Sabbath Chapter 7

מְלָאכוֹת שֶׁחַיָּבִין עֲלֵיהֶן סְקִילָה וְכָרֵת בְּמֵזִיד אוֹ קָרְבַּן חַטָּאת בִּשְׁגָגָה. מֵהֶן אָבוֹת וּמֵהֶן תּוֹלָדוֹת. וּמִנְיַן כָּל אֲבוֹת מְלָאכוֹת אַרְבָּעִים חָסֵר אַחַת. וְאֵלּוּ הֵן. הַחֲרִישָׁה. וְהַזְּרִיעָה. וְהַקְּצִירָה. וְהָעִמּוּר. וְהַדִּישָׁה. וְהַזְּרִיָּה. וְהַבְּרִירָה. וְהַטְּחִינָה. וְהַהַרְקָדָה. וְהַלִּישָׁה. וְהָאֲפִיָּה. וְהַגְּזִיזָה. וְהַלִּבּוּן. וְהַנִּפּוּץ. וְהַצְּבִיעָה. וְהַטְּוִיָּה. וַעֲשִׂיַּת הַנִּירִין. וְהַנְסָכַת הַמַּסֵּכָה. וְהָאֲרִיגָה. וְהַבְּצִיעָה. וְהַקְּשִׁירָה. וְהַהַתָּרָה. וְהַתְּפִירָה. וְהַקְּרִיעָה. וְהַבִּנְיָן. וְהַסְּתִירָה. וְהַכָּאָה בְּפַטִּישׁ. וְהַצִּידָה. וְהַשְּׁחִיטָה. וְהַהַפְשָׁטָה. וְהַהַעֲבָדָה. וּמְחִיקַת הָעוֹר. וְחִתּוּכוֹ. וְהַכְּתִיבָה. וְהַמְּחִיקָה. וְהַשִּׂרְטוּט. וְהַהַבְעָרָה. וְהַכִּבּוּי. וְהַהוֹצָאָה מֵרְשׁוּת לִרְשׁוּת:

With regard to the [forbidden] labors for which one is liable to be executed by stoning if one transgresses willingly, or for which one is obligated to bring a sin offering if one commits the transgression unknowingly, there are primary categories and [their] derivatives. The sum of all the primary categories of [forbidden] labor are forty minus one. They include: 1) plowing, 2) sowing, 3) reaping, 4) collecting sheaves, 5) threshing, 6) winnowing, 7) separating, 8) grinding, 9) sifting, 10) kneading, 11) baking, 12) shearing, 13) whitening, 14) beating, 15) dyeing, 16) spinning, 17) making heddles, 18) mounting the warp, 19) weaving, 20) undoing woven fabric, 21) tying, 22) untying, 23) sewing, 24) tearing, 25) building, 26) demolishing, 27) beating with a hammer, 28) trapping, 29) slaughtering, 30) skinning, 31) processing [hides], 32) removing hair, 33) cutting [leather], 34) writing, 35) erasing, 36) ruling lines, 37) kindling a flame, 38) extinguishing a flame, 39) transferring from one domain to another.

כָּל אֵלּוּ הַמְּלָאכוֹת וְכָל שֶׁהוּא מֵעִנְיָנָם הֵם הַנִּקְרָאִין אֲבוֹת מְלָאכוֹת. כֵּיצַד הוּא עִנְיָנָן. אֶחָד הַחוֹרֵשׁ אוֹ הַחוֹפֵר אוֹ הָעוֹשֶׂה חָרִיץ הֲרֵי זֶה אַב מְלָאכָה. שֶׁכָּל אַחַת וְאַחַת מֵהֶן חֲפִירָה בַּקַּרְקַע וְעִנְיָן אֶחָד הוּא:

All of these [forbidden] labors and all analogous activities are referred to as primary categories of labor. What is meant by an "analogous activity"? Plowing, digging, or making a groove [in the ground] are all considered to be primary categories of work. For each one involves digging in the ground and they all reflect a single activity.

וְכֵן הַזּוֹרֵעַ זְרָעִים אוֹ הַנּוֹטֵעַ אִילָנוֹת אוֹ הַמַּבְרִיךְ אִילָנוֹת אוֹ הַמַּרְכִּיב אוֹ הַזּוֹמֵר. כָּל אֵלּוּ אָב אֶחָד הֵן מֵאֲבוֹת מְלָאכוֹת וְעִנְיָן אֶחָד הוּא. שֶׁכָּל אַחַת מֵהֶן לְצַמֵּחַ דָּבָר הוּא מִתְכַּוֵּן:

Similarly, one who sows seeds, plants trees, extends trees, grafts [branches to] trees, or prunes trees: All of these [activities] are considered a single primary category of [forbidden] labor, [for] they share a commonality, since all these activities have a single intent: to cause [a plant] to grow.

וְכֵן הַקּוֹצֵר תְּבוּאָה אוֹ קִטְנִית אוֹ הַבּוֹצֵר עֲנָבִים אוֹ הַגּוֹדֵר תְּמָרִים אוֹ הַמּוֹסֵק זֵיתִים אוֹ הָאוֹרֶה תְּאֵנִים. כָּל אֵלּוּ אַב מְלָאכָה אַחַת הֵן. שֶׁכָּל אַחַת מֵהֶן לַעֲקֹר דָּבָר מִגִּדּוּלָיו מִתְכַּוֵּן. וְעַל דֶּרֶךְ זוֹ שְׁאָר הָאָבוֹת:

Similarly, a person who reaps grain or legumes, one who harvests grapes, dates, olives, or figs: All these [activities] are considered a single primary category of [forbidden] labor, [for] they share a commonality, since all these activities have a single intent: to remove produce from [the plant] on which it grows. [The same principle applies] with regard to other forbidden categories of labor.

הַתּוֹלָדָה הִיא הַמְּלָאכָה הַדּוֹמָה לְאָב מֵאֵלּוּ הָאָבוֹת. כֵּיצַד. הַמְחַתֵּךְ אֶת הָיָּרָק מְעַט לְבַשְּׁלוֹ הֲרֵי זֶה חַיָּב שֶׁזּוֹ הַמְּלָאכָה תּוֹלֶדֶת טְחִינָה. שֶׁהַטּוֹחֵן לוֹקֵחַ גּוּף אֶחָד וּמְחַלְּקוֹ לְגוּפִים הַרְבֵּה. וְכָל הָעוֹשֶׂה דָּבָר הַדּוֹמֶה לָזֶה הֲרֵי זֶה תּוֹלֶדֶת טוֹחֵן. וְכֵן הַלּוֹקֵחַ לָשׁוֹן שֶׁל מַתֶּכֶת וְשָׁף אוֹתוֹ כְּדֵי לִקַּח מֵעֲפָרוֹ כְּדֶרֶךְ שֶׁעוֹשִׂים צוֹרְפֵי הַזָּהָב הֲרֵי זֶה תּוֹלֶדֶת טְחִינָה:

The Subcategory is a Melachah that resembles one of these primary categories [of prohibited Melachah]. What is the case? A person who cuts a vegetable into small [pieces] to cook it, is liable, for this act is in the category of Grinding. Because, when a person grinds, he takes one [large] entity, and divides it into many parts. Anyone who does an act that resembles this is [transgressing] the subcategory of [the Melachah of] Grinding. Similarly, one who takes a strip of metal and rubs at it to get its powder, as goldsmiths do, this is [transgressing] the subcategory of [the Melachah of] Grinding.

וְכֵן הַלּוֹקֵחַ חָלָב וְנָתַן בּוֹ קֵיבָה כְּדֵי לְחָבְצוֹ הֲרֵי זֶה חַיָּב מִשּׁוּם תּוֹלֶדֶת בּוֹרֵר שֶׁהֲרֵי הִפְרִישׁ הַקּוֹם מִן הֶחָלָב. וְאִם גִּבְּנוֹ וְעָשָׂהוּ גְּבִינָה חַיָּב מִשּׁוּם בּוֹנֶה. שֶׁכָּל הַמְקַבֵּץ חֵלֶק אֶל חֵלֶק וְדִבֵּק הַכּל עַד שֶׁיֵּעָשׂוּ גּוּף אֶחָד הֲרֵי זֶה דּוֹמֶה לְבִנְיָן. וְכֵן לְכָל מְלָאכָה וּמְלָאכָה מֵאֵלּוּ הָאָבוֹת יֵשׁ לָהֶן תּוֹלָדוֹת עַל דֶּרֶךְ זוֹ שֶׁאָמַרְנוּ. וּמִגּוּף הַמְּלָאכָה הַנַּעֲשֵׂית בְּשַׁבָּת תֵּדַע מֵעֵין אֵי זֶה אָב הִיא וְתוֹלֶדֶת אֵי זֶה אָב הִיא:

Similarly, one who takes milk and inserts a [piece of intestine] in it so that it curdles is liable for [performing] a derivative of separating, for he separates the curds from the whey. If one made cheese from it, one is liable for [performing a derivative of building]. Whenever one collects separate entities and bonds them together so that they form a single mass, [the activity] resembles building. Similarly, each of the primary categories of [forbidden] labor [mentioned above] possesses derivatives, which are determined according to the principles explained above. From the nature of the [forbidden] labor performed on the Sabbath, one can determine in which category of [forbidden] labor it should be included, or which [forbidden] labor it is a derivative of.

אֶחָד הָעוֹשֶׂה אָב מֵאֲבוֹת מְלָאכוֹת אוֹ תּוֹלָדָה מִן הַתּוֹלָדוֹת בְּמֵזִיד חַיָּב כָּרֵת. וְאִם בָּאוּ עֵדִים נִסְקָל. בְּשׁוֹגֵג חַיָּב חַטָּאת קְבוּעָה. אִם כֵּן מַה הֶפְרֵשׁ יֵשׁ בֵּין הָאָבוֹת וְהַתּוֹלָדוֹת. אֵין בֵּינֵיהֶן הֶפְרֵשׁ אֶלָּא לְעִנְיַן הַקָּרְבָּן בִּלְבַד. שֶׁהָעוֹשֶׂה בְּשׁוֹגֵג אִם עָשָׂה אָבוֹת הַרְבֵּה בְּהֵעָלֵם אֶחָד חַיָּב חַטָּאת אַחַת עַל כָּל אָב וְאָב. וְאִם עָשָׂה אָב וְתוֹלְדוֹתָיו בְּהֵעָלֵם אֶחָד אֵינוֹ חַיָּב אֶלָּא חַטָּאת אַחַת:

A person who willingly, as a conscious act of defiance, performs an activity that constitutes one of the primary categories of [forbidden] labor or one of the derivatives [of these categories] is liable for karet. If witnesses come, he should be stoned [to death]. If [he performs such an activity] without being conscious of the transgression, he must bring a sin offering of a fixed nature. If so, what is the difference between the primary categories of [forbidden] labor and the derivatives? There is no difference except with regard to sacrifices. When a person, without being conscious of the transgression involved, performs many activities, each of which constitutes a different primary category [of forbidden labor] in one period of lack of awareness, he is obligated to bring a sin offering for every such category [of forbidden labor]. If he performs an activity that constitutes a primary category [of forbidden labor] and its derivatives in one period of lack of awareness, he is obligated to bring merely one sin offering.

כֵּיצַד. הֲרֵי שֶׁחָרַשׁ וְזָרַע וְקָצַר בְּשַׁבָּת בְּהֵעָלֵם אֶחָד חַיָּב שָׁלֹשׁ חַטָּאוֹת. וַאֲפִלּוּ עָשָׂה הָאַרְבָּעִים חָסֵר אַחַת בִּשְׁגָגָה כְּגוֹן שֶׁשָּׁכַח שֶׁאֵלּוּ הַמְּלָאכוֹת אֲסוּרוֹת לֵעָשׂוֹת בְּשַׁבָּת חַיָּב עַל כָּל מְלָאכָה וּמְלָאכָה חַטָּאת אַחַת. אֲבָל אִם טָחַן וְחָתַךְ הָיָּרָק וְשָׁף לָשׁוֹן שֶׁל מַתֶּכֶת בְּהֵעָלֵם אֶחָד אֵינוֹ חַיָּב אֶלָּא חַטָּאת אַחַת. שֶׁהֲרֵי לֹא עָשָׂה אֶלָּא אָב אֶחָד וְתוֹלְדוֹתָיו. וְכֵן כָּל כַּיּוֹצֵא בָּזֶה:

What is implied? If a person plows, sows, and reaps on the Sabbath in a single period of lack of awareness, he is required to bring three sin offerings. Even if he performs all thirty-nine [forbidden] labors without knowing of the prohibition involved - e.g., he forgot that it is forbidden to perform these labors on the Sabbath - he is obligated to bring one sin offering for each and every [forbidden] labor. In contrast, if he ground [grain], cut a vegetable, and pulverized a strip of metal during a single period of lack of awareness, he is required to bring only one sin offering [for each Sabbath], for he performed only a single primary [forbidden] labor and its derivatives. The same applies in all similar situations.

הָעוֹשֶׂה מְלָאכוֹת הַרְבֵּה מֵעֵין מְלָאכָה אַחַת בְּהֵעָלֵם אֶחָד אֵינוֹ חַיָּב אֶלָּא חַטָּאת אַחַת. כֵּיצַד. הֲרֵי שֶׁזָּרַע וְנָטַע וְהִבְרִיךְ וְהִרְכִּיב וְזָמַר בְּהֵעָלֵם אֶחָד אֵינוֹ חַיָּב אֶלָּא חַטָּאת אַחַת שֶׁכֻּלָּן אָב אֶחָד הֵן. וְכֵן כָּל כַּיּוֹצֵא בָּזֶה:

When a person performs many labors corresponding to a single category of labor in one period of lack of awareness, he is obligated to bring only one sin offering. What is implied? When a person sowed, planted, extended, grafted, and pruned in a single period of lack of awareness, he is obligated to bring only a single sin offering, for all of these [activities] are included in the same primary category of labor. The same applies in all similar situations.