Judaism question

[Bill]

When jewish folk go to temple on their holy day do they drive ?
I ask because I realised just yesterday that a temple that I pass on the way home from work has a very small parking lot. It looks like it would only hold maybe 12 cars. I'm used to seeing huge parking lots near christian churches.

Thanks.

[Darthwing Teorist]

I don't think that they're allowed to do anything ressembling work on their holiday. Some here don't even turn their lights on. Plante has a good story about this.

[Bill]

Thanks Darth

The first time I googled this question I didn't get anything usefull. I just tried again with different search string and found a wiki page...

According to Jewish law, the operation of a motor vehicle constitutes multiple violations of the prohibited activities on Shabbat. Though Jewish law is based on texts that existed long before the existence of the automobile, various writings prohibit during Shabbat the actions that take place as a result of driving. The Torah thus prohibits driving on the basis that a labor is being performed by the act of operating a motor vehicle. The vehicle's ignition creates a spark, which violates a specific Torah injunction, one of the only 39 prohibited activities on Shabbat that is mentioned explicitly in the Torah[1]. Isaiah 58:13-14 speaks out against travel during Shabbat[2]. Modern vehicles also have many other electrical components, such as lights, that are continually turned on and off during the course of a vehicle's operation, often without the driver's awareness. Besides, the laws of Shabbat place limits on the distance one may travel beyond the city/town where one is spending Shabbat, regardless of the method of transportation[3].

However, Jews of varying backgrounds have taken differing views on the matter, either finding various interpretations to permit and justify at least some driving on Shabbat, either solely for synagogue attendance or for other personal reasons as well, or else by disregarding the Jewish laws altogether. In Israel, approximately 80% of Jews drive on Shabbat[4].


O.K. so there it is, my question has been answered.

[Bär]

Thanks Darth

The first time I googled this question I didn't get anything usefull. I just tried again with different search string and found a wiki page...

...approximately 80% of Jews roll on Shabbas[4].


O.K. so there it is, my question has been answered.

[Darthwing Teorist]

LMAO!!!

[Michael]

I don't know why, but I can almost never see Bar's or Darthwing's jpg's, even with proxy software. This might be the same thing he posted, but here goes.



from the movie, The Big Lebowski"

[bailewen]

Jewboy here with a clarification.

Your explanation sucks. Too many footnotes and too technical but mainly problematic in that it only refers to Shabbat which is hardly the only holiday on the calender.

The short answer is: No driving allowd on Shabbat but hardly anyone is orthodox enough to care. The Hassids observe that one. Almost no one else.

Other holidays though....no particular injunction against driving on any other holy day I know of besides Shabbas. You can certainly drive on Sukkot. Passover too. Same goes for Hannukah.But like I said, only the most observant, most orthodox Jews bother with that level of detail. The like to "put a fence around the torah", set up rules so that even if you accidentally break a rule you still haven't broken a Rule.

[Michael]

So then Baji Bomber of Xi'an is out and Taiji Jewboy of San Fran is in?

[Bär]

I don't know why, but I can almost never see Bar's or Darthwing's jpg's, even with proxy software. This might be the same thing he posted, but here goes.



from the movie, The Big Lebowski"

Yours is better, but yeah - it's a pic of Walter Sobchak. Maybe it's because Duck and I hotlink like bad people.

[Darthwing Teorist]

We're bad fuckers.

[qiphlow]

don't be sad. bad fucking is better than no fucking at all.

[Darthwing Teorist]

I am not sad. I'll be a bad motherfucker soon.

[bailewen]

So then Baji Bomber of Xi'an is out and Taiji Jewboy of San Fran is in?

Well I'm not in Xi'an at the moment. I'm sitting in a hotel in Inchon contemplating if 5 am is too early for one of these beers from the vending machine in my room. Hey man, it's mid afternoon back in California and I've been up since about 2:30.

Jetlag. Gotta love it.

Gotta love vending maching beer too. ...and asian stewardesses that look like they stepped right out of the 40's...and free beer with your meal on Aisiana airlines. That part really rocks.