a field to dispose of the water, rather than to irrigate the field, is a melacha she'eina tzericha legufah. This is normally a rabbinic violation.
2. Pesik resha (undesired act). This occurs when a permitted act will inevitably and directly lead to a prohibited act. As an example, the Talmud stated that if one cuts off the head of a chicken on Shabbat to play with the head, even though one does not care if the chicken lives or dies, a biblical violation has occurred since the action will inevitably lead to killing an animal (a biblical prohibition on Shabbat).
3. Davar she'eino mitkaven (unintended act). This is identical to a pesik resha except that the second act might not occur, and is thus permitted.
4. Pesik resha delo nichah lei (undesired act with no benefit). This is a pesik resha where the second act, even though it must occur, will provide no benefit to the person causing it. Most authorities maintain this is a rabbinic violation; some maintain it is permitted.