Electricity on Shabbat

High school (ages 12+)
Holidays & Celebrations

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/electricity-on-shabbat

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. Why do some people avoid using electricity on Shabbat?They believe that turning on lights or appliances can be like starting a fire or doing work, which is not allowed on the holy day. This helps them keep Shabbat a day of rest.
2. What is a "melacha" and why does it matter for electricity?A "melacha" is one of 39 kinds of work that are forbidden on Shabbat. Some rabbis think using electricity can be a type of this work, so they choose to stay away from it.

Mevareach: A specific category of melacha (prohibited labor) on Shabbat, referring to the act of igniting or kindling a fire.
Muktzeh: Objects that are forbidden to be handled or moved on Shabbat, often due to their use in prohibited activities or their inherent nature.
Gezeirah Shavah: A method of biblical interpretation used in rabbinic law, where a prohibition or permission is derived by comparing two biblical verses that share a common word or phrase.
Poskim: Plural of Posek, an Orthodox Jewish legal scholar who rules on matters of Halakha (Jewish law).