Make Agents Kosher Again.
SHABBAT.md is a simple, open format for declaring Shabbat and Yom Tov compliance settings for AI coding agents. Place it at the root of your repository.
Think of SHABBAT.md as a contract between you and your agent: a declaration of what it may do when you are unavailable to supervise — and when it must rest alongside you.
@jacob_posel: Can a Jew let his agent run over Shabbat if the last prompt was Friday afternoon?
@levie: If the agent is assuming your identity, no, but if it's openclaw style with its own identity on its own machine should be fine.
@levie's reply is a precise application of amirah l'akum and grama — two foundational halachic principles governing indirect labor. SHABBAT.md makes this determination automatic.
# SHABBAT.md
## Agent Identity
- identity_type: service-account
## Shabbat Schedule
- timezone: America/New_York
## Permitted Actions
- read
- summarize
## Havdalah Audit
- audit_enabled: trueSee SHABBAT.md for the full format specification.
A Shabbat-aware agent reads this file and issues one of three verdicts:
- MUTAR ✅ — permitted; agent may run through Shabbat
- SAFEK
⚠️ — uncertain; consult a posek before proceeding - ASUR ❌ — forbidden; pause the agent before shkia on Friday
| Principle | Application |
|---|---|
| Grama (indirect causation) | Agent instructed before Shabbat, runs autonomously → may be permitted |
| Amirah l'akum | Agent with its own identity → different category than one acting as you |
| Shvitat keilim | Your tools should rest when you do |
| Pikuach nefesh | Life-safety systems override Shabbat entirely |
SHABBAT.md and AGENTS.md serve complementary purposes:
- AGENTS.md tells agents how to work on your project
- SHABBAT.md tells them when to stop
Both can live at the root of the same repository.
Pull requests welcome. Novel halachic edge cases especially appreciated. Please include a citation to relevant responsa literature when proposing changes to the melachot mapping or psak logic.
SHABBAT.md is a configuration format. It is not a halachic authority. Consult a qualified posek for novel edge cases and actual halachic decisions. This project identifies the question; it does not replace a rabbi.
MIT. See LICENSE.
Shabbat Shalom.