- Hebrew:
- Shabbat
- Related Topics:
- Shabbat ha-Gadol
- Shabbat Naḥamu
- Shabbat Ḥazon
- ha-Ḥodesh
- Zakhor
Sabbath
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What is the Sabbath in Judaism?
The Jewish Sabbath, from the Hebrew word meaning "to rest," occurs every Saturday and commemorates the day God rested after creating the world. The Sabbath is the only Jewish holiday mentioned in the Ten Commandments.
The Sabbath begins Friday evening, roughly 20 minutes before sunset, with the lighting of Sabbath candles. In synagogues, the Sabbath starts at sunset with psalms and a 16th-century poem. Jewish families begin the first of three festive Sabbath meals by reciting the Kiddush over wine, followed by ritual hand-washing and breaking bread. The morning synagogue service includes reading the Torah and a sermon. The Sabbath ends after the evening service with the Havdalah ceremony, which recognizes the distinction between the Sabbath and the weekdays.
Biblical law prohibits certain activities on the Sabbath, including cooking, baking, traveling, and kindling fires.
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When does the Jewish Sabbath begin and end?
The Jewish Sabbath, or Shabbat, begins at sunset on Friday and lasts until nightfall on Saturday. It is a day of holiness and rest observed weekly to commemorate God's rest after creating the world.
The Sabbath starts at home with the lighting of Sabbath candles, typically by the wife, about 20 minutes before sunset on Friday evening. In the synagogue, the Sabbath is welcomed at sunset with psalms and a mystical poem. The conclusion of the Sabbath is marked by the Havdalah ceremony after the evening service, which recognizes the distinction between the Sabbath and the weekdays.
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Why is the Sabbath important in Jewish tradition?
The Sabbath, or Shabbat, is a day of rest in Judaism that is observed weekly from sunset on Friday to nightfall on Saturday. It commemorates God's day of rest after completing the creation. The Sabbath is the only Jewish holiday that is part of the Ten Commandments, and its observance is considered a way to affirm God's acts of creation, role in history, and covenant with Israel.
The Sabbath is celebrated both at home and in the synagogue through candle lighting, festive meals, psalms, blessings, and Torah readings. The day concludes with the Havdalah ceremony, distinguishing between the Sabbath and the weekdays. Abstaining from work is fundamental to Shabbat, with activities like cooking, traveling, and commerce prohibited. The Talmud lists 39 categories of forbidden work, though these may be suspended when life or health are endangered. The sacredness of Shabbat has united Jews throughout history, serving as a reminder of their covenant with God. Scholar Aḥad Ha'am noted that "more than Israel kept the Sabbath, the Sabbath kept Israel".
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What are some common traditions or activities done on the Sabbath?
The Jewish Sabbath, observed from sunset Friday to nightfall Saturday, commemorates God's day of rest after creation. It's a time for unity, joy, and covenant with God.
Common Sabbath traditions and activities:
* Lighting candles The woman of the house lights Sabbath candles before sunset on Friday evening and says a blessing.
* Synagogue Selected Psalms and a mystical poem, the Lekha Dodi, are recited. A portion of the Torah is read during morning services, followed by chanting of the Haftara (selection from the Prophets).
* Sabbath meals Three festive Sabbath meals commence with the Kiddush (sanctification) over wine, ritual hand-washing, and breaking of bread. Two loaves of bread commemorate the double portion of manna.
* Rest and Prohibitions The biblical ban against work on the Sabbath includes activities like cooking, baking, traveling, and kindling fire. Orthodox Jews avoid money, electronics, and carrying objects outside.
* Havdalah The Sabbath concludes after the evening service with the Havdalah ceremony, which consists of a benediction noting the distinction between Sabbath and weekday.4 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
What restrictions or rules do Jews follow during the Sabbath?
The Jewish Sabbath, observed from sunset Friday to nightfall Saturday, commemorates God's day of rest after creation. It is a day of holiness and rest that has served to unite Jews and is a reminder of their covenant with God.
To maintain the Sabbath as a day of rest, Jewish law prohibits certain activities, defining them as "work." These include gainful employment and many other activities. The Talmud lists 39 major categories of prohibited work, such as cooking, baking, traveling, kindling a fire, and buying or selling. Orthodox Jews who observe the Sabbath may not deal with money, switch on electronics, or carry objects outside the home.
The Sabbath is celebrated at home and in the synagogue with specific rituals. In the home, the woman of the house lights Sabbath candles before sunset and pronounces a blessing. The Sabbath meal is preceded by the Kiddush (blessing of sanctification). In the synagogue, a portion of the Torah is read during the morning service, followed by the chanting of the Haftara (a selection from the prophets).
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How do different Jewish communities observe the Sabbath today?
Today, Jewish communities observe the Sabbath in diverse ways, reflecting varying interpretations of Jewish law and custom.
Orthodox Jews stringently uphold traditional observances, abstaining from work-related activities, including cooking, traveling, and using technology. Contemporary discussions within Orthodox Judaism often address how technological advancements impact Halakhic practice.
Conservative Jews observe the Sabbath with some modifications. While driving to synagogue is debated among rabbis, other adjustments may be sought to ease Sabbath restrictions.
Reform Jews have introduced significant changes, and may hold services on Sundays. More progressive congregations experiment with contemporary elements in services. In Israel, the Sabbath is the national day of rest.
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Sabbath, (from shavat, “cease,” or “desist”), day of holiness and rest observed by Jews from sunset on Friday to nightfall of the following day. The time division follows the biblical story of creation: “And there was evening and there was morning, one day” (Genesis 1:5).
The sacredness of the Sabbath has served to unite Jews during the long course of their history and has been for them a joyous reminder of their perpetual Covenant with God. The prophets, nevertheless, often found it necessary to remind the Jews of God’s commandment to keep holy the Sabbath. Since abstention from work was fundamental to Sabbath observance, God miraculously provided a double portion of manna (“bread from heaven”) on Friday so that the Israelites would not be compelled to gather food on the Sabbath during their 40 years of wandering in the wilderness.
In Maccabean times (2nd century bce) observance of the Sabbath was so strict that the Jews allowed themselves to be slaughtered on that day rather than take up arms to defend themselves. Realizing that such an attitude could mean their extinction, the Jews determined to fight if attacked again on the Sabbath. The Talmud sanctioned this decision and said that 39 general categories of forbidden works were suspended when life or health were seriously endangered, for “the Sabbath was given to man, not man to the Sabbath.”
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In the synagogue a portion of the Torah is read during the morning service, followed by the chanting of the Hafṭara (a selection from the prophets). Psalms are also part of the day’s liturgy. During the morning Sabbath service, a Jewish boy whose 13th birthday has occurred during the previous week customarily celebrates his Bar Mitzvah (religious adulthood) and may chant the Hafṭara.
In Jewish homes the woman of the house lights white Sabbath candles before sunset on Friday evening and pronounces a benediction. The Sabbath meal that follows is preceded by the Kiddush (blessing of sanctification). An abbreviated Kiddush is recited the next morning before breakfast, which is taken after the service. A special blessing (Havdala), emphasizing the idea of separation (between the Sabbath and weekdays, between the sacred and the profane, and between light and darkness), concludes the Sabbath.
Challah is integral to the observance of the Sabbath for many Jews. On Friday evening it is customary to serve two loaves of challah, which commemorates the double portion of manna provided by God. The loaves are covered with a challah cover or white napkin, which represents the dew that collected on the manna each morning. After the Kiddush is recited, the challah itself is blessed with the Hamotzi, the blessing over bread. The challah is then uncovered and passed around so that each family member can tear off a portion—thereby literally breaking bread. Salt is sometimes sprinkled on the bread, commemorating ancient sacrifices in the Temple of Jerusalem.
In modern times Orthodox Jews strive to observe the Sabbath with full solemnity. Conservative Jews vary in their practice, some seeking certain modifications to permit, for instance, travel on the Sabbath. Reform Jews, in some cases, hold synagogue services on Sunday. Among post-Reformation Christians, a few groups, such as the Seventh-day Adventists, observe Saturday as their day of rest and worship.
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A number of Sabbaths during the Jewish religious year have distinctive designations. Four occur between the end of Shevat (fifth month of the Jewish civil year) and the first day of Nisan (seventh month). The specific name of each of these Sabbaths is related to an additional reading from the Torah (first five books of the Hebrew Bible) that replaces on that day the Mafṭir (last portion of the assigned Torah reading). For each of these four Sabbaths there is also a distinctive Hafṭara.
Sheqalim (“shekels”), occurring on or before Adar I, refers to taxes and has as its text Exodus 30:11–16. On Zakhor (“remember”), Deuteronomy 25:17–19 reminds Jews how they were attacked by Amalek in the wilderness after their Exodus from Egypt. This Sabbath precedes the festival of Purim. On Para (“red heifer”), Numbers 19:1–22 admonishes the Jews to be ritually pure for the approaching festival of Passover (Pesaḥ). Ha-Ḥodesh (“the month”) falls shortly before Passover; the text is from Exodus 12:1–20. These four Sabbaths are known by the collective Hebrew name arbaʿ parashiyyot (“four [Bible] readings”). The Sabbath that immediately precedes Passover is called Shabbat ha-Gadol (“great Sabbath”).
Three other Sabbaths are designated by a key word from the Hafṭara chanted on that day: Shabbat Ḥazon (Isaiah 1:1), preceding the 9th day of Av (Tisha be-Av)—a fast day; Shabbat Naḥamu (Isaiah 40:1) following the 9th of Av; and Shabbat Shuva (Hosea 14:2), immediately preceding Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement).
Finally, there are Shabbat Bereshit (“Sabbath of the beginning”), when the annual cycle of Torah readings recommences with Genesis 1; Shabbat Shira (“Sabbath song”), when the triumphal song of Moses is read from Exodus 15; and the two Sabbaths of ḥol ha-moʿed (“intermediate days”), falling between the initial and final days of the Passover and Sukkot festivals.