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Why is playing a musical instrument forbidden on a Jewish holiday (and Shabbat, too)?

by Rabbi Yosef Loschak

  

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Question:

Members of my synagogue hope to play guitars this Simchat Torah when they will dance with the Torah scrolls. I told the synagogue board that playing an instrument is forbidden on Yom Tov. Can you help me explain this better to them? Thanks, David K

Answer:

The reason 1 that musical instruments are not played on Shabbat and Jewish Holidays is in case the instrument will break and cause the person to violate the law of fixing it on Shabbat or Yom Tov. This law applies even if a person says they will not fix a broken instrument the law not to play an instrument holds true and is without exception.

Footnotes

  • 1. Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 80:87, Orach Chayim 338:1, Talmud Eiruvin 104B.

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(pl: Shabbatot). Hebrew word meaning "rest." It is a Biblical commandment to sanctify and rest on Saturday, the seventh day of the week. This commemorates the fact that after creating the world in six days, G-d rested on the seventh.
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Yom Tov
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