#אל תאמר הליכות אלא הלכות

[berl-balagula]

The list is:

Bread, oils and incense: Plow, Saw, Harvest,Stock, Flail, Scatter, Sort , Sift, Mil, Knead and Bake.

Textiles: Shear, Bleach, Comb, Fiber separation, Dye, Spin, Set (the loom), Thread, Wave, Offset, Tie, Untie, Stitch and Cut (textiles).

Writing supplies and shoemaking: Hunt, Slaughter, Skin, Tan, Straighten, Mark (for cutting), Cut (leather), Write and Delete.

Construction work: Build, Tear down, Hit with A Hammer.

Illumination: Light a flame, Put out a flame.

Logistics: transfer (from "zone" to "zone")

Most Shomre Shabbat not only avoid those actions themselves but also anything that is similar enough to them in appearance and idea.

I recently learnt that the 39 things not permitted on Shabbat are exactly the tasks the Israelites performed as they were building the tabernacle at the base of Mount Sinai. Which, to me? Hilarious.

I’m getting the visual of the Israelites being really hype enthusiastic overachievers who are chewing on the time accurate equivalent of coffee beans to get their project in. They're getting the curtains ready, their gold, their dolphin skins (or ancient middle eastern marine mammal equivalent of )- they're going haywire with the preparations-

and G-D putting his hands up.

“Timeout! Timeout!”

everyone freezes-

"Hey- I really appreciate it. I do. Super grateful for the hard work. But I think I’m going to mandate a rest day for you from all this stuff. You know how you haven't been eating or sleeping? Okay here's 25 hours where that's all you can do. Don't even think about picking up that hammer, Mendel!"

One brave Israelite raises his hand from the crowd. "Can we still.. argue?"

"Yes."

then a moment of consideration.

"But only if snacks are provided."

(inspired by a conversation with @daughterofstories )