Discover what others are learning
Curated Torah sources across every topic, from classical texts to contemporary responsa.
Shabbat Candle Lighting: Sources and Customs
These sources trace the origin and development of the Shabbat candle-lighting practice from biblical foundations through rabbinic enactment and later codification. They explain the underlying reasons—peace in the home, Shabbat honor, and Shabbat pleasure—and discuss the custom of lighting two candles in correspondence with the two modes of remembering and observing Shabbat.
זָכוֹר וְשָׁמוֹר בְּדִבּוּר אֶחָד
Shaking Crumbs from a Tablecloth on Shabbat
Sources examine whether shaking out crumbs from a tablecloth on Shabbat violates the prohibition of choreish (plowing) or its derivatives. The sources discuss the distinction between unintentional actions and those that improve or level the ground, and how surface type affects the permissibility of cleaning activities.
כָּל דָּבָר שֶׁאֵינוֹ מִתְכַּוֵּן מֻתָּר
Hearing Aids and Shabbat Observance
Sources address the permissibility of wearing and adjusting a hearing aid on Shabbat, applying rabbinic principles of medical necessity, muktzeh (forbidden objects), and the distinction between ordinary discomfort and conditions requiring care. The analysis draws on foundational Talmudic discussions of permitted medical activities and Shulchan Arukh rulings on assisting the ill.
מי שיש לו חולי של סכנה מצוה לחלל עליו את השבת
Non-Jewish Labor Set Before Shabbat
These sources address whether an Israelite may instruct or set up a non-Jew to perform labor that will continue or execute during Shabbat. The texts examine the distinctions between explicit instructions, hints, and work begun before Shabbat, as well as questions of benefit and intention.
כל מה שהוא אסור לעשותו בשבת אסור לומר לעכו״ם לעשותו