Origin and Significance of 39 Categories of Labor

Our sages vividly describe the laws of Shabbat as “mountains hanging by a thread” (Hagigah 1:8). Discover these mountains by delving into the Jewish canon’s formative sources that shape what Shabbat practice(s) look like. By studying halakhah through the lens of how the laws of Shabbat developed over generations, this class aims to orient you to key texts in the Jewish legal tradition, from the Bible to contemporary texts and sources. We will study halakhah "bekiyut" style, aiming to gain exposure to and comprehension of broad swaths of foundational sources.