Why Do Orthodox Jews Walk Everywhere?

Dear Jew in the City,

Why do Orthodox Jews walk everywhere?

Sincerely,

Driving

Dear Driving,

Do we? I literally hadn’t noticed.

It’s tempting to say that it’s because fresh air and exercise are good for you – which they are – but I suspect that’s not what you’re experiencing.

In all likelihood, you’re encountering this phenomenon on the Jewish Sabbath and Festivals. The Sabbath – which we call Shabbos or Shabbat – starts at sundown on Friday and lasts until nightfall on Saturday. Certain acts of constructive labor are prohibited on the Sabbath and Festivals. Driving involves a number of these labors, but we’ll focus on just one, which is explicit in the Torah: we are not allowed to light or feed a fire on the Sabbath (Exodus 35:3).

So what happens when you drive? Well, you start the ignition. This triggers the spark plugs. When you step on the accelerator, you burn fuel. So, driving is all about fire. (And lights! Your turn signals, brakes and doors all turn on lights. Even turning off the engine extinguishes the flame, which is equally prohibited.)

Bottom line, cars can’t be used on the Sabbath, so if you go out on a Saturday in an Orthodox neighborhood, you’re likely to see families walking to the synagogue (or just spending quality time together on a nice day), because it’s pretty much the only permissible way to get from point A to point B.

As noted, this is also the case on Festivals. There are only a handful of these throughout the year, but they can fall on any day of the week. Therefore, while you might encounter this behavior on a random Tuesday, it won’t be a regular thing.

My other hypothesis is that you live in Boro Park, which is a Brooklyn neighborhood with a large Jewish population. The traffic in Boro Park is absolutely abysmal. In my anecdotal experience, driving rates a 10 out of 10 on the difficulty scale, and parking rates a 17 out of 10. If I lived in Boro Park, I would have my car crushed into a cube and walk everywhere all the time.

But, barring that possibility, you’re no doubt experiencing the mass migration of Jewish families to and from prayer services on Sabbath and holidays.

Sincerely yours,

Rabbi Jack Abramowitz, JITC Educational Correspondent

Educational Correspondent
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