A new episode has been released on the “Menorah” YouTube channel featuring the Chief Rabbi of Dnipro, Shmuel Kaminezki, and his daughter Sarah. This time, they examine the most common questions about observing Shabbos: which actions are prohibited, where these rules came from, and how they work in everyday life.
At the center of the conversation are the 39 categories of work prohibited on Shabbos. Rav Shmuel explains why it was specifically the building of the Temple in the desert that became the basis for defining these prohibitions and how the familiar everyday restrictions follow from this principle. Why can’t one use a phone or spend money? Is it permitted to look at a watch, open the refrigerator, cook food, or wash dishes? And what should one do if one wants to freshen up: are makeup, creams, perfume, combing, and showering permitted?
Separate attention is given to seemingly small matters that in practice raise quite a few questions: may one tear toilet paper, wipe the table, wash the floor, play with children with building blocks or puzzles, iron, or feed pets. The Rav and Sarah also speak about the traditional foods of Shabbos, the specifics of preparing and serving food, and explain what an eruv is and why, thanks to it, members of the community can go out for a walk with baby strollers and visit one another.
But the main thing in the episode is not merely to sort out the list of what is permitted and what is prohibited, but to understand the meaning of the rules themselves. Rav Shmuel explains why the restrictions of Shabbos are not a deprivation of freedom but a genuine gift: the opportunity to set aside gadgets and everyday concerns for 25 hours, to pause, and to feel the peace and joy of this special day.
Watch the new video from “Menorah” with Rav Shmuel Kaminezki and Sarah, ask questions, and share in the comments: which rules of Shabbos surprised you the most?
