Siman 306 – Which endeavors are permissible to speak about
“Mimtzo cheftz’cha”, says the navi. It is forbidden to inspect your estate to see what melacha it needs for tomorrow. If your actions are not evident that you are inspecting, then it is classified as mere “hirhur” and muttar. (Sha 1 – MB 1)
It is also forbidden to walk to the edge of your techum Shabbos to get a head start and wait till dark to do something forbidden on Shabbos. This is even if it is **not** evident. (ShA 1 – BeH “v’chayn”)
You are not allowed to walk to a place that makes it obvious that you are looking to hire a vehicle and the like – even inside the techum. (Rama 1 – MB 6 – BeH “v’hu”)
It is ossur to move animals – they are muktza. (ShA 1)
You aren’t allowed to be paid for a job done on Shabbos – it is under the rabbinic prohibition of business dealings. (MB 16)
Let’s say you are being paid on a daily basis to guard a field – since you can’t be paid for Shabbos, your liability decreases. If the field gets ruined on Shabbos you won’t have to pay for it. (ShA 4 – MB 17)
If you are being paid on a weekly basis (and certainly monthly or yearly) all Shabbosos are included and you are allowed to be paid the entire wage – it's called havla’a. If you don’t work on Shabbos, your boss can deduct your wages. (ShA 4 – MB 18)
If you are being paid on a monthly basis but you stipulate to be paid such and such an amount per day, it becomes like a daily wage and you can’t be paid for Shabbos. Similarly, when you rent a room for a month but the owner wants to calculate the rent based on the number of days – he may not collect rent for Shabbos. Some poskim argue on this. (Rama 4 – MB 19, 20)
If you lend money on interest to gentiles, monthly or yearly – be sure not to calculate the number of days the money was on loan and charge accordingly. This will transform the loan into a daily endeavor and you will be forbidden to keep the interest that was generated on the Shabbosos. Some achronim have a doubt about this din. (MB 19, 20)
A legal loophole to accept a job on Shabbos is to work for a few hours on the job on erev Shabbos and on Motzo'ay Shabbos. It’s also havla’a. (MB 21)
Some poskim are lenient with s’char Shabbos for a mitzva like paying a chazzan or a tokaya. Even so, they will not see siman beracha from the wages. The minhag is to be maykil. If you want to be machmir, don’t specify wages beforehand – just accept money as a gift. (ShA 5 – MB 23, 24)
“Chaftz‘cha” are forbidden. But “Cheftztsay Shomayim” are allowed. The following endeavors are allowed:
Calculating for a seudas mitzva.
Tzadoka appeals.
Appeals for a shul.
Pledges to donate (unspecific) items that the shul needs. (e.g. sefer Torah).
Attending community meetings held in the gentile social halls for the sake of the Jewish public.
Shidduch discussions.
Discussing hiring a trades-master to teach your son.
Discussing hiring a rebbe to teach your son. (ShA 6 – MB 25, 26, 27, 28)
The last two above examples are only muttar in order to know if the teacher wants the job, but the actual hiring and wages may not be discussed. (ShA 6)
The poskim argue about selling mitzvos in shul on Shabbos. Do not protest in places that are lenient.. (MB 33)
It is forbidden to sell seats in shul on Shabbos. Likewise, to buy a shofar or an esrog on Yom Tov is not allowed. (MB 33)
Buying and selling, even verbally, is ossur lest you come to write. Also, giving gifts on Shabbos is forbidden unless the gift is for the needs for Shabbos and Yom Tov. Included in this issur is also taking collateral from someone, unless it is taken for a mitzva purpose or l’tzorech Shabbos. (MB 33)
Before teaching your son a trade, you must teach him Torah and yiras Shomayim from his youth. This crucial study must also continue while he is learning a trade, otherwise his job will likely entail robbery. (BeH “ul’lamdo”)
Measuring is forbidden on Shabbos because of uvda d’chol. However to measure for a mitzva (e.g. 40 se’a for a mikva) or to measure a halacha (e.g. one sixtieth of forbidden food in permitted food) is allowed. (ShA 7 – MB 34, 35)
In cases that refuah is allowed on Shabbos, you can even measure for refuah – healing your body is counted as a mitzvah. (MB 36)
You are allowed to think about your business on Shabbos as long as you don’t talk about it. Nevertheless, it is a mitzva to imagine that there is no business left to do – it’s all done. This is oneg Shabbos. (ShA 8)
You are not allowed to instruct a gentile to do a melacha on Shabbos, even l’tzorech mitzva. An exception to this is to buy a house in Eretz Yisroel (or Syria) from a gentile. You may show the goy the money (do not pay on Shabbos) and have him sign a sale document and take it to have it legalized in court. (ShA 11 – MB 45, 47)
You are allowed to announce a found object or a lost object on Shabbos, even if the object is muktza. Even though the object will not be able to be returned today, it is a mitzva to announce it and the announcement is more effective on Shabbos since there is a large gathering. (Sha 12 – MB 48, 49)
In communities where wine is scarce, you are allowed to announce on Shabbos at whose residence wine has become available. It is l’tzorech mitzvas Kiddush. Just, do not mention the price. (Rama 13 – MB 55)
You are allowed to do melacha to save a Jew who has been kidnapped on Shabbos. It is better for you to do a relatively small avaira (of a once-off chillul Shabbos) in order to save another from a large one (never keeping Shabbos again). (MB 56, 57)