39 Melachot of Shabbat

Sarah Michelle Gorbatov

Table of Contents
Avot Vs. Toldot…………………………………………………………………... 1
Terms & Concepts…………………………………………………………….…. 2
VOLUME 1
Choresh……………………………………………………………………....…….. 6
Zoreah……………………………………………………………………………..... 7
Kotzer…………………………………………………………………………....…. 8
Me’amer………………………………………………………………………....…. 9
DosH…………………………………………………………………………...…... 10
Z&B&M (Zoreh, Borer, Merakeid)….……………………………………..…. 11
Tochein…………………………………………………………………………... 12 I
Table of Contents
Losh………………………………………………………………………………... 13
Bishul……………………………………………………………………………... 14

II
 Avot Vs. Toldot
Primary Category Vs. Subcategory
Av: one of the 39 acts performed to create the Mishkan
Toldah: an act with the same outcome

That which was a significant labor in the Tabernacle the Sages characterized as an av (primary category,) and that which was not a significant
labor in the Tabernacle the Sages characterized as a toldah (subcategory). The labors prohibited on Shabbat are derived from the labors employed in
the construction of the Tabernacle; therefore, their classification is also based on their significance in its construction.

If one intentionally, or unintentionally, performs labor that is prohibited on Shabbat, the punishment
is the same no matter if the prohibition is a primary or subcategory. 1
 Terms & Concepts
Chaiv ‫( חייב‬biblically Davar She’Eino Mitkaven ‫דבר‬
forbidden) vs. patur ‫פטור‬ ‫שאינו מתכוין‬:
(rabbinically forbidden) vs. I intended to do one permitted act
mutar ‫( מותר‬permitted) but a forbidden act will plausibly
happen as an unintended act.
Rabbi Yehuda: chaiv
Rabbi Shimon: patur

Pesik Reisha ‫פסיק רישי‬:

I intended to do one act and a

forbidden act will definitely happen as
a result.
Rabbi Yehuda: chaiv
Rabbi Shimon: chaiv

2
 Terms & Concepts
Kavana ‫כונה‬ (I did an Tzricha Le’Gufa ‫צריכה לגופה‬
act with intent for that (the act was done for the same
object) vs. Mitasek purpose as it was done in the
Mishkan) vs. Eina Tzricha
‫מתעסק‬ (I did not intend to Le’Gufa
do that act on that object) ‫ ( אינה צריכה לגופה‬the act was
done for a different purpose than
in the Mishkan)

Mitkayeim ‫( מתקיים‬the act has

permanent results) vs. Eino
Mitkayeim ‫( אינו מתקיים‬the act
has only temporary results)

3
 Terms & Concepts
Shiur ‫שיעור‬: Meizid ‫מזיד‬
the amount or measurement I violated Shabbat on purpose,
of an action that was knowing:
significant for the Mishkan. 1.) Today is Shabbat
***Hatzi shiur 2.) This act is forbidden

Shogeg ‫שוגג‬
I violated by accident because I
didn’t know:
1.) Today is Shabbat
2.) This act is forbidden

4
VOLUME 1: Agricultural Work
 Choresh
Any amount of Choresh
is chaiev; even the Smoothing out soil
smallest furrow or hole
can provide the to fill holes or
necessary nutrients and flatten bumps.
habitat to produce some
form of vegetation. Av Melacha - Toldot -
Using a plow to loosen Any act that loosens
the soil so that seeds soil or makes it more
Exceptions: may be planted suitable for agriculture Modern-Day
*Very Soft Dirt Applications:
Tosafot
*Smoothing the
*Barren Soil
Gemara cracks in a
*Digging a Hole for patio
the Sake of the *Making a new
Dirt Alone Gemara
*Compacting Soil
flower bed
Gemara *Weeding

6
 Zoreah
Any amount of zoreah is Sowing seeds of
Chaiv; even planting the
dye-producing plants
smallest sapling or
promoting the smallest for the tapestries or
amount of growth is the wheat for the
considered a violation of showbreads.
zoreah. Av Melacha - Toldot -
Sowing, pruning, planting Glueing peeling bark,
a sapling, bending a treating tree with bug
Different branch, grafting repellent Modern-Day
Opinions: Applications:
*Rashash: melacha *Using Sprinklers
begins when you place
*Opening
the seed soil and
finishes when the seed Curtains to Give
takes root Light to a
*Minchat Chinuch: Houseplant
melacha is *Taking Flowers
transgressed
immediately
Out of Water

7
 Kotzer
The shiur of Harvesting the
Kotzer in order to dye-producing plants
be chaiv is a and the wheat for
the Showbreads.
usable amount.
Av Melacha - Toldot -
Pulling an entire plant from the Shaking the base of a tree, moving
ground with its roots, severing a potted plant, detaching plant life
one branch or leaf from its from its place of growth, defining
Exceptions: source of growth the source of growth Rabbinic Fences:
*Stunting
Growth Without
*Using trees
Severing or *Using
Detaching animals
*Items With No
Root System *Smelling
*Backhanded fruits
Kotzer

8
 Me’amer
Once produce has been
processed, such as Gathering together
carving a stick into a or combining items
wooden spoon, me’amir that grow in soil.
no longer applies.

Conditions: Conditions:
*Grow from *Are in their
the ground original state
*Are gathered *Have not
in the place previously
that they been gathered
grow

9
 Dosh
3 Categories of Dosh: Separating a
*Olives and grapes
*Berries,
growing item from
pomegranates, and its natural shell
most other fruits or peel.
*Melons Av Melacha - Toldot -
Using your feet to thresh Using your hands to thresh
the wheat through is considered a violation
Shells & stamping known as mefarek
Shells &
Peels That Peels That
Cannot Be Can Be
Liquid that has been Dosh does not apply to
absorbed into another thin peels that are
food = permitted closely attached to the

Removed: Removed:
provided you are fruit since these peels
squeezing out the liquid are essentially part of

*Nuts *Bananas
to get rid of it. the fruit itself.

*Garlic Natural fabrics grow Dosh does not apply to

*Oranges
*Honeycomb from the ground, and
so their situation is no
peels that remain on
the fruit until you're
different than ready to eat it.
removing juice from a
fruit.
10
Zoreh: Winnowing, a method
which uses the wind
Borer: Selecting, a method
which uses one’s hands
Z&B&M Sorting items
from a mixture
Merakeid: Sifting, a method
which uses a utensil

Three Kinds Three Ways

of Mixtures: Two Three Items Can Be
*Mingled Important
Exceptions:
Permitting
Conditions:
Distinguished:
EX: salad
*Taste
1. Removing

*Attached
some of the 1. Biyad
good along 2. Miyad EX: Salt vs. sugar

*Description
with the bad 3. Ochel
EX: fruit & peel 2. Derech

*Absorbed
mi-toch
Achilah
Pesolet EX: looks different
EX: bread crumbs in soup
*Function
EX: butter vs. steak knife

11
Ain tochein achar tochein
VS. Tochein Breaking down a
substance into
small, usable pieces
Shinui

Four Prohibiting Medicine:

Limitations:
*Origin is from the
ground
*Has not been
previously ground
*Used immediately and
is cut up slightly
larger than normal
*If done in an unusual
way
*Medicine was once
prepared by grinding
and may not be taken
even today except
under specific, more
critical circumstances.

12
Blilah Aveh (thick mixture)
= FORBIDDEN
VS.
Blilah Rakah (thin mixture)
Losh Mixing 2 substances
to create a new,
thick and consistent
= FORBIDDEN substance

Two Permitting Two Examples

Changes: of Non
Food-Related
*The order of Losh Situations:
combining *Mixing sand
*The method of with water to
mixing make mud
*Mixing cement

13
 Bishul Part I
When does Bishul take
place? Using heat to positively
A solid food
change the physical
structure of an object
A solid non-food
A liquid food
Final act in the “Order of Bread”
Examples of 3 Vessels:
Hurrying the
*Kli rishon al
Process:
ha'aish/first vessel – it
*Stirring a pot of food
that is cooking – this is directly connected to
allows for the heat to a source of heat
be better distributed *Kli Sheini/second
*Closing an oven door vessel – receives the
– this better insulates food from the initial,
the heat within that
directly heated vessel
space
*Putting a lid on a pot *Kli Shlishi/Third
that is on the fire – vessel: receives the food
this concentrates the from the second,
heat within the pot indirectly heated vessel

14
 Bishul Part II
We analyze each
utensil containing food by Heating something to
how closely it's alter its quality
connected to a flame

Two Practical 3 Vessels:

Suggestions for
*Kli rishon/first vessel
Making Tea on – We aren't allowed
Shabbat: to place anything
*You pour hot water from your uncooked into it
urn (first vessel) into a teacup
*Kli Sheini/second
(second vessel) and then pour it
into another teacup (third vessel). vessel – We can place
Once the water is in the last only uncooked water
cup, you put the teabag in.
*You pour hot water from your
and oil into it
urn (first vessel) into a teacup *Kli Shlishi/Third
(second vessel) and then pour it
vessel: We can place
into another teacup (third vessel).
Once the water is in the last almost any uncooked
cup, you put the teabag in. items into it

15
 Bishul Part III
Baking (preparing food using hot
liquid) {bishul}
VS.
Cooking food to the limit
Cooking/Roasting (using the of yad soledet bo
medium of hot air {opheh} or
direct fire {tzli})

Concepts: Reheating Baked

*There is no cooking Chicken:
after cooking (ain I have a piece of meat that was
bishul achar bishul) roasted – that is, baked in the
oven – without any liquid. In other
*A cooked solid that words, it was prepared using dry
has cooled can be put heat. I want to heat it up on
Shabbat afternoon. Separately, I
in a first vessel *A have a crock pot of cholent that
cooked liquid that has has been cooking all night. I can't
put the meat into the cholent,
cooled can only be put since this would be reheating it
into a second vessel using moist heat.”

16
 If I want to leave
uncooked food (She’hiya)
on a warm cooker from
Bishul Part IV What are the three
qualifications that
would allow a person
Friday into Shabbat,
how can I do that with:
to return something
*A stovetop: You can
that was taken off
leave uncooked food only on a the heat back onto
covered flame. This is the the heat
source for that indispensable
tool of the Shabbat kitchen, (Chazarah)?
the blech. *When you remove the
*An oven: You can take food from the blech, you
food out of an oven that has intend to put it back.
been shut off before Shabbat. *You continue to hold the
*A slow cooker: pot by its handle while it
Because there is no way to is off the blech.
adjust the temperature, the *The food does not cool
central concern behind the
off completely before you
concept of she'hiyah does not
apply. return it.