The term "work" is a very inaccurate (but popular) translation of the Jewish legal term, "melacha." There are certain categories of said "work," and rabbis thr

The term "work" is a very inaccurate (but popular) translation of the Jewish legal term, "melacha." There are certain categories of said "work," and rabbis throughout the ages have tried to figure out how to apply those terms to new situations and inventions. Whether operating electric lights is work is a new problem, but boiling water and cooking have been forbidden by Jewish law for at least 2,000 years.