''Shemirat Shabbat Kehilchatah'', also pronounced ''Shemiras Shabbos Kehilchosoh'' ( he, שמירת שבת כהלכתה, , keeping Shabbat according to its law; published in English as ''Shemirath Shabbath''), is a book of

halachah ''Halakha'' (; he, הֲלָכָה, ), also transliterated as ''halacha'', ''halakhah'', and ''halocho'' ( ), is the collective body of Jewish religious laws which is derived from the written and Oral Torah. Halakha is based on biblical commandm ...

authored by Rabbi

Yehoshua Yeshaya Neuwirth Yehoshua Yeshaya Neuwirth ( he, יהושע ישעיה נויברט) (15 February 1927 – 11 June 2013) was an eminent Orthodox Jewish rabbi and ''posek'' (halakhic authority) in Jerusalem. He was one of the primary students of Rabbi Shlomo Zalman ...

, which discusses the laws of

Shabbat Shabbat (, , or ; he, שַׁבָּת, Šabbāṯ, , ) or the Sabbath (), also called Shabbos (, ) by Ashkenazim, is Judaism's day of rest on the seventh day of the week—i.e., Saturday. On this day, religious Jews remember the biblical storie ...

and

Yom Tov Jewish holidays, also known as Jewish festivals or ''Yamim Tovim'' ( he, ימים טובים, , Good Days, or singular , in transliterated Hebrew []), are holidays observed in Judaism and by JewsThis article focuses on practices of mainstre ...

, and is viewed by many as an authoritative work regarding these laws. Rabbi Neuwirth is a prominent student of Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach, and the book generally follows Rabbi Auerbach's opinions. The book discusses practical situations such as driving to a hospital on Shabbat in an emergency. The book rules in accordance with Rabbi

Moses Isserles ). He is not to be confused with Meir Abulafia, known as "Ramah" ( he, רמ״ה, italic=no, links=no), nor with Menahem Azariah da Fano, known as "Rema MiPano" ( he, רמ״ע מפאנו, italic=no, links=no). Rabbi Moses Isserles ( he, משה ...

(the Rema), i.e. according to the practice of

Ashkenazic Ashkenazi Jews ( ; he, יְהוּדֵי אַשְׁכְּנַז, translit=Yehudei Ashkenaz, ; yi, אַשכּנזישע ייִדן, Ashkenazishe Yidn), also known as Ashkenazic Jews or ''Ashkenazim'',, Ashkenazi Hebrew pronunciation: , singu ...

Jews. Because the book is popular and

Sephardic Sephardic (or Sephardi) Jews (, ; lad, Djudíos Sefardíes), also ''Sepharadim'' , Modern Hebrew: ''Sfaradim'', Tiberian Hebrew, Tiberian: Səp̄āraddîm, also , ''Ye'hude Sepharad'', lit. "The Jews of Spain", es, Judíos sefardíes (or ), ...

Jews wish to use it also, Rabbi Yehuda Lavi Ben-David wrote a commentary of notes called ''Badey Hashulchan'' ( he, בדי השלחן, , poles of the table) which delineates the opinions of Sephardic

poskim In Jewish law, a ''Posek'' ( he, פוסק , pl. ''poskim'', ) is a legal scholar who determines the position of ''halakha'', the Jewish religious laws derived from the written and Oral Torah in cases of Jewish law where previous authorities ar ...

. The second edition of ''Shemirat Shabbat Kehilchatah'' has been translated to English and published by Feldheim.

Volumes

Two volumes came out: #The original volume; discusses which acts are permitted or prohibited to do on Shabbat. ( 'Guard the Shabbat day') #Published many years later; discusses the

halachot ''Halakha'' (; he, הֲלָכָה, ), also transliterated as ''halacha'', ''halakhah'', and ''halocho'' ( ), is the collective body of Jewish religious laws which is derived from the written and Oral Torah. Halakha is based on biblical commandm ...

of Kiddush and davening (prayer) of Shabbat. ( 'Remember the Shabbat day to sanctify it') The second edition published by Feldheim had three volumes: #Chapters 1–22: Food preparation, selecting articles, fire, care of the body and of clothing, toys and games, a basic understanding of ''

Hotzaah ''Hotzaah'' (Hebrew: הוצאה), more specifically ''hotzaah mereshut lereshut'' (Hebrew: ) or transferring between domains, is one of the activities prohibited on Shabbat in Judaism. Biblical sources While there is no explicit prohibition in th ...

'' (including carrying without an ''

eruv An eruv (; he, עירוב, , also transliterated as eiruv or erub, plural: eruvin or eruvim) is a ritual halakhic enclosure made for the purpose of allowing activities which are normally prohibited on Shabbat (due to the prohibition of ''ho ...

''), and ''

muktzeh Muktzeh (Hebrew: "separated") is a concept in Jewish rabbinical law. Muktzeh objects are subject to use restrictions on the Sabbath. The generally accepted view regarding these items is that they may be touched, though not moved, during Shabbat ...

''. (Hard-cover editions also include an introduction with guidelines on whether a Sabbath violation is biblical or rabbinical.) #Chapters 23–41: Housekeeping, protective shelters, health hazards, flora and fauna, stationery, clocks, noisemakers, payment, preparing in advance, Isaiah-derived laws on how to conduct oneself, gentiles, and how and when the Sabbath may be violated. #Chapters 42–68: Laws pertaining to certain times of day, mourning, and '' Chol HaMoed''. (Hard-cover editions also include a comprehensive index.)

Controversy

The book has been published in two different versions. After the first version was published, Rabbi Neuwirth was pressured to change many of his rulings, so in the second version many stringencies ( chumrahs) were added, and the footnotes stated that there was an alternative lenient opinion. Rabbi

Yaakov Yisrael Kanievsky Yaakov Yisrael Kanievsky ( he, יעקב ישראל קַנִיֶּבְסְקִי), known as The Steipler or The Steipler Gaon (1899– 10 August 1985), was an ultra-Orthodox rabbi, Talmudic scholar, and ''posek'' ("decisor" of Jewish law), ...

attacked the book in a sharply worded footnote in his book ''Chayei Olam'', and some other rabbis from the Lithuanian tradition supported him. However, the prominent Gedolim who wrote glowing Haskamos (letters of approbation) to the book presumably disagreed. Besides Rabbi Auerbach, these include Rabbi Yechezkel Abramsky, Rav Moshe Feinstein, Rabbi Yosef Breuer, and Rabbi Yechiel Yaakov Weinberg. Moreover, in 1993, about two years before his death, Rabbi Auerbach published a collection of footnotes and corrections to ''Shemirat Shabbat Kehilchatah'', thus further strengthening its stature as an accepted work of halakhic decision-making.

References

{{reflist Shabbat Rabbinic legal texts and responsa Sifrei Kodesh