How is Shabbat observed from Friday evening to Saturday evening?
The Sabbath is a day of holiness and rest observed from Friday sunset until nightfall on Saturday. Central to its observance is the abstention from work, which includes activities such as cooking, traveling, kindling fire, and commerce.12
Friday Evening
The Sabbath begins at home approximately 20 minutes before sunset with the lighting of candles. In the synagogue, the day is ushered in with Psalms and the Lekha Dodi poem. Households then hold the first of three festive meals, which begins with the Kiddush (sanctification) over wine, followed by the blessing and breaking of two loaves of challah, commemorating the manna provided in the wilderness.21
Saturday
The morning includes synagogue services featuring the reading of the Torah and the Haftarah. A second meal follows the service, and a third is held after the afternoon synagogue service. The Sabbath concludes at nightfall with the Havdala ceremony, a ritual of separation performed over wine, spices, and a candle to mark the distinction between the sacred day and the coming week.12