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Celebrating Shabbat -
Introduction to the Jewish Sabbath
call the Sabbath a delight and the holy day of the LORD honorable
- Isaiah 58:13
"I have a precious gift in my treasure house, said God to Moses, 'Sabbath' is its name; go and tell Israel I wish to present it to them."
Shabbat begins at sunset on Friday evening and ends Saturday night when three stars are visible in the sky (25 hours). On Shabbat we remember that God created the world and then rested from His labors (Genesis 2:2).
Shabbat is considered the most important of the Jewish holidays -- even more important than Yom Kippur or the other High Holidays. This special day is to be marked by three qualities: rest (menuchah), holiness (kedushah), and joy (oneg).
During Shabbat we spend time with family, friends, pray, read, and rejuvenate. We light candles to symbolically drive away darkness and welcome the Light of the Mashiach Jesus into our hearts.
There are three main rituals regarding Shabbat observance:
- Lighting the Sabbath candles
- Saying Kiddush over wine
- Reciting HaMotzi over challah
The Shabbat meal is a time when friends and families share highlights from the week, words from Torah, and sing Shabbat table songs, called zemirot.
We are called by Scripture to both "remember" (zakhor) and to guard (shamor) the Sabbath Day, in order to consecrate it as a day devoted to the things that matter most in our spiritual lives before the LORD.
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Remembering the Sabbath
In Genesis 2:3 we are told that God rested (shavat) from His creative activity and set apart the seventh day as the memorial of the work of His hands. God called the seventh day "holy" (kodesh), which means set apart as sacred, exalted, and honored.
The fourth of the ten mitzvot (commandments) is:
Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy (Exodus 20:8)
zakhor et-yom ha-Shabbat le-kadesho.
The word translated "remember" (zakhor) means to recall or recollect past events and experiences and renew them in the present. In a sense, then, such remembering is a form of re-creation, where we reinterpret our lives and our identities in new ways.
How do we so remember the Sabbath? By candle lighting, reciting Kiddush, dining festively, dressing in special clothes, praying, listening to Torah reading in synagogue, and learning and discussing portions of Torah.
Guarding the Sabbath
Interestingly, the fourth commandment is repeated in Deuteronomy 5:12:
Keep the sabbath day to sanctify it... (Deuteronomy 5:12)
shamor et-yom ha-Shabbat le-kadesho.
The word translated "keep" (shamor) means to guard something held in trust, to protect and to watch closely. Not only are we to remember the Sabbath, but we are to guard and protect its sanctity as something of great value.
How are we to guard the Sabbath? By refraining from secular activities, usually regarded as one of the forbidden 39 categories of work (melachah) which are not appropriate for this special day.
Just as God set apart a time to focus on and honor the marvelous works of His hands, so we are commanded to regularly set apart a time to focus and honor our own creative life in God. Notice that both God and man set apart the Sabbath day and share in the glory of creative life.
Some Jewish sages have said that the Sabbath is a picture of the Olam HaBah, or world to come. In the rhythm of the Olam HaZeh, or present world, however, the Sabbath is a sacred time to become spiritually reconnected with our true identities as God's very children. Are we regularly setting apart a time to remember the sacred work of God in our lives? The Sabbath is our God-given opportunity and privilege.
Note: For more information about Shabbat, see the article on the Fourth Commandment.
Hebrew Lesson
Exodus 20:8 audio commentary:
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- Exod. 20:8 Hebrew page (pdf)
Shabbat Blessings
Shabbat begins at sunset on Friday evening and ends Saturday night when three stars are visible in the sky. On Shabbat Jews remember that God created the world and then rested from His labors.
Shabbat is considered the most important of the Jewish holidays -- even more important than Yom Kippur or the other High Holidays. This is a special day to be marked by three qualities: rest (menuchah), holiness (kedushah), and joy (oneg).
There are three main rituals regarding Shabbat observance:
The Shabbat meal is a time when friends and families share highlights from the week and sing table songs, called zemirot.
At the synagogue, a Friday night service, called Kabbalat Shabbat (a special Ma'ariv or evening service to welcome the Sabbath) is offered in addition to regular Saturday services (this service is held between the candle-lighting ceremony and the Shabbat meal). This service includes the recital of six nature Psalms (95-99, 24), corresponding in number to the six days of the creation, and the special psalm of the Sabbath (Psalm 92). The song Lekhah Dodi is often sung to welcome the in the Sabbath as a groom welcomes his bride. Shabbat is concluded with a Havdalah observance Saturday night.
The Shabbat Table (Shulkhan Arukh)
Since it is a special day of rest, preparations for Shabbat normally occur throughout the week, and especially early on Friday (or sometimes on Thursday, if the household's schedule is tight). The house is cleaned, the food is cooked, and other chores are finished up so that everyone can relax and enjoy the sanctity of time apart from their normal routines.
The Shabbat table should be set with at least two candles (representing the dual commandments to remember (zakhor) and to observe (shamor) the Sabbath), a glass of wine or grape juice (in a Kiddush cup), and at least two loaves of braided bread called challah (the two loaves represent the double portion of manna the ancient Israelites received each Friday during their wilderness wandering). Challah loaves are baked whole and usually covered with a decorative bread cover or napkin.
Lighting the Candles
Shabbat candles are lit by the (eldest) woman of the house no later than 18 minutes before sundown on Friday evening (i.e., before the Sabbath begins). After kindling the candles, she waives her hands over the flames three times (as if welcoming in the Sabbath), and covering her eyes with her hands (so as not to see the candles burning) says:
Note: For a Messianic version of this blessing, click here.
At this moment, when the family is gathered together, the woman may offer a silent or verbal prayer on behalf of her husband and children (in generations past, personal prayers in Yiddish called "techinot" were commonly said by Jewish women before doing a mitzvah and on special occasions).
A minimum of two candles are lit corresponding to the two expressions of Shabbat mentioned previously: "Zakhor" (remember) and "Shamor" (guard), that are mentioned in the Ten Commandments. Some women add an additional light with the birth of each child and continue lighting it throughout the years.
Blessing the Children
It is customary for the father of the household to bless children of all ages, either in the synagogue after leaving services or upon returning home. Both hands are laid on the head of the child to symbolize a blessing imparted with complete generosity of spirit.
For Boys:
For Girls:
For Both:
"May the Lord bless you and keep you; may the Lord make his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; may the Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace."
Shalom Aleichem...
This song of praise is based on the Talmudic passage which teaches that a good angel and an evil angel accompany every man home from synagogue on Friday evening. If they find the house in good order with the Shabbat table set festively bedecked with glowing candles and the family dressed in their best, the good angel says, "May the next Shabbat be like this one," and the evil one must respond, "Amen." If, on the other hand, they find that the house is not fit for the welcoming of royalty (the Shabbat is likened to a queen), the evil angel says "May the next Shabbat be like this one," and the good angel must answer, "Amen."
Eshet Chayil, from Proverbs 31, is an acrostic poem with each verse beginning with the corresponding letter of the Hebrew alphabet. It is recited by the husband when he returns from synagogue Shabbat evening.
The Jewish sages teach that the Shekhinah (Divine Presence) does not rest on a person sunk in sadness or laziness, but comes only with the joy of mitzvah performance. Therefore, when a Jew prepares to invite Hashem's presence to his Shabbat table, he must prepare for it by elevating the level of spiritual joy which can be done only by means of holy pursuits, such as praising G-d, study of Torah, and performance of good deeds.
Friday Night Kiddush
Kiddush is recited while holding a cup of wine, usually by the father of the household. It starts with Genesis 1:31-2:3 and ends with thanks given to God for the gift of the holy Sabbath.
Washing of the hands
After the Kiddush is recited but before the Shabbat meal is eaten, each person in the household washes their hands by filling a cup with water and pouring it over the top and bottom of the right hand and then the left hand. Before wiping the hands dry on a towel, the Netilat Yadayim is recited.
The Blessing of the Bread
Immediately after washing hands and before eating, the head of the household removes the covering from the two challah loaves. 
He then lifts them up while reciting the following blessing (click for audio):
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The challah is then ripped into pieces or sliced and passed around the table, so that each person may have a piece. The family meal may then begin.
Grace after meals
The full grace said after meals, called Birchat Hamazon, is a rather long prayer that involves several blessings. Click here for more information.
Thanking God for Shabbat:
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יהוה אֱלהֵנוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם
אֲשֶׁר נָתַן לָנוּ חַגִּים, חֻקּוֹת, וּמוֹעֲדִים לְשִׂמְחָה
לִכְבוֹד יֵשׁוּעַ הַמָּשִׁיחַ אֲדוֹנֵינוּ, אוֹר הָעוֹלָם
ba·rookh a·tah Adonai E·lo·hei'·noo me'·lekh ha·o·lahm
a·sher na·tan la'·noo cha·geem, choo·koht, oo'mo·a·deem le·seem·chah
leekh·vohd Ye·shoo'·a ha·ma·shee'·ach a·do·ney'·noo ohr ha·o·lahm
"Blessed art You, LORD our God, King of the universe,
who has given to us holidays, customs, and seasons of happiness,
for the glory of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah, the light of the world."
(Download Study Card)
Havdalah Blessings
The Havdalah (literally, "separation") ceremony is recited at the end of the Sabbath (on Saturday night when three stars are visible in the sky) to mark the distinction between the departing sacred day and the ordinary weekday (yom khol) that is beginning. One way to begin your Havdalah ceremony is to go outside and look at the stars to behold the wonder of God's creation.
The ceremony is usually celebrated at home with family or friends and includes three blessings - over wine, spices, and light - as well as the hamavdil, a blessing thanking God for separating the days and making the Shabbat sacred. Three components are required for the home ceremony: a tall, braided candle with several wicks, a Kiddush cup of wine, and a box filled with fragrant spices (besamim).
A special spice box filled with fragrant herbs (besamim) is used to represent the redolence of Shabbat (the spices commonly used are cloves, cinnamon, or bay leaves). Since smelling spices helps distinguish special fragrance from the more ordinary, part of the reason for the besamim box is to illustrate another separation of the sacred from the profane.
The Havdalah candle represents light, the first element created by God at the beginning of the first week. Lighting this candle is the first act of work permitted on the yom khol. After lighting, hold your hands close to the flame in order to see the reflection of the flame on our fingernails or the shadow on your palm. This light represents the light by which we can now work with our hands in the world around us.
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