Sabbath

Sabbath

Sabbath

By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done. (Genesis 2:2-3)

Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work.... For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth... but he rested on the seventh day and made it holy. (Exodus 20:8-10)

These verses from the Hebrew scriptures constitute the driving command for Shabbat, or Jewish Sabbath, the weekly day of rest that begins with sunset on Friday and continues through sunset on Saturday evening.

The Talmud (see Judaism, Development of) outlines the laws and statutes tradition has regulated, defining what "work" is, what is and is not allowed, and how the day is to be celebrated. The Friday night kiddush, the benediction offered over wine and bread, ushers in the holy day that begins the weekly commemoration of creation. It is such a strong tradition that there have been times, such as during the Maccabean revolt, that Jews refused to defend themselves rather than break Shabbat.

The day is not viewed as a burden, something one must keep, but rather as a joy—something one gets to observe. The celebration of "Queen" Shabbat has, over the years, developed into a ritual.

On Friday night there is a blessing over candles, generally said or sung by the woman of the house, just before sunset. There is usually public worship at the synagogue. Evening and morning, after synagogue worship, a kiddush, or prayer of blessing, is spoken.

Three special meals are observed—the first on Friday evening, the second at noon on Saturday, and the third later in the afternoon. The Zemirot, one of many liturgical hymns, is often sung during these meals.

Shabbat is a time for study and reflection, usually of a section of Torah.

The day is concluded with the Havdalah ceremony, a separation ritual, on Saturday night.

Not all Jews hold to this strict observance, of course. Many families have developed their own traditions. But what has become known as the spirit of the Sabbath is very important. Even if traditional observances are not followed, a time of rest, refreshment, and remembrance is still observed even by many nonreligious Jews. Because the rest of the world does not recognize Saturday as a day of rest, many Jews— shopkeepers, for instance, or those who work at jobs requiring their presence on Saturdays—have had to make compromises.

In addition to the weekly Sabbaths, there are also anniversary Sabbaths held throughout the year, with yearly Sabbaths held every seventh year. Traditionally these were years set apart to let the land enjoy a Sabbath rest, to be replenished by lying fallow for a season.

There is a widely held belief that Sunday became a Christian Sabbath, a change in the day of rest. But Sunday is never referred to in the Bible by the name Sabbath. It was called the Lord's Day by early Christians, referring to the fact that Jesus was said to have risen on Sunday. It rapidly became a day of worship. But Shabbat continued to be a Jewish observance, and the early church never intended to supersede it.

Sabbath