What is Shabbos / Shabbat?
Sabbath. Literally, inactivity. We keep Shabbos because G-d created Shabbos as a day of rest from certain types of creative activity. It is not “work” or physical exertion per se that is forbidden. G-d did not “labor,” nor exert Himself, neither did He need to rest to catch His breath. Thus, the defining factor of forbidden activity on Shabbos is not the difficulty of the act, nor the amount of exertion. Rather, what are forbidden are certain specific creative acts, as delineated by the Torah. There are 39 categories of forbidden “creative” acts that are forbidden on Shabbos. Each of the 39 categories has at least 39 examples (or types) of forbidden acts. These particular acts are forbidden, not the various acts that the average person might consider work. It is not our own common sense that has determined which labors are forbidden: these Laws of Shabbos were taught by G-d to Moses at Mount Sinai. Thus, it is sometimes permitted to move your couch a few inches even though this may mak
