Studying for Tests on Shabbat

Studying for Tests on Shabbat Day: Wednesday Date: April 29, 2014 Parshat: Aharei Mot/Kidoshim Yalkut Yosef: 323 It is forbidden to prepare on Shabbat or Yom Tov for after Shabbat or Yom Tov. Doing so is a serious degradation of the honor of Shabbat. This is true even if the preparation does not involve doing any of the 39 melachot. On Shabbat one should not study anything other than Torah. Subjects that are not secular per se, such as medical textbooks and other such things should also not be studied. Learning Torah on Shabbat to prepare for during the week is allowed. Therefore, one who has a test on a Torah topic, someone who is scheduled to give a shiur, or even a boy preparing for his Bar Mitzvah may study the material on Shabbat. A medical student who has a test after Shabbat and has no time to study may rely on those poskim that allow such subjects to be studied on Shabbat. When Purim falls on Motzei Shabbat it is forbiden to bring the megillah to shul before Shabbat is over unless he plans on studying from it on Shabbat. Likewise it is forbidden to roll a Sefer Torah on Shabbat to prepare it to be read during the week. The DSH is brought to you in memory of Rabbi Mordechai ben Daniel. Please visit us online at sephardichalacha.org