Why Can't I Work on Shabbos?

Real questions, submitted by actual OU Torah followers, with their real answers. NOTE: For questions of practical halacha, please consult your own rabbi for guidance.

Q. Why can’t we cook, clean or work on Shabbat or drive a truck? I can’t find a reason as to why not. The Torah only says to make the Sabbath holy.

A. Thanks for your question, which was forwarded to my attention. The Torah says more than to make Shabbos holy; it says to refrain from acts of creative labor on Shabbos and that performing such acts of labor is a capital offense. (Remember the man who was executed for gathering firewood on Shabbos?) There are 39 categories of creative labor and two entire Talmudic tractates dedicated to them (Shabbos and Eiruvin).

Q. I’m looking for why I can’t do certain things on Shabbat.

A. The story of the categories of labor that are prohibited on Shabbos starts in Exodus chapter 31. First, God commands that the Mishkan (i.e., the Tabernacle) be built. This is very important, at it is the place where people will be able to get closer to Him. Nevertheless, the Torah takes several verses, starting in 31:13, to caution the people that construction of the Mishkan must cease on Shabbos because acts of labor are a capital offense. So the Torah never says, "A, B and C are prohibited on Shabbos." Rather, it says to cease building the Mishkan on Shabbos because the labor involved is prohibited. So why can't we cook on Shabbos? Because using heat to change food items (either cooking or baking) is one of the prohibited labors. There are certain types of cleaning that one might do on Shabbos but some are prohibited, like laundering, which is one of the prohibited labors. "Working" depends on one's job but most people's jobs involve prohibited activities, like writing. Driving likewise involves numerous forms of labor, the most obvious of which is the act of ignition.

I hope this helps to clarify things. Feel free to write back with any follow-up questions you might have. 

Rabbi Jack's latest book, Ask Rabbi Jack, is now available from Kodesh Press and on Amazon.com.