Shabbat
“Remember the day of Shabbat, to keep it holy. Pursue all your labor for six days, and do all your “Melachah” (the term “Melachah” to be defined in Item 3, below). But the seventh day is Shabbat to the L-rd your G-d; On it you may do no “Melachah,” neither you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor the stranger who is within your gates. For in six days G-d made the heavens and the earth, the sea and everything that is within it; And he rested on the seventh day; Therefore, G-d did bless the day of Shabbat and He made it holy.” (Shemot 19: 8-11; the Shabbat Command as recorded in the Shemot version of the Ten Commandments)
“Guard the Day of Shabbat to keep it holy, as the L-rd your G-d has commanded. Pursue all your labor for six days, and do all your “Melachah.” But the seventh day is Shabbat for the L-rd your G-d; Do no “Melachah” – not you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your ox or donkey or any of your cattle, nor the stranger who resides within your gates, in order that your male and female servants shall rest, as you rest. And you shall remember that you were a slave in the Land of Egypt, and the L-rd your G-d took you out from there with a strong hand and an outstretched arm; Therefore, did the L-rd your G-d command you to observe the Day of Shabbat.” (Devarim 5: 12-15; the Shabbat Command as recorded in the Devarim version of the Ten Commandments.
The 39 categories of forbidden acts, all of which
are types of work that were needed to build the sanctuary:
- Sowing
- Plowing
- Reaping
- Binding sheaves
- Threshing
- Winnowing
- Selecting
- Grinding
- Sifting
- Kneading
- Baking
- Shearing wool
- Washing wool
- Beating wool
- Dyeing wool
- Spinning
- Weaving
- Making two loops
- Weaving two threads
- Separating two threads
- Tying
- Untying
- Sewing two stitches
- Tearing
- Trapping
- Slaughtering
- Flaying
- Salting meat
- Curing hide
- Scraping hide
- Cutting hide up
- Writing two letters
- Erasing two letters
- Building
- Tearing a building down
- Extinguishing a fire
- Kindling a fire
- Hitting with a hammer
- Taking an object from the private domain to the public, or transporting an object in the public domain.