Levels of prohibition on Shabbat

Because of Shabbat in all its aspects: we would be glad if you could enlighten us regarding the initial process for someone who wants to begin keeping Shabbat, so that we can guide them — what is most important on the Torah (de’oraita) level in the areas of: candle‑lighting time/hotplate, cooking/fire, smoking/vaping, electronic cigarettes, travelling, phone — so that we can gently guide them to organize themselves in advance, or to cope on Shabbat itself when we are not able to help them in these areas. There are many people for whom all the halachot look like a huge mountain that has to be broken down… So I would be happy for help in this area. And again, thank you very much 👍

Shalom u’vracha 

First: with any melachah that a person refrains from doing on Shabbat, they thereby fulfill a mitzvah from the Torah and avoid a severe transgression. 

In this respect, it makes no difference from which particular melachah they refrained. 

Second: there are things such that, as soon as one refrains from them, one thereby avoids a great many melachot. Thus, the benefit of that self‑control is especially great. 

For example, when travelling in a car with a fuel engine (not electric), every minute of driving includes hundreds of ignitions of fire. Therefore, refraining from travelling means “saving” oneself from thousands of Torah‑level prohibitions. 

Smoking a single cigarette involves dozens of ignitions, whereas turning on a light involves only one ignition. 

Cooking a meal sometimes includes many melachot, such as kindling a fire for cooking, boiling water, cooking the dish itself, mixing ingredients which is sometimes considered “kneading”, cutting vegetables in a way that is considered “grinding”, and operating various appliances, which in themselves include many melachot. 

And of course, in light of this, it is worthwhile to begin with the biggest “landmines”, where with a single decision the gain is very great! 

For example: cooking the Shabbat foods before Shabbat. Or: not smoking on Shabbat. And so on. 

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