648. Thinking About Business on Shabbos

90:6 From the phrase in Isaiah 58:13, "speaking of matters" the Sages derived that only speaking of mundane things is prohibited on Shabbos; thinking about such things is permitted. Therefore, one may think about his business on Shabbos. In any case, because of the mitzvah to enjoy Shabbos, it's best not to think about such things at all. Rather, one should consider it as if all of his work has been accomplished. This is what we see in Exodus 20:9, "Six days shall you work and complete all your labor." While a person can't perform all his work in a week, on Shabbos he should consider it as if it's all done. There is no greater pleasure than this. One should certainly not think about things that cause anxiety or stress. 90:7 One may ask a worker (either Jewish or non-Jewish – Mishnah Brurah 307:28) on Shabbos whether he will be available after Shabbos. Even though it is understood that he wants to hire him to perform some work, it is only forbidden to discuss it explicitly. One should not, however, tell the worker, "Make yourself available for me tonight," since this is tantamount to saying explicitly that he wants to hire him.