Negative Mitzvah 320: It is forbidden to work on Shabbat
Exodus 20:10 "You shall not do any manner of work"

Before the first Shabbat of the world, HaShem completed His work of creation.

Everything had been created during the first six days and He declared Shabbat a holy day of rest.

HaShem wants us to rest from our weekday work, too.

He commanded us to keep the Shabbat holy and not do any work.

What work is forbidden?

What one person may find a fun hobby, another may view as a tedious job.

What does HaShem define as work?

The Torah defines thirty-nine forbidden activities which are called "Melachah" - work - and which may not done on the Shabbat.

Using those rules as a base, our Rabbis have taught us a code of laws instructing us how to keep Shabbat.

We are not allowed to do any of those activities which the Torah considers to be Melachah on Shabbat.

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"World" in Hebrew is "Olam". Olam means a place of concealment. The world appears as a place autonomous of its Creator -- in other words, it appears to be a world -- only by virtue of its concealment of the truth.

From: Bringing Heaven Down to Earth by Tzvi Freeman - tzvif@aol.com