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I enjoy running on a daily basis, but I’m not sure it’s permitted to run on Shabbat. I run for around 15-60 minutes.

Can you run on shabbat?

  • I agree. How do I close it? –  Jul 18 '14 at 00:26
  • @fred not a dupe. In fact. The case of excercise, as pointed out in the answers is almost certainly assur because of Refuah. This is almost certainly muttar, as I shall answer if I have a couple minuets. – Ish Ploni ViKohen Jul 18 '14 at 00:27
  • @IshPloniViKohen Well, I guess it depends if the person is running for exercise. In the vast majority of cases, people who run for 15-60 minutes daily are doing it for exercise. – Fred Jul 18 '14 at 00:29
  • You could delete your own question if you want, but you may want to hold off since @IshPloniViKohen (and perhaps others) does not think this is a duplicate. – Fred Jul 18 '14 at 00:31
  • @fred I assumed from the question that he does it for fun. I can attest that I also run for fun (not on Shabbos though). Training for a race is also prob muttar... – Ish Ploni ViKohen Jul 18 '14 at 00:31
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    @user613 Please clarify: Are you running for fun, or are you running for exercise? – Fred Jul 18 '14 at 00:33
  • @user613 can you add motive to the question so I can properly answer – Ish Ploni ViKohen Jul 18 '14 at 00:33

2 Answers2

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It depends on the motive:

The Shulchan Aruch OC 301:2 says:

ב. בחורים המתענגים בקפיצתם ומרוצתם מותר וכן לראות כל דבר שמתענגים בו וכן מותר לטייל

My loose translation:

Young people who enjoy running may do so, and also to see something enjoyable. It is also permissible to take a pleasure walk.

See MB there who says it is even muttar lechatchila.

As pointed out in another post, running for exercise is prohibited because of Refuah (healing). (See OC 328).

As always, for practical guidance, be sure to refer to your LOR.

Ish Ploni ViKohen
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  • I'd +1 except for your last sentence. How is training for a race not exercise? You're running for exercise so that you're fit enough to perform well in a race. – Fred Jul 18 '14 at 01:06
  • @fred the problem is not exercise, but trying to be healthy for its own sake. To try to be fit, as I see it, doesn't fall under the category of Refuah as I see it. But I will edit to reflect the uncertainty of my point. – Ish Ploni ViKohen Jul 18 '14 at 01:12
  • Do you have a source for your claim that someone's reason for being healthy/fit is halachically relevant? – Fred Jul 18 '14 at 01:13
  • @fred I do not. I think this misvarah. I hear your point. But I don't look at it as trying to be healthy for xyz, but trying to do xyz, and the means happens to be healthy... – Ish Ploni ViKohen Jul 18 '14 at 01:17
  • That's an interesting perspective, but - even if you don't have an explicit source - what about the halachic principles prohibiting activities mishum r'fu'a would make you think that that's a legitimate distinction? Because drawing a novel yet arbitrary distinction has no halachic value. – Fred Jul 18 '14 at 01:26
  • @fred I'm really not sure I understand you'd point. I don't consider it arbitrary. They prohibited Refuah because maybe in his preoccupation with getting well he would violate a milacha. Here there is no preoccupation with getting well only winning a race. In fact, I'm not sure that attempting to reach above average health is Refuah at all. In addition, I'm not sure if being able to run a race is "healthier" it may just be enhancing a physical ability, similar to how caffeine allows one to stay awake... – Ish Ploni ViKohen Jul 18 '14 at 01:32
  • Let us continue this discussion in chat. – Ish Ploni ViKohen Jul 18 '14 at 02:51
  • I think I learned there is an issue marit ayin (or something similar) if one appears to be running for refuah. – SAH Jan 02 '18 at 22:41
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I have heard that if the exertion is unnecessary for Shabbos and it causes you to break a sweat than it is forbidden and in the category of exercise.

When the shulchan aruch says "bachurim" who enjoy jumping around (kfitzasam) and running - the usual sense of that word is "young boys" - not "young people" which nowadays means under 30 or even under 40! I think he means under bar mitzva (13), and for sure not someone in their late teens or later.

Good Shabbos!

Yakadum Fatzko
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