>Orthodox Judaism is fairly strict with respect to 'work' being performed on the Sabbath. For example; if you wore false teeth you could not wear them on the Sabbath as this constituted carrying a burden. Same for wooden legs. <g> The distance you were allowed to walk was, if I correctly recall, under one mile. Either 1/4 or 1/2 if memory serves. You couldn't & can't light a fire for example but microwave ovens are apparently ok (go figure <g>).

To the best of my knowledge, using a microwave is _not_ acceptable on the Sabbath. You can't start any electric devices.

>I don't think riding in a car was taboo but I don't think you could drive one.

Most Orthodox Jews will not ride in a car on the Sabbath, even it's driven by a Gentile.

>One other thing: Since there is nothing mentioned in the Torah regarding smoking you will find a large number of otherwise very orthodox Jews who alkso are heavy smokers.

However, in the last few years, a number of Orthodox authorities have allowed smoking for their followers. This is because one of the key principles of Judaism is saving lives and smoking is directly in conflict with that principle.

>In Israel today you do not want to drive through an Orthodox neighborhodd or close to one. You will get pelted with rocks.

On the Sabbath or a holiday. Not a problem at other times, unless you are underdressed. (Read "underdressed" as elbows or knees showing for a woman.)

>Also, during the times of Jesus (don't know if it holds true now) the Sabbath was either from 6:0PM Friday to 6:00PM Saturday -or- if you were from one of the northern 10 tribes you would typically start about 2(?) hours earlier.

Nonsense. Jewish holidays (and the Sabbath is a holiday, one that comes every week) have always been marked by sundown. The Sabbath begins at sundown Friday and ends an hour after sundown on Saturday.

You'll realize that what you're saying can't be true if you remember that they didn't clocks in those days.

Tamar