Shabbat, the Hebrew name for Sabbath, is observed weekly from sunset on Friday to sunset on Saturday. It is a day of rest and play, with different sects of Judaism observing it in different ways. Work is prohibited, but saving a life is an exception. Shabbat begins with lighting candles and a service, followed by a family dinner with prayers and challah bread. The day can be spent studying Torah or relaxing, depending on the level of observance. Shabbat ends at sunset on Saturday.
Shabbat is the Hebrew name for Sabbath and is observed weekly. It begins at sunset on Friday and ends at sunset on Saturday. It is inexorably linked to the “seventh day” of the Torah where God rested after creating the earth. Shabbat observance is the observance of that day of rest, among other things.
Jews of different sects observe Shabbat in different ways. For example, a Shabbat prescription is that no work be done between Friday evening and Saturday evening. Conservative and Orthodox Jews may include in the definition, lighting a light or driving a car, as types of work. Also, cooking is work, so meals must be prepared before Shabbat.
While work is prohibited, these laws can be absolutely broken if one person has to save someone else’s life. So a doctor may be performing surgery or be in hospital, and any medical devices that require electricity are generally exempt from the definition of work. Also, a doctor could drive a car to a hospital.
While no work may be done, play is encouraged along with prayer, unlike a strict Sabbath view as seen in some sects of Christianity. Sexual activity between husband and wife is encouraged as both regenerative and for enjoyment. Children and adults can play together. Shabbat is both a holy day of rest and a day that is supposed to be fun.
Shabbat begins a few minutes before sunset. The hostess lights the two Shabbat candles. These candles symbolize the purposes of Shabbat: to remember and to observe. The Jewish prayer book, the Siddur, includes a third reason for celebrating Shabbat. It is meant to give a taste of what is to come when the Messiah comes.
After the candles are lit, Jews are allowed to participate in a Shabbat service. Not everyone does it and not everyone can access a service. If you have to drive a car to get to the temple, it may not comply with the laws of Shabbat observance. Reform Jews can allow driving. Practicing Orthodox Jews could walk to the temple.
After the temple observance, the family enjoys a nice dinner that has been prepared before sunset. A blessing is said over wine, called Kiddush. Kiddush includes a recitation of Genesis 2:1-3, most likely spoken in Hebrew. Several prayers are then said. The Jews then wash their hands and say a prayer.
The first item served is challah, which is Jewish bread. A prayer is said over bread. These prayers are not long. The English translation for the Challah prayer is “Blessed are you, Lord our God, King of the universe who brings forth bread from the earth.”
After the Shabbat meal is over, the family can study Torah or practice more secular things like gaming. It really depends on the degree to which a family practices Judaism and which sect they belong to. Reformed and less traditional sects may not observe prayers or anti-work prescriptions, and may spend the night watching television.
More observant Jews will attend another Shabbat service in the morning, and then the rest of the day will be spent relaxing. At sunset, Shabbat officially ends. For the Orthodox Jew, this may mean that the cleansing begins. Those who put in some work on Shabbat can clean up after the family throughout Shabbat, as in theory a clean house contributes to a greater enjoyment of the day.
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