The Sabbath: A Guide to Its Understanding and Observance

Despite its frequent occurrence and apparently simple significance, the holy Sabbath and its laws are understood only superficially by most contemporary Jews. The meaning and reasoning behind the prohibitive aspects of the Sabbath, for example, are often confused with a slavish adherence to the customs and practices of an outmoded era. In this volume, Dayan Dr. I. Grunfeld, zt”l, one of the greatest Rabbinic authorities of the last generation, outlines a framework for a comprehensive rationale of the Sabbath, following the classic ideas of Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch. Beginning with a basic explanation of the concept of “work” according to the Torah, the author outlines the thirty-nine melakhoth (categories of work) and the Rabbinic proscriptions subsumed under them. Treating both its homiletic and legal facets, Dayan Grunfeld presents a concrete, sound and inspiring guide to the practical observance of the Sabbath. In view of the friendly reception accorded previous editions of this volume – due, in large measure, to its clear and incisive style, which the average reader can understand and appreciate – this fifth, revised and expanded edition has now been published to fill an urgent need among English-speaking Jewry. This new edition includes, among other additions and glosses, nine illustrative stories to highlight the messages and concepts discussed in the book.