can a jew ride in a car on shabbat
According to halakah, the operation of a motor vehicle constitutes multiple violations of the prohibited activities on Shabbat (Hebrew for Sabbath). Though Jewish law is based on texts that were written long before the existence of the automobile, various writings prohibit during Shabbat the actions that take place as a result of driving. The Torah thus prohibits driving on the basis that a labor is being performed by the act of operating a motor vehicle. The vehicle's ignition combusts fuel, which is considered to violate one of the 39 prohibited activities on Shabbat, as well as creating a spark, which is likewise in violation of a related rabbinic (or possibly biblical) prohibition (``igniting a fire''). Isaiah 58:13-14 speaks out against travel during Shabbat Modern vehicles also have many other electrical components, such as lights, that are continually turned on and off during the course of a vehicle's operation, often without the driver's awareness. Besides, the laws of Shabbat place limits on the distance one may travel beyond the city/town where one is spending Shabbat, regardless of the method of transportation.
Driving on Shabbat