{"id":7204,"date":"2016-01-09T02:00:09","date_gmt":"2016-01-09T00:00:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ph.yhb.org.il\/en\/?p=7204"},"modified":"2016-07-14T15:07:39","modified_gmt":"2016-07-14T12:07:39","slug":"01-09-02","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ph.yhb.org.il\/en\/01-09-02\/","title":{"rendered":"02. The 39 Melakhot<\/em> That Were Performed in the Mishkan<\/em>, and Their Derivatives"},"content":{"rendered":"

The melakhot<\/em> that are prohibited on Shabbat are those that were performed in erecting the Mishkan<\/em>. Almost immediately following the section dealing with erecting the Mishkan<\/em>, the Torah states: \u201cNevertheless, you must keep My Shabbatot<\/em>\u201d (Shemot 31:13). This teaches us that even though the melakha <\/em>of the Mishkan<\/em> was a great mitzva, it had to stop for Shabbat as well. Thus the Sages state: \u201cOne is liable only for a melakha<\/em> similar to one that was done in the Mishkan<\/em>\u201d (Shabbat<\/em> 49b). Similarly the Torah states: \u201cYou shall keep My Shabbatot<\/em> and venerate My Mikdash <\/em>(sanctuary); I am the Lord\u201d (Vayikra 19:30). Rashi explains: \u201cEven though I have commanded you to build the Mikdash<\/em>, nevertheless you must keep My Shabbat, for the building of the Mikdash<\/em> does not override Shabbat observance.\u201d<\/p>\n

The implication is that the primary purpose of humanity, created in God\u2019s image, is to be a partner with God in improving the world. The primary way to improve the world is by erecting the Mishkan<\/em>, where the Shekhina<\/em> dwells. Light spreads from the Mishkan<\/em> throughout the world, revealing that the whole world deserves to be a receptacle for the Shekhina<\/em>. For the Shekhina<\/em> dwells wherever one works for the sake of heaven, with honesty and kindness, in order to increase goodness in the world \u2013 it is there that the holiness of the Mishkan<\/em> spreads. Thus, the essence of melakha<\/em> in this world is to build an abode for the Shekhina<\/em>. Yet, despite its value, we are commanded to desist from melakha<\/em> on Shabbat. Just as God created the world in six days and rested on the seventh, thus imbuing the six days of creation with deep meaning, so too we are commanded to rest on Shabbat. By doing so, we are able to reveal the deeper value of all melakhot<\/em> (see above 1:10).<\/p>\n

Moshe Rabbeinu was told at Sinai that there are 39 melakhot<\/em> (Shabbat<\/em> 70a). These are:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Zore\u2019a<\/em> (sowing)<\/li>\n
  2. \u0124oresh<\/em> (plowing)<\/li>\n
  3. Kotzer <\/em>(reaping)<\/li>\n
  4. Me\u2019amer <\/em>(gathering)<\/li>\n
  5. Dash <\/em>(threshing)<\/li>\n
  6. Zoreh <\/em>(winnowing)<\/li>\n
  7. Borer <\/em>(separating)<\/li>\n
  8. To\u0125en <\/em>(grinding)<\/li>\n
  9. Meraked <\/em>(sifting)<\/li>\n
  10. Lash<\/em> (kneading)<\/li>\n
  11. Ofeh<\/em> (cooking\/baking)<\/li>\n
  12. Gozez Tzemer <\/em>(shearing wool)<\/li>\n
  13. Melaben <\/em>(laundering)<\/li>\n
  14. Menapetz <\/em>(combing wool)<\/li>\n
  15. Tzove\u2019a <\/em>(dyeing)<\/li>\n
  16. Toveh <\/em>(spinning)<\/li>\n
  17. Meisekh <\/em>(warping)<\/li>\n
  18. Oseh Shtei Batei Nirin<\/em> (making two loops)<\/li>\n
  19. Oreg Shnei \u0124utin <\/em>(weaving two threads)<\/li>\n
  20. Potze\u2019a Shnei \u0124utin<\/em> (separating two threads)<\/li>\n
  21. Kosheir<\/em> (tying a knot)<\/li>\n
  22. Matir<\/em> (untying a knot)<\/li>\n
  23. Tofer Shtei Tefirot<\/em> (sewing two stitches)<\/li>\n
  24. Kore\u2019a al Menat Litfor Shtei Tefirot<\/em> (tearing in order to sew two stitches)<\/li>\n
  25. Tzad Tzvi<\/em> (trapping)<\/li>\n
  26. Sho\u0125et<\/em> (slaughtering)<\/li>\n
  27. Mafshit<\/em> (skinning)<\/li>\n
  28. Mole\u2019a\u0125\/Me\u2019abed<\/em> (tanning)<\/li>\n
  29. Mesartet<\/em> (marking)<\/li>\n
  30. Mema\u0125ek<\/em> (smoothing)<\/li>\n
  31. Me\u0125atekh<\/em> (cutting)<\/li>\n
  32. Kotev Shtei Otiyot<\/em> (writing two letters)<\/li>\n
  33. Mo\u0125ek al Menat Likhtov Shtei Otiyot<\/em> (erasing two letters in order to overwrite them)<\/li>\n
  34. Boneh<\/em> (building)<\/li>\n
  35. Soter<\/em> (demolishing)<\/li>\n
  36. Mekhabeh<\/em> (extinguishing a fire)<\/li>\n
  37. Mav\u2019ir<\/em> (lighting a fire)<\/li>\n
  38. Makeh Be-fatish<\/em> (applying the finishing touch)<\/li>\n
  39. Motzi Me-reshut Li-reshut<\/em> (carrying from one domain to another)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    (Shabbat<\/em> 73b)<\/p>\n

    These 39 activities are called avot melakha<\/em> (primary categories of melakha<\/em>), or simply avot<\/em>, as are activities that are very similar to them. Activities that are largely, but not entirely, similar to avot<\/em> are called toladot<\/em>. In practice there is no difference between an av melakha<\/em> and a tolada<\/em>. They both are prohibited by the Torah, and they carry the same punishment. It is simply a semantic distinction: A melakha<\/em> that is very similar to an activity that was performed while erecting the Mishkan<\/em> is called an av<\/em>, while one that is not as similar is called a tolada<\/em> (Rambam, Peirush Ha-Mishnayot <\/em>on m. Shabbat<\/em> 7:2).<\/p>\n

    The halakhic significance of the division of the forbidden activities on Shabbat into 39 categories relates to the realm of punishment. If one unknowingly performs all 39 melakhot<\/em>, he is required to bring 39 sin offerings. If he performs five different melakhot<\/em>, he is required to bring five sin offerings. However, if he performs several melakhot<\/em> that are all part of the same av melakha<\/em> and its toladot<\/em>, he is only liable to bring one sin offering (MT 7:7-9).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    The melakhot that are prohibited on Shabbat are those that were performed in erecting the Mishkan. Almost immediately following the section dealing with erecting the Mishkan, the Torah states: \u201cNevertheless, you must keep My Shabbatot\u201d (Shemot 31:13). This teaches us that even though the melakha of the Mishkan was a great mitzva, it had to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[79],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7204","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-01-09"],"yoast_head":"\n02. The 39 Melakhot That Were Performed in the Mishkan, and Their Derivatives - Peninei Halakha<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/ph.yhb.org.il\/en\/01-09-02\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"02. The 39 Melakhot That Were Performed in the Mishkan, and Their Derivatives - Peninei Halakha\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The melakhot that are prohibited on Shabbat are those that were performed in erecting the Mishkan. Almost immediately following the section dealing with erecting the Mishkan, the Torah states: \u201cNevertheless, you must keep My Shabbatot\u201d (Shemot 31:13). This teaches us that even though the melakha of the Mishkan was a great mitzva, it had to […]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/ph.yhb.org.il\/en\/01-09-02\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Peninei Halakha\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2016-01-09T00:00:09+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2016-07-14T12:07:39+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"\u05de\u05e0\u05d4\u05dc \u05d4\u05d0\u05ea\u05e8\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"\u05de\u05e0\u05d4\u05dc \u05d4\u05d0\u05ea\u05e8\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ph.yhb.org.il\/en\/01-09-02\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ph.yhb.org.il\/en\/01-09-02\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"\u05de\u05e0\u05d4\u05dc \u05d4\u05d0\u05ea\u05e8\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ph.yhb.org.il\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/716cb852d9b9d1fb36cf3b60a4415178\"},\"headline\":\"02. 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