Why is it that Jews can't touch matches or electrical outlets during religious holidays?

The rabbinical tradition of Torah interpretation has parsed all human activities into basic categories. According to the logic, striking matches is equivalent to trying to draw sparks and fire from flint and tinder, which can take some work to do. (Completing an electrical circuit breaks down the same way.) But working on the Sabbath is forbidden. Things like eating or walking short distances is not work, but more than that is considered forbidden. So an observant Jew must either make preparations beforehand, ask a kind gentile to help, or go without when something classified as work needs doing on the Sabbath.

Because creating a fire is amount to doing work which is forbidden during the Sabbath. However, that only goes to the really religious Jews. Most don't follow such a law.

I'm not Jewish, but I know that Jews are not supposed to do anything like work during the holidays or the Sabbath, if they are very observant. The Sabbath is supposed to be a day of rest.

Certain rabbinical rulings have maintained that lighting a match is work and so is turning on a stove. This is why they get you to do it as not to break the sabbath.

There's lists of stuff they can't do on Friday and on religious holidays.

I had customers who would tear up their sheets of toilet paper ahead of time, so they didn't have to do it (work) during the holy time. If that sounds kinda nutty that's because it is.

This is just more religious superstitious nonsense which these poor stupid brainwashed people believe.For a people who have had more nobel prize winners for medicine, science ,art and literature than most others ,I find this sort of crap beggars belief!

Religious insanity often takes the form of obsessive-compulsive disorder.

I would like to know the answer to that

Interesting....you learn something everyday.