:''This is about part of the

Talmud The Talmud (; he, , Talmūḏ) is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law ('' halakha'') and Jewish theology. Until the advent of modernity, in nearly all Jewish communities, the Talmud was the ce ...

; for the Jewish day of rest, see Shabbat.'' Shabbat ( he, שַׁבָּת, lit. "Sabbath") is the first

tractate A tractate is a written work dealing formally and systematically with a subject; the word derives from the Latin ''tractatus'', meaning treatise. One example of its use is in citing a section of the Talmud, when the term '' masekhet'' () is used ...

of ''

Seder Moed Moed ( he, מועד, "Festivals") is the second Order of the Mishnah, the first written recording of the Oral Torah of the Jewish people (also the Tosefta and Talmud). Of the six orders of the Mishna, Moed is the third shortest. The order of M ...

'' ("Order of Appointed Times") of the

Mishnah The Mishnah or the Mishna (; he, מִשְׁנָה, "study by repetition", from the verb ''shanah'' , or "to study and review", also "secondary") is the first major written collection of the Jewish oral traditions which is known as the Oral Tor ...

and of the

. The tractate deals with the laws and practices regarding observing the

Jewish Sabbath 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 ...

(''Shabbat'' in Hebrew). The tractate focuses primarily on the categories and types of activities prohibited on the Sabbath according to interpretations of many verses in the

Torah The Torah (; hbo, ''Tōrā'', "Instruction", "Teaching" or "Law") is the compilation of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, namely the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. In that sense, Torah means the ...

, notably and . The Mishnah and Talmud go to great lengths to carefully define and precisely determine the observance of the Sabbath. The tractate is thus one of the longest in terms of chapters in the Mishnah, and folio pages in the Talmud. It comprises 24 chapters and has a Gemara – rabbinical analysis of and commentary on the Mishnah – in both the

Babylonian Talmud The Talmud (; he, , Talmūḏ) is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law (''halakha'') and Jewish theology. Until the advent of modernity, in nearly all Jewish communities, the Talmud was the cent ...

and all but the last four chapters of the

Jerusalem Talmud The Jerusalem Talmud ( he, תַּלְמוּד יְרוּשַׁלְמִי, translit=Talmud Yerushalmi, often for short), also known as the Palestinian Talmud or Talmud of the Land of Israel, is a collection of rabbinic notes on the second-century ...

. There is a

Tosefta The Tosefta ( Jewish Babylonian Aramaic: תוספתא "supplement, addition") is a compilation of the Jewish oral law from the late 2nd century, the period of the Mishnah. Overview In many ways, the Tosefta acts as a supplement to the Mishnah ( ...

of 18 chapters on this tractate. As its name implies, the tractate deals primarily with the laws and regulations for observing the Sabbath, which is the fourth of the Ten Commandments and one of the central

religious practices Religion is usually defined as a social- cultural system of designated behaviors and practices, morals, beliefs, worldviews, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics, or organizations, that generally relates humanity to supernatural, ...

Judaism Judaism ( he, ''Yahăḏūṯ'') is an Abrahamic, monotheistic, and ethnic religion comprising the collective religious, cultural, and legal tradition and civilization of the Jewish people. It has its roots as an organized religion in t ...

. As such, it is dealt with at length in the Mishnah and the Gemara, and many subsequent commentaries have also been written on this tractate, from the early Middle Ages until the present. In the Babylonian Talmud, the Gemara also contains a discussion of the laws of

Hanukkah or English translation: 'Establishing' or 'Dedication' (of the Temple in Jerusalem) , nickname = , observedby = Jews , begins = 25 Kislev , ends = 2 Tevet or 3 Tevet , celebrations = Lighting candles each night. ...

. The Jewish religious laws detailed in this tractate, and the subsequent legal codes based on it continue to be followed by observant and traditional Jewish communities in modern

Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...

and throughout the world.

Subject matter

This tractate primarily covers the laws of observing Shabbat, the weekly day of rest. It provides comprehensive explanations of the types of

activities prohibited on Shabbat The 39 Melakhot ( he, ל״ט אבות מלאכה, '' lamed-tet avot melakhah'', "39 categories of work") are thirty-nine categories of activity which Jewish law identifies as prohibited by biblical law on Shabbat. Many of these activities are al ...

, the sources in the Torah for these prohibitions, the details of the laws, and the rabbinic rulings connected with them. It also deals with matters concerning other mitzvot that apply on Shabbat. In addition, the main discussion about the laws of

are included in the Babylonian Talmud. The Sabbath is one of the most important

of Judaism, and the Mishnah and Talmud go to great lengths to carefully define and precisely determine how it is to be observed. This concern was a reflection of its importance in the Biblical sources, in which there are more reminders about Sabbath observance than about any other matter, with the possible exception of the prohibitions against idolatry. Biblical passages concerning the topics discussed in this tractate include references to the foundational concept of the Sabbath in , the two iterations of the Fourth Commandment prohibiting creative work in and , other actions such as desisting from weekday pursuits () or carrying (), and numerous other references.

Halakha

Jewish law relating to Shabbat and the activities prohibited on Shabbat in particular, are the primary subject matter of this tractate. Prohibited actions derived from the Torah, and rabbinic rulings designed to safeguard or enhance the practices of the cessation of labor and Sabbath rest, are as follows: * '' Melakha'', thirty-nine forms of "creative work" with their derivatives that are forbidden on the Sabbath are defined by the Mishnah (Shabbat 7:2). They are called ''avot melakha'' (principal categories of creative acts) and are specified or implied from the work required to make the

Tabernacle According to the Hebrew Bible, the tabernacle ( he, מִשְׁכַּן, mīškān, residence, dwelling place), also known as the Tent of the Congregation ( he, link=no, אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד, ’ōhel mō‘ēḏ, also Tent of Meeting, etc.), ...

in the desert, which is described immediately following the commandment to observe the Sabbath in the Torah (). Other actions that derive from these principal categories, called ''toladot'', which could lead to performing one of the ''avot melakha'' were added to the prohibition. * '' Shevut'', referring to "rest" from acts that are not within the definition of ''melakha'' but are considered to be inconsistent with the sanctity of the Sabbath and were thus prohibited so as to honor the Sabbath and prevent the violation of Torah prohibitions or to enhance the sanctity of the day by refraining from weekday pursuits, such as business, in accordance with the Biblical mandates to transform the day into ''"a Shabbat of solemn rest, holy to the Lord"'' () and to ''"call the Shabbat a delight, and the holy of the Lord honorable; and you shall honor it, not doing your usual ways, nor, pursuing your business, nor speaking thereof."'' (). * ''

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 ...

'', referring to certain items and articles that are "set apart" and prohibited from being lifted or handled on the Sabbath, even though no work was involved; several categories of ''muktzeh'' are specified in this tractate, including items whose purpose was specifically for, or could be used for an activity that was not permitted on the Sabbath, items that had not specifically been set aside for use on the Sabbath, or items that had not been available before the Sabbath began. * ''

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 ...

'', or "carrying out" defined as the transfer of an article of significant size from a private domain to a public domain, or vice versa, and carrying an object four

cubits The cubit is an ancient unit of length based on the distance from the elbow to the tip of the middle finger. It was primarily associated with the Sumerians, Egyptians, and Israelites. The term ''cubit'' is found in the Bible regarding No ...

in a public domain is forbidden by the Torah; large portion of this tractate, and the following tractate, Eruvin, are devoted to a detailed analysis of laws of carrying on the Sabbath, between four defined domains: private, public, semi-public and an exempt area, including both Biblical and rabbinical prohibitions. * ''

Techum shabbat In Jewish halacha, the techum shabbat (Hebrew: תחום שבת, "Shabbat limit"), or simply techum, is a limited physical area in which a Jew is permitted to walk on foot on Shabbat and Jewish holidays. In general, this area is calculated by measu ...

'', the prohibition on traveling a certain distance outside one's dwelling place (or the edge of one's city, if in a city).

Aggada

In addition to the legal discussions and analysis of the Mishnah, the Gemara in this tractate contains a considerable amount of

Aggadah Aggadah ( he, ''ʾAggāḏā'' or ''Haggāḏā''; Jewish Babylonian Aramaic: אַגָּדְתָא ''ʾAggāḏəṯāʾ''; "tales, fairytale, lore") is the non-legalistic exegesis which appears in the classical rabbinic literature of Judaism ...

, including narratives and historical stories, as well as moral tales, exegetical interpretations, and sayings. A significant narrative section describes the origin of

, relating that when the Hasmoneans defeated the

Seleucid The Seleucid Empire (; grc, Βασιλεία τῶν Σελευκιδῶν, ''Basileía tōn Seleukidōn'') was a Greek state in West Asia that existed during the Hellenistic period from 312 BC to 63 BC. The Seleucid Empire was founded by the ...

overlords and purified the

Temple in Jerusalem The Temple in Jerusalem, or alternatively the Holy Temple (; , ), refers to the two now-destroyed religious structures that served as the central places of worship for Israelites and Jews on the modern-day Temple Mount in the Old City of Jeru ...

, they found only one small jar of pure oil sealed with the High Priest's seal and apparently sufficient for a single day only; but by a miracle it lasted for eight days, so that the Festival of Hanukkah is celebrated for eight days. Other narratives describe how the Sages considered excluding the books of Ezekiel, Ecclesiastes and

Proverbs A proverb (from la, proverbium) is a simple and insightful, traditional saying that expresses a perceived truth based on common sense or experience. Proverbs are often metaphorical and use formulaic language. A proverbial phrase or a proverbia ...

from the

canon Canon or Canons may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Canon (fiction), the conceptual material accepted as official in a fictional universe by its fan base * Literary canon, an accepted body of works considered as high culture ** Western ca ...

of the

Hebrew Bible The Hebrew Bible or Tanakh (;"Tanach"
'' Rabbi Simeon bar Yohai, who was forced to flee and lived in a cave for twelve years following his criticism of the Roman conquerors and rulers of the Land of Israel. The gentleness of the sage Hillel contrasted with the severity of

Shammai Shammai (50 BCE – 30 CE, he, שַׁמַּאי, ''Šammaʾy'') was a Jewish scholar of the 1st century, and an important figure in Judaism's core work of rabbinic literature, the Mishnah. Shammai was the most eminent contemporary of Hill ...

is illustrated by several examples. Among the sayings and ethical teachings are Hillel's famous distillation of Judaism — ''"What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbor."'' Other aggadic sayings cited are: Truth' is the seal of God''; and ''"Repent one day before your death"'' – meaning always be ready to appear before God, an idea also illustrated by a parable of wise and foolish people invited to a royal feast. The

is extolled in an aggadic passage which says that God specified that the world would return to primordial chaos unless

accepted the Torah, that Israel accepted it joyfully and Moses fought to obtain it, in appreciation of an understanding that God's kingdom on earth can be established only after struggle. The Gemara also elucidates that hatred of the Jewish people is a religious animosity dating from the time when the Revelation at Sinai gave the people of Israel a faith which differentiated it from other nations. In relation to the Sabbath, the primary theme of this tractate, an aggadah relates that the Sages found the spiritual significance of the sanctity of the Sabbath in the desire to be at harmony with God as the core and essence of Judaism. Also recounted is the tradition that two angels accompany a Jew home from the synagogue on Friday evening after the evening service.

Structure and content

The tractate consists of 24 chapters and 138 paragraphs (''mishnayot'') and has a Gemara – rabbinical analysis of and commentary on the Mishnah – in both the

and all but the last four chapters of the

. There is also a

of 18 chapters for this tractate. In standard printed editions of the Babylonian Talmud, the Gemara contains 157 folio (double-sided) pages and is the longest tractate by page count after

Baba Batra Bava Batra (also Baba Batra; Talmudic Aramaic: בָּבָא בַּתְרָא "The Last Gate") is the third of the three Talmudic tractates in the Talmud in the order Nezikin; it deals with a person's responsibilities and rights as the owner of pr ...

, which has 176 folio pages. There are 92 folio pages of Gemara in the Jerusalem Talmud. In the Jerusalem Talmud, the Gemara for the last four chapters of the Mishna no longer exist. It is likely that handwritten manuscripts of these four chapters existed before the age of printing but that all the copies were destroyed in periodic acts of antisemitic violence, as well as by acts of deliberate destruction and suppression of the Talmud, such as at the

Disputation of Paris The Disputation of Paris ( ''Mishpat Pariz''; ), also known as the Trial of the Talmud (), took place in 1240 at the court of King Louis IX of France. It followed the work of Nicholas Donin, a Jewish convert to Christianity who translated the ...

. The ''mishnayot'' in the tractate are arranged in a sequential order, apart from the first one, which addresses the topic of carrying, but which can, however, be relevant right at the beginning of Shabbat. The tractate then continues to discuss what may not be done on Friday afternoon, and goes on to topics relevant to actions and preparations immediately before Shabbat. The tractate then deals with lighting the Shabbat candles, discussing the oils and wicks that may be used for the Sabbath lights; it goes on to discuss matters concerning food on the Sabbath such as which food may be stored for the Sabbath, and keeping food hot for the

Shabbat meals Shabbat meals or Shabbos meals ( he, סעודות שבת, Seudot Shabbat, Seudoys Shabbos) are the three meals eaten by Shabbat-observant Jews, the first on Friday night, the second on Saturday day, and the third late on Saturday afternoon. The H ...

by leaving it on top of a stove from before Shabbat and insulating hot food before the beginning of Shabbat; and then continues to discuss the laws of carrying, mentioned first at the beginning of the tractate, for transferring from one domain to another. The Mishnah then lists the 39 principal categories of work, derived from the

and known as ''melakhot'', and these are discussed in detail in the subsequent chapters. After that, the tractate covers several subjects, including those actions which are rabbinical injunctions, such as '' shevut'' 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 ...

''. The tractate concludes with laws applicable at the end of the Shabbat, such as walking to the furthest extent of the Shabbat border to get an early start on a journey, and the laws of taking care of animals on Shabbat. An overview of the chapters is as follows: * Chapter 1 deals with the issue of "domains", including ways in which things may not be brought from a private domain to the public domain and vice versa on the Sabbath, and with questions concerning what may or may not be done on Friday before sunset when the Sabbath begins. * Chapter 2 deals with the lighting of the Sabbath lights, the kinds of oil which may be used, and the materials which may serve as wicks, along with further details concerning lamps, cases in which lamps may be extinguished on the Sabbath, and actions that women must do and that the head of the household needs to remind to be done before the Sabbath begins. * Chapter 3 examine permitted and prohibited methods of keeping food warm or warming it up on the Sabbath, and things which are regarded as set apart (''

'') and which one is forbidden to move on that day. * Chapter 4 continues the discussion of topics from chapter 3. * Chapter 5 addresses the commandment to allow domestic animals to rest on the Sabbath, and examines details such as with what an animal may be led on the Sabbath, such as a bridle, and what is regarded permissible to place on it, such as a blanket, and what is considered a burden that is forbidden to load on an animal on that day if it is not required for the health or safety of the animal, or for guarding it. * Chapter 6 discusses what one may wear a part of one's clothing, and what may not be worn; a discussion of whether weapons may be considered a permissible adornment; the majority of the Talmudic sages deciding that weapons disgrace the person who bears them, since they are instruments of murder, and the ideal of the future is a time when the nations will live in everlasting harmony and exchange their weapons for implements of peace, as envisioned in the Bible (). * Chapter 7 lists the 39 principal categories of creative activity (''melakha'') forbidden on the Sabbath, seven related to agriculture, four to the preparation of food, thirteen to clothes making, seven to butchering and tanning, two to writing and erasing, two to building and demolishing, two to lighting and extinguishing fires, one to giving the finishing touch to something, and one to carrying an object from the public to the private domain and vice versa; it and also discusses the sin-offering to be sacrificed in the Temple for the inadvertent violation of the Sabbath and the minimal quantities which incur the obligation to do so. * Chapter 8 continues examining the question the quantity of various objects which, if they are carried, violate the Sabbath, and citing . * Chapter 9 begins the definitions of various ''melakhot'', citing additional Biblical verses as proofs or texts and provides further details concerning the quantities of many items that may not be carried on the Sabbath. * Chapter 10 examines the cases in which someone who transports an object is not violating the Sabbath, cases in which two people who carry an object together from one place to another are or are not violating the Sabbath, transporting a corpse or a living person, and the questions of whether it is permissible to bite or cut ones nails or remove hair on the Sabbath. * Chapter 11 examines the ''melakhot'' related to throwing objects from one place to another, from one house across the street to another, from the land into the water and vice versa, or from a ship to the sea and vice versa. * Chapter 12 examines the ''melakhot'' of building, hammering, sawing, boring, weeding fields, chopping trees, and gathering wood or plants; writing two letters of the alphabet and of writing in general, together with cases in which writing does not violate the Sabbath. * Chapter 13 examines the ''melakhot'' of weaving, spinning, sewing, tearing, washing, dyeing, and hunting. * Chapter 14 considers cases in which hunting on the Sabbath are permissible, the preparation of a salt solution and which medicines and remedies are permitted on the Sabbath and which are forbidden. * Chapter 15 discusses which types of knots may be tied on the Sabbath and which may not; and putting clothes away and making beds. * Chapter 16 mainly discusses the problems arising from a fire which breaks out on the Sabbath, rescuing sacred writings and phylacteries (''

tefillin Tefillin (; Israeli Hebrew: / ; Ashkenazic pronunciation: ), or phylacteries, are a set of small black leather boxes with leather straps containing scrolls of parchment inscribed with verses from the Torah. Tefillin are worn by adult Jews durin ...

''), as well as food that is necessary for that day; permitting non-Jews, but not Jews, to extinguish the fire; and prohibiting a Jew from requesting a non-Jew to do work for him or her on the Sabbath. * Chapter 17 deals with the topic of ''

'', particularly, containers which may be carried on the Sabbath, and lowering blinds. * Chapter 18 examines things which may be moved on the Sabbath, leading calves and foals, leading but not carrying a child, helping cattle when about to give birth, and assisting a woman in labor. * Chapter 19 deals with the issue of

circumcision Circumcision is a procedure that removes the foreskin from the human penis. In the most common form of the operation, the foreskin is extended with forceps, then a circumcision device may be placed, after which the foreskin is excised. Top ...

, and the necessary preparations for it on the Sabbath. * Chapter 20 begins an exploration of miscellaneous questions relating to the Sabbath, starting with how wine may be strained and cattle fed on the Sabbath. * Chapter 21 examines whether and how objects, regarded as ''muktzeh'', may be moved and put away, and the clearing of the table. * Chapter 22 considers the preparation of food and drink on the Sabbath, and bathing and anointing with oil on that day. * Chapter 23 examines lending, raffling, and distributing food and drink on the Sabbath, preparations for the evening of the week-day which may be made on the Sabbath, and caring for the dead on the Sabbath. * Chapter 24 discusses the case of a traveler overtaken by the Sabbath eve before he reaches a city, the feeding of cattle and the fulfillment of vows on the Sabbath.

Historical context and influence

The Mishna was composed towards the end of the Mishnaic period ( 30 BCE - 200 CE) in the Roman province of

Judea Judea or Judaea ( or ; from he, יהודה, Standard ''Yəhūda'', Tiberian ''Yehūḏā''; el, Ἰουδαία, ; la, Iūdaea) is an ancient, historic, Biblical Hebrew, contemporaneous Latin, and the modern-day name of the mountainous sou ...

and forms an early part in the lengthy development of Jewish law regarding Sabbath observance. The categories of work defined in the Mishna were appropriate for

ancient Israel The history of ancient Israel and Judah begins in the Southern Levant during the Late Bronze Age and Early Iron Age. "Israel" as a people or tribal confederation (see Israelites) appears for the first time in the Merneptah Stele, an inscri ...

's largely rural society whose economic base was farming. As Jewish society evolved in the Land of Israel, and then also in the

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

and Persian Empires, particularly Babylonia, the Gemara and subsequent legal literature elaborated on the basic foundations and principles laid out in the Mishnah to address new and different circumstances than those originally encountered in the time of the Mishnah. As one of the distinguishing features of Jewish society from ancient times, the Talmud views Shabbat observance as an institution upholding basic teachings of Judaism – belief in God's acts of creation, God's role in history, and God's covenant with Israel – and after the loss of Jewish sovereignty and the

destruction of the Temple The siege of Jerusalem of 70 CE was the decisive event of the First Jewish–Roman War (66–73 CE), in which the Roman army led by future emperor Titus besieged Jerusalem, the center of Jewish rebel resistance in the Roman province of Jud ...

by the Romans in the first century CE, as a bulwark for the preservation of the Jewish people. The Mishna and the Gemara define the rituals that continue to be observed by traditional Jewish communities until modern times, with some elaboration, to both "remember" and "keep" the Sabbath and to sanctify it at home and in the synagogue. In addition to refraining from creative work, the sanctification of the day through blessings over wine, the preparation of special Sabbath meals, and engaging in

prayer Prayer is an invocation or act that seeks to activate a rapport with an object of worship through deliberate communication. In the narrow sense, the term refers to an act of supplication or intercession directed towards a deity or a deified ...

and

Torah study Torah study is the study of the Torah, Hebrew Bible, Talmud, responsa, rabbinic literature, and similar works, all of which are Judaism's religious texts. According to Rabbinic Judaism, the study is done for the purpose of the '' mitzvah'' ("com ...

were required as an active part of Shabbat observance to promote intellectual activity and spiritual regeneration on the day of rest from physical creation. The Talmud states that the best food should be prepared for the Sabbath, for "one who delights in the Sabbath is granted their heart's desires" ( BT, Shabbat 118a-b). The emphasis on the Sabbath as a day of eating and drinking was meant, according to some scholars, to counteract the ascetic tendencies of the

Essenes The Essenes (; Hebrew: , ''Isiyim''; Greek: Ἐσσηνοί, Ἐσσαῖοι, or Ὀσσαῖοι, ''Essenoi, Essaioi, Ossaioi'') were a mystic Jewish sect during the Second Temple period that flourished from the 2nd century BCE to the 1st ce ...

. Among traditional Jewish communities, and in the modern State of Israel, where the Sabbath is the official day of rest, contemporary responsa, based on the application of the principles of the Mishnah, as interpreted by the Gemara, and subsequently expounded upon by halakhic authorities, focus mostly on technological advances in terms of the correct practice according to Jewish law. Examples of these issues include a wide variety of subjects, such as using electricity, how crossing the International Date Line affects the observance of Sabbaths and festivals, the use of elevators, and medical questions ranging from whether hearing aids may be worn on the Sabbath to driving a vehicle on Shabbat for an emergency.

Commentaries

Rishonim

The primary commentators on this tractate are Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki, known as ''

Rashi Shlomo Yitzchaki ( he, רבי שלמה יצחקי; la, Salomon Isaacides; french: Salomon de Troyes, 22 February 1040 – 13 July 1105), today generally known by the acronym Rashi (see below), was a medieval French rabbi and author of a compre ...

'' (1040 – 1105), the author of a comprehensive commentary on the Talmud, and the Tosafot, the collected "additional" commentaries of numerous rabbis from the 12th to the mid-15th centuries in France and Germany. The ''Rambam'',

Maimonides Musa ibn Maimon (1138–1204), commonly known as Maimonides (); la, Moses Maimonides and also referred to by the acronym Rambam ( he, רמב״ם), was a Sephardic Jewish philosopher who became one of the most prolific and influential Tora ...

' Commentary on the Mishnah composed in c.1158−c.1168, provides a running commentary on the entire Mishnah, and often includes a halakhic ruling based on the Talmud's conclusion. Commentaries of other early

Rishonim ''Rishonim'' (; he, ; sing. he, , ''Rishon'', "the first ones") were the leading rabbis and '' poskim'' who lived approximately during the 11th to 15th centuries, in the era before the writing of the ''Shulchan Aruch'' ( he, , "Set Table", a ...

include the following: * ''Tosafot Yeshanim'', which appear as comments in the margins of the

Vilna edition The Vilna Edition of the Talmud, printed in Vilna (now Vilnius), Lithuania, is by far the most common printed edition of the Talmud still in use today as the basic text for Torah study in yeshivas and by all scholars of Judaism. It was typeset by ...

of the Talmud on almost every page until the end of the third chapter (47b). The commentary is less frequent until it ends on page 61b. The style indicates that the ''Tosafot Yeshanim'' are short excerpts from a larger and more complete work and were apparently included whenever they were relevant to the words of the Tosafot. Occasionally they are inserted in the middle of the Tosafot, in smaller font to set them apart. * Rabeinu Nissim Gaon (990–1062) of

Kairouan Kairouan (, ), also spelled El Qayrawān or Kairwan ( ar, ٱلْقَيْرَوَان, al-Qayrawān , aeb, script=Latn, Qeirwān ), is the capital of the Kairouan Governorate in Tunisia and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The city was founded by t ...

, North Africa, whose commentary, printed in the margins of the Vilna edition, provides background information when the Gemara refers to a concept dealt with elsewhere in the Talmud; additionally in his work ''Sefer ha'Mafte'ach'', he quotes and discusses the sources of the Gemara's citations, and his ''Megilat Setarim'' provides some halakhic notes on the tractate. * Rabenu Chananel (990–1053), also of Kairouan, whose commentary on the Gemara appears in the margins of the Vilna edition of the Talmud. *

Rabbeinu Tam Jacob ben Meir (1100 – 9 June 1171 (4 Tammuz)), best known as Rabbeinu Tam ( he, רבינו תם), was one of the most renowned Ashkenazi Jewish rabbis and leading French Tosafists, a leading ''halakhic'' authority in his generation, and a gr ...

(1100–1171), of Troyes, France, wrote ''

chidushim Chidush ( he, חִדּוּשׁ; also transliterated as chiddush, hiddush or hidush), sometimes used in its plural form, chidushim ( he, חִדּוּשׁים), is a novel interpretation or approach. Historically referring to Torah topics, ...

'' on this tractate, which appear in his book, Sefer haYashar. ''Sefer ha'Mafte'ach'' and ''Megilat Setarim'' and the commentary of Rabeinu Chananel were reprinted from manuscripts, with footnotes by rabbi David Metzger, in Jerusalem in 1990. ''Sefer ha'Yashar'' was reprinted in 1980 in Jerusalem, based on two original manuscripts, with footnotes by Rabbi Shimon Schlesinger. Commentaries of Rishonim who lived in the medieval kingdoms of Aragon,

Provence Provence (, , , , ; oc, Provença or ''Prouvènço'' , ) is a geographical region and historical province of southeastern France, which extends from the left bank of the lower Rhône to the west to the Italian border to the east; it is bor ...

and Narvona include the following: * Rabbi Jonathan ben David ha-Kohen of Lunel (c.1135–c.1210) wrote a commentary on the ''Rif'' for most of the Talmud, including Shabbat. * ''Sefer ha'Hashlamah'' by Rabbeinu Meshulam ben Moshe (c.1175–c.1238), which adds the halakhot that were not discussed in the commentary of the ''Rif'' . * Rabeinu Moshe ben Nachman, the ''Ramban'', (1194–1270), who wrote ''

'' on Shabbat, as well as the work ''Milchamot Hashem''; his commentary was published with corrections and brief annotations by rabbi

Isser Zalman Meltzer Isser Zalman Meltzer ( he, איסר זלמן מלצר) (February 6, 1870 – November 17, 1953),Isser Zalman Meltzer "Even HaEzel" (1870 - 1953) was a famous Lithuanian Jewish and Belarusian Orthodox rabbi, rosh yeshiva and posek. He is also kn ...

in 1928 and was reprinted from manuscripts, along with corrections and clarifications, by rabbi Moshe Herschler in 1973. * Rabbeinu Yehudah ben Binyamin, the ''Rivevan'' (c.1215-1280), one of the leading sages of Italy, wrote a commentary to the ''Rif'' for many tractates, including Shabbat; he often uses the words of Rashi, without quoting him by name, making his work an excellent source for verifying the correct version in Rashi. * ''Beit ha'Bechirah'' by Rabbeinu Menachem ben Shlomo, the ''Meiri'', (1249-1315), a comprehensive halakhic work on 37 tractates of the Talmud, including Shabbat. * ''Sefer ha'Me'orot'' by Rabbeinu Meir ben Shimon (d. 1264) is a commentary on the ''Rif''. * ''Sefer ha'Michtam'' by Rabbeinu David ben Levi of Narbonne (13th century). * Rabeinu Shlomo ben Avraham ibn Aderet, the ''Rashba'', (1235–1310) wrote a commentary on Shabbat that was first printed in its entirety in 1938 and reprinted based on manuscripts, along with corrections and clarifications, by

Mossad Harav Kook Mossad HaRav Kook ( he, מוסד הרב קוק, "Rabbi Kook Institute") is a religious research foundation and publishing house based in Jerusalem. Mossad Harav Kook is named after Abraham Isaac Kook, the first Ashkenazi chief rabbi of the British ...

in Jerusalem, in 1986. * Rabeinu Yom Tov ben Abraham Ishbili, the ''Ritva (c. 1260–1320), whose commentary, ''Chidushei ha'Ritva Al ha'Shas'', was mistakenly replaced by the text of the ''Chidushei ha'Ran'' in many printed editions from 1806 until recent times; the actual manuscript was published in part, with notes and annotations, in 1967, and later, in its entirety, by Mosad Harav Kook, with annotations by rabbi Moshe Goldstein in Jerusalem in 1990. * Rabbeinu

Nissim of Gerona Nissim ben Reuven (1320 – 9th of Shevat, 1376, he, נִסִּים בֶּן רְאוּבֵן) of Girona, Catalonia was an influential talmudist and authority on Jewish law. He was one of the last of the great Spanish medieval Talmudic scholars. ...

, the ''Ran'' (1320–1376), whose ''chidushim'' to tractate Shabbat were originally published under the name ''"Chidushei ha'Ritva"'' in 1806. When the authentic ''Chidushei ha'Ritva'' were printed from the manuscript in 1967, the Ran's ''Chidushim'' were reprinted under his correct name. Commentaries of Rishonim who lived in medieval France, Germany and other locations include the following: * The ''Ra'avan'' by Rabbeinu

Eliezer ben Nathan Eliezer ben Nathan () of Mainz (1090–1170), or Ra'avan (), was a halakist and liturgical poet. As an early Rishon, he was a contemporary of the Rashbam and Rabbeinu Tam, and one of the earliest of the Tosafists. He was the son-in-law of Rabbi ...

(1090–1170)), among the earliest of the '' Baalei ha'Tosfot''. * ''Sefer ha'Ner'' by Rabbi Zechariah Aghmati (1120-1195), a contemporary of the ''

Rambam Musa ibn Maimon (1138–1204), commonly known as Maimonides (); la, Moses Maimonides and also referred to by the acronym Rambam ( he, רמב״ם), was a Sephardic Jewish philosopher who became one of the most prolific and influential Torah s ...

'' in Morocco whose commentary on the tractate often quotes from earlier authorities, Rav

Sherira Gaon Sherira bar Hanina (Hebrew: שרירא בר חנינא) more commonly known as Sherira Gaon (Hebrew: שרירא גאון; c. 906-c. 1006) was the gaon of the Academy of Pumbeditha. He was one of the most prominent Geonim of his period, and the ...

and Rav

Hai Gaon Hai ben Sherira (Hebrew: האי/י בר שרירא) better known as Hai Gaon (Hebrew: האי/י גאון, חאיי גאון), was a medieval Jewish theologian, rabbi and scholar who served as Gaon (Hebrew), Gaon of the Talmudic Academies in Babylo ...

, and from Rabenu Chananel. * ''Avi ha'Ezri'', more commonly known as ''Sefer ha'Ra'avyah'', by Rabbeinu Eliezer ben Yoel ha'Levi (1140-1255), one of the ''Baalei ha'Tosfot''. * Rabbeinu Yeshaya ben Mali d'Trani (c.1180–c.1250) whose commentary on most of the tractates of the Talmud is known as ''Tosfot Rid'' and his halakhic summary of the tractate is called ''Piskei Rid''; his manuscripts were printed in Israel in 1992. * '' Or Zarua'' by Rabbeinu Yitzchak ben Moshe (c.1200-1270); the ''Or Zarua'' usually cites the relevant Gemara and Rashi for each halakha, making it a resource for establishing the correct version in Rashi. * ''Piskei Ri'az'' by the grandson of the ''Rid'', Rabbeinu

Isaiah di Trani the Younger Isaiah ben Elijah di Trani (the Younger) (Hebrew: ישעיה בן אליהו דטראני) was an Italian Talmudist and commentator who lived in the 13th century. He was the grandson, on his mother's side, of Isaiah (ben Mali) di Trani the Elder ...

, which is printed with the ''Piskei Rid''. * ''Tosfot ha'Rosh'' of Rabbeinu Asher ben Jehiel, Asher ben Yechiel (c.1250–1327), wrote commentaries and rulings on most of the Talmud which had a profound influence on the codification of Jewish Law; his ''Tosfot'' often clarifies the intentions of the earlier ''Tosafists, Baalei ha'Tosafot''.

Acharonim

There are many commentaries by the Acharonim ("later scholars") on tractate Shabbat. Some of the classic works include the following: * ''Bartenura'' by rabbi Ovadiah Bartenurah, Ovadiah ben Abraham of Bartenura (c. 1445-c.1515), a commentary printed in almost every edition of the Mishnah since it was first published in Venice in 1548, mainly based on discussions in the Gemara and on the Rambam's commentary, and including a summary of the Talmudic discussions along with the accepted halakhic opinions. * ''Gur Aryeh'' by rabbi Judah Loew ben Bezalel, the ''"Maharal of Prague"'' (d. 1609), analyzing and explaining the Aggadah and certain halakhic issues of this tractate. * ''Pene Yehoshua'' by rabbi Joshua Falk, Yehoshua Falk of Kraków (1555–1614), a basic commentary on the Gemara, Rashi and Tosafot, and once a widely used basic text for Yeshiva, students of the Talmud. * ''Chasam Sofer'', the commentary on this tractate, and part of the larger commentary on the Talmud, by rabbi Moses Sofer of Frankfurt (1762–1839). * ''Yachin uBoaz'', by rabbi Israel Lipschitz (1782–1860), a commentary divided into two sections: ''Yachin'', the straightforward explanation of the text, and ''Boaz'', lengthier analytical insights; each chapter also has a section called ''Hilchata Gevirta'' containing a halakhic summary of each mishnah. * ''Melechet Shlomo'' written by Rabbi Shlomo Adeni (1567–1625) in Hebron, it remained a manuscript until it was first published in Vilna in the 1880s. * ''Tosafot Yom Tov'' on Mishnah Shabbat and ''Ikar Tosafot Yom Tov'', an abridged version of the ''Tosafot Yom Tov'' commentary, by Rabbi Yom-Tov Lipmann Heller (1579-1654). * ''Kikayon d'Yonah'' by rabbi Jonah Teomim-Frankel (1595-1669), with short insights on the Gemara, Rashi and Tosafot of this tractate for chapter one and from chapter seven onward, first printed in Amsterdam in 1690 and reprinted in 1959 by the Yeshiva of Nitra, New York. * ''Tziyun le-Nefesh Chayah'' (abbreviated to ''Tzelach''), by rabbi Yechezkel Landau of Prague (1713–1793). * ''Chidushei u'Biurei Ha'Gra l'Maseches Shabbos'', Chidush, novellae and explanations of the Vilna Gaon (1720–1797) on tractate Shabbat, comprising the original ''Chidushei ha'Gra'' on Shabbat, his writings in ''Shenos Eliyahu'' on the Mishna and his comments in the ''Biurei ha'Gra'' on the Shulchan Aruch, compiled by rabbi Avraham Droshkovitz. * ''Chidushei Rabbi Akiva Eger'', a collection of the writings on the tractate by rabbi Akiva Eger (1761–1837) and ''Tosafot Rabbi Akiva Eiger'', published in Vilnius, Vilna, 1908-1909. * ''Sefas Emes'', short insights on various topics including those in this tractate, by rabbi Yehudah Aryeh Leib Alter the second Gerrer Rebbe (1847–1905). Anthologies on the tractate include the following: * ''Gilyonei Ha'shas'' by rabbi Yosef Engel, a collection mainly of references to, and quotes from, the Rishonim in their History of responsa in Judaism, responsa and other earlier works, with additional insights by the author. * ''Asifat Zekenim he'Chadash'', a collection of rare works on the tractate, for some of the chapters of this tractate. * ''Mesilot ha'Barzel'' by rabbi Nisan Shabsai Hailper, listing sources in the Rishonim and Acharonim that deal with the various issues in the Gemara. * ''Al Masechet Shabbat'', a two-volume collection of works on the tractate, such as ''Ishei Yisrael'' and ''Etz ha'Da'at Tov''. Halakha, Halakhic discussions of the issues of the tractate include the following: * ''Rosh Yosef'' by rabbi Yosef Tumim, author of the ''Pri Megadim''. * ''Chefetz Hashem'' by rabbi Chaim ibn Attar, the ''Or ha'Chayim ha'Kadosh''. Works focused particularly on the 39 Melachot, 39 categories of activity prohibited on Shabbat include the following: * ''Tal Orot (ha'Kadmon)'' by rabbi Shaul ben David, printed in Prague 1614 and reprinted in Jerusalem in 1996. * ''Tal Orot (ha'Sephardi)'' by rabbi Yosef ben Joya, published in Jews of Salonika, Salonika in 1790 and reprinted in Jerusalem in 1987. * ''Magen Avot'' by rabbi Mordechai Bennett, regarding the melakhot on both Shabbat and Jewish festival, Yom Tov. * ''Minchat Chinuch'', which contains a section discussing the 39 melakhot of Shabbat in the discussion of the mitzvah of Shabbat. * ''Kalkelles ha'Shabbat'', a discussion of the 39 melakhot by the Israel Lipschitz, Tiferes Yisrael, in the first volume of his commentary on Seder Moed. * ''Iglei Tal'' by rabbi Avraham Borenstein, on the first eleven of the 39 categories, called the ''sidura d'pas'', the "order of making bread," and the twelfth category, ''gozez'', "shearing". * ''Yesodei Yeshurun'' by rabbi Gedalia Felder of Toronto, originally printed with his responsa and later printed separately in Jerusalem in 1976, discussing all 39 categories and including understandings of the Rishonim and Acharonim and his own insights. * ''Ne'im Zemiros'', by the author of the Mirkeves ha'Mishnah, a poem with brief mentions of the

's laws of the various categories of activities, and a commentary on this poem, clarifying their meaning.

Liturgical uses

The morning service in both the Nusach Ashkenaz, Ashkenazi and Nusach Sefard, Sefardi Jewish prayer, liturgy begins with recital of blessings over the Torah, followed by brief selections from the Hebrew Bible, Mishna and Gemara, in accordance with a statement in the Talmud (Kiddushin (tractate), Kiddushin 30a) that Torah learning comprises these three elements. The biblical text are the three verses of the Priestly Blessing, the Mishna is from Peah, tractate Peah, about commandments that have no fixed measures, including the mitzvah of Peah, and of Torah study, learning Torah), and the passage from the Gemara is from this tractate, BT Shabbat 127a, about the reward for good deeds in this world and the next. The second chapter of the Mishna of this tractate, called ''Ba'meh Madlikin'' ("With what may we light?"), is recited during the Kabbalat Shabbat service on Friday evenings in both the Ashkenazi and Sefardi liturgies. The recitation of this chapter referenced the disagreement with the Sadducees and Karaite Judaism, Karaites, who rejected the Oral Torah, Oral Tradition codified in the Mishnah, and held that the commandment "Do not light a fire in any of your dwellings on the Sabbath day" () meant that the use of any light was forbidden, while the followers of Pharisees, Rabbinic Judaism, who accepted the authority of the Oral Tradition, held that the verse excluded kindling on the Sabbath but not the use of a light that had been lit before the Sabbath began. Immediately following this chapter, in the Ashkenazi liturgy, but not the Sephardi, additional passages from the Babylonian Talmud are recited, including a paragraph from tractate Shabbat (12a), quoting Rabbi Haninah ben Teradion, Rabbi Haninah saying that one should examine one's clothing on the Sabbath eve before nightfall, to ensure one is not carrying anything, and Rav Yosef bar Hiyya, Rabbi Yosef commenting that this is an important law about the Sabbath, as it is easy to forget and accidentally violate the sanctity of the day of rest. The Zemirot, Sabbath hymn ''Yom Zeh M’khubad'' ("this day is the most precious of all days"), composed by an unidentified poet whose name appears in the acrostic as Yisrael Ha’Ger (Israel the Convert to Judaism, proselyte) in the verses of the song, is based on the statement in this tractate (118a) that the best food should be prepared for the Sabbath, for "one who delights in the Sabbath is granted their heart's desires".

References

External links

Full text of the Mishnah for tractate Shabbat
on Sefaria (Hebrew and English)
Text of the Mishnah for tractate Shabbat
with commentary by Rabbi Pinchas Kehati {{mishnah Laws of Shabbat Mishnah Negative Mitzvoth Positive Mitzvoth Talmud