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muman613:
--- Quote from: YimachShemotoIslam on February 02, 2010, 08:41:54 PM ---Dear Muman, do you yearn to see an Arab-free Israel and an Israel from the Nile to the Euprhates?
--- End quote ---
Of course I do!
The real question is how we will accomplish this. In this complex world we live in it will be very difficult. But I have faith in Hashem, and in his promise to the Jewish people. Hashem has a long range view of history and he can wait for us to return to him. There is a belief in Judaism that the Moshiach {Annointed/Redeemer} will come either one of two ways.
The Moshiach can be sent to the world when all the Jewish people unite and set out on the mission Hashem sent us here to accomplish, i.e. to be a light unto the nations to spread righteousness and justice to the world. If we can accomplish this then we will merit the coming of Moshiach and he will bring all the Jews to the Holy Land, he will facilitate the rebuilding of the Holy Beit HaMikdash {The Temple}, and the nations will see that the Jewish people were correct about their relationship with HaKodesh Baruch Hu{The Holy One Blessed is His Name}.
The second way that this will happen is the nightmare scenario which the Christians believe in, although we call it the War of Gog And Magog { http://www.torahohr.net/gogumagog/ } and the Christians call it Armageddon {Literally the Mountain of Megiddo http://ohr.edu/tw/weinbach/loveland/lland071.htm } . In this scenario the Jewish people fall to a very low spiritual level, once again to the 49th level of impurity.... If this happens Hashem will have no other choice but to send the redeemer. There will be a mighty war and all the evil in the world will be destroyed... The righteous will merit seeing the Messianic era and the rebuilding of the Temple.
Every day I pray to Hashem, with sincere intention, that we merit the first method of bringing rectification to this world. But the cynic in me begins to think that the only way to see this promise of Hashem come to fruition will be through the second way. The march to war seems unavoidable. It is only because of the stubbornness of the nations and their contempt for righteousness and justice that Israel is not a truly Jewish nation, a nation which obeys the commands of the Torah.
So I hope this answers your question...
Thank you,
muman613
Irish Zionist:
Shalom Muman,
Why do The Jewish People not use electricity on Shabbat?
Since electricity wasn't around in the Time of Moses, who came up with this idea?
muman613:
--- Quote from: Irish Zionist on February 06, 2010, 05:18:37 PM ---Shalom Muman,
Why do The Jewish People not use electricity on Shabbat?
Since electricity wasn't around in the Time of Moses, who came up with this idea?
--- End quote ---
Good Morning IZ,
This is an easy one.... There are 39 categories of prohibited forms of labor which we refrain from doing on Shabbat. One of these prohibited labors is called 'burning'. Burning involves either lighting or extinguishing a fire. Now you mention that electricity was not around at the time of the giving of the commandments, this is true, but the prohibited forms of labor extended to anything which resembles the prohibited labor. Electricity is seen as a form of fire since it provides both heat and light like a fire does. This 'Melacha' {form of prohibited labor} is also the reason we cannot drive a car since the car 'burns' the gasoline fuel.
http://ohr.edu/ask_db/ask_main.php/283/Q2/
--- Quote ---
Matt from Teaneck, New Jersey wrote:
Dear Rabbi,
I live in a Jewish town and go to a Jewish school where we study Torah daily. However, I'm still not sure as to the laws of Shabbat relating to my daily life. My friend said that if you have good intentions and stay home and rest but still use electricity that is still observing the Shabbat but I have trouble accepting this because it would contradict too many other laws that I observe. I do want to keep the Shabbat but I'm not sure how.
Dear Matt,
The Torah tells us not to do "melacha" on Shabbat. Melacha is sometimes defined as "work," but that's not a good definition. What is melacha?
Melacha means "creative act." By refraining from creative acts, we recognize G-d as the Ultimate Creator.
Melacha is any act which represents the uniquely human ability to put our intellect to work and shape the environment. Thus, switching on a light is a melacha. Among other things, it can be considered "building" a circuit.
Specifically, a melacha is anything that fits into one of 39 categories of activities listed in Tractate Shabbat page 73a. This list includes activities such as seeding, uprooting, building, writing and burning.
I recommend the following books to start: Shabbos: Day of Eternity by Aryeh Kaplan.(available at http://www.artscroll.com/ohrsomayach/), The Shabbat by Dayan Isadore Grunfield, 39 Avoth Melacha of Shabbath by Rabbi Baruch Chait; illustrated by Yoni Gerstein, and The 39 Melochos by Rabbi Dovid Ribiat (all available at http://www59.hway.net/feldhe/cgi-local/affiliate.cgi?ID=OhrSomayach&URL=/), and
--- End quote ---
The 39 Melachot Prohibited on Shabbat
In prohibiting work on the Shabbat the Torah does not use the term "avodah" (labor) as it does regarding the work of the Jews during their enslavement in Egypt. The use of the term "avodah" would imply that physical exertion is prohibited, and would be similar to the scientific definition of work (Work = Force X Displacement). The term used in the context of Shabbat is "melacha", which implies a more subtle definition of work, similar to its use in regards to the building of the Mishkan (Tabernacle), where "melacha" actually means "skillful, constructive activities".
The Torah juxtaposes the mitzvot of the Mishkan with the prohibition of work on Shabbat, four times. (Shmot 31:13 and 35 Rashi ad loc.; Vayikra 19:30 and 26:2) This juxtaposition implies that the "melachot" of Shabbat are the same activities involved in the construction of the Mishkan. The Oral Law lists 39 major categories of melacha that are forbidden on Shabbat, and points out that this number is alluded to by the fact that the word "melacha" occurs (in its meaning of "work") 39 times in the Bible. (Shabbat 49b) Based on his analysis of the 39 melachot, Rabbi S.R.Hirsch describes a melacha as "an act resulting in a significant increase in the utility of some object" and as "an act that shows human mastery over the world by a constructive exercise of intelligence". Rabbi Hirsch explains that the Torah is teaching us that we are not absolute masters over the world, by restricting our interference with the natural world for one day a week, Shabbat. The melachot all result in a significant increase in the utility of some object (e.g. cooking), thus showing our mastery over the world by a constructive exercise of our intelligence.
(Commentary on Shmot 20:10 and Horeb, also The Sabbath, by Dayan I. Grunfield)
The following are the major categories of activities that are forbidden on Shabbat by the Torah (avot melachot). Each of the following categories includes other forbidden activities as subcategories (toldot). (The av melacha is boldfaced, and the description of the toldot follows.) For instance the prohibition of "sowing", not only prohibits actually planting a seed or a sapling, but also includes irrigation, pruning, moving a plant into the sunlight, and anything that causes the plant to grow.
1. Sowing: anything that encourages growth of plants
2. Ploughing: improving soil for agricultural purposes
3. Harvesting: removing produce from its source of sustenance or place of growth
4. Making sheaves: gathering agricultural produce from its place of growth
5. Threshing: extracting of "food" from its "husk"
6. Winnowing: separating of "food" from its "husks" using wind
7. Selecting: removing "waste" from "food"
8. Grinding: making large particles into small particles by grinding or chopping
9. Sifting: separating fine and coarse particles using a sieve
10. Kneading: combining solid particles into one mass using a liquid
11. Baking: using heat to effect a change of state
12. Shearing: removal of fur or hair from a live animal
13. Washing: laundering or cleaning of absorbent materials
14. Combing: separating tangled fibers
15. Dyeing: permanently coloring materials
16. Spinning: twisting individual fibers into one thread
17. Setting up the loom
18. Threading the loom
19. Weaving: weaving of fibers, or basket-weaving, knitting etc.
20. Unravelling woven threads
21. Tying: tying a permanent or an artisan's knot
22. Untying: untying any of the aforementioned knots
23. Sewing: permanent bonding of two materials
24. Tearing: tearing permanently bonded materials for a constructive purpose
25. Hunting: capturing or trapping animals
26. Slaughtering: killing or wounding a living creature
27. Flaying: stripping the skin from a carcass
28. Salting: preserving or hardening of a substance using salt or chemicals
29. Tanning: softening and preparing leather
30. Scraping: smoothing a surface by scraping
31. Cutting: cutting materials to a specific size or shape
32. Writing: writing, drawing or marking
33. Erasing in order to write
34. Building: constructing dwellings or making implements
35. Demolishing in order to build
36. Extinguishing: putting out or diminishing a fire
37. Burning: igniting or increasing a fire
38. Finishing touches: completing or touching-up an object
39. Carrying: carrying from a private to a public domain and vice versa, or carrying in the public domain (Mishnah, Tractate Shabbat 7:2)
Irish Zionist:
Also forbidden to light candles? And if yes and you where in a dark room and were reading, what would you do? Are you allowed to read, even if it's prayer?
muman613:
--- Quote from: Irish Zionist on February 07, 2010, 08:32:19 AM ---Also forbidden to light candles? And if yes and you where in a dark room and were reading, what would you do? Are you allowed to read, even if it's prayer?
--- End quote ---
On Friday evening, before Sundown, we have a ritual to light Shabbat candles. It is only forbidden to light or extinguish fire thus fire which is kindled before Shabbat starts is allowed to burn. Thus if all the candles are lit before Shabbat starts they can provide light for prayer and the evening meal. This also means we can leave electric lights on on the house, usually in the living room and in the bathrooms.... We have special coverings for the light switches which remind us either to not turn the switch on, or if it is on from before Shabbat, to not turn them off.
This way we are also allowed to have hot food for Shabbats festive meals... The use of a 'crockpot' or slow cooker is allowed. We can place the food in the slow cooker on Friday afternoon, plug it in and allow it to slow cook over night... On Saturday afternoon we can eat delicious 'Cholent' {A special stew which Ashkenazi Jews customarily eat}.
http://www.yutorah.org/lectures/lecture.cfm/722406/Rabbi_Josh_Flug/Electricity_and_Shabbat
or listen to Rabbi Flugs lecture on this topic
http://www.yutorah.org/lectures/lecture.cfm/720222/Rabbi%20Josh%20Flug/Electricity%20on%20Shabbat
http://www.daat.ac.il/daat/english/journal/broyde_1.htm
http://www.askmoses.com/en/article/208,122/What-are-the-39-melachot.html
http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/95914/jewish/Food-Preparation-on-Shabbat.htm
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