“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…” Exodus 20:8-10
A day of rest…its sounds amazing! In Jewish life, Shabbat (or the Sabbath) is the most important day of the week. It is the one day we look forward to; despite our busy schedules and active lifestyles. Shabbat begins on Friday evening when Jewish families gather together to light candles, say prayers, sing songs and feast on the best meal of the week. What happens after Friday night dinner is as diverse in Jewish culture as there are Jews. The million dollar question is and always has been “What does it mean to remember the Sabbath by keeping it holy?”
The Bible provides very few details as to how to observe this day of rest. Besides the restriction that you shall “do no work” on Shabbat, the only other biblical specifications mentioned were prohibitions not to kindle a fire, gather wood or plow a field. These prohibitions on their own were simply not detailed enough to really understand what it meant not to work. So, way back when the Israelites were carrying around the Tabernacle (the sanctuary), the rabbis of antiquity deduced that all labors necessary for constructing such a sanctuary should serve as the blueprint for Shabbat prohibitions. Identifying 39 basic categories of labor, the rabbis determined that these activities, and any that were similar or related to them, formed the basis of future Shabbat restrictions.
A pair of Shabbat candles.
After the Romans destroyed the Temple in Jerusalem in 70 CE, the Rabbis worked diligently to adapt biblical traditions and teachings to the reality of Jewish religious life. This process began the foundations for rabbinic Judaism and has continued as the basis for every other generation in adapting to modern Jewish life. The list of 39 restrictions have been evaluated and re-evaluated and discussed and debated for centuries.
Rabbis in the Middle-Ages adapted Shabbat prohibitions to meet changing social realities and technologies, while the poets created elaborate, decorative additions to the liturgy of Shabbat and table-songs (zemirot) to be sung at Shabbat meals. The mystics of those centuries offered a new understanding of Shabbat, portrayed as “queen” and as “bride” to be welcomed in and escorted away at her departure. By tradition, the first thing we do to welcome Shabbat is to light candles. There is no place in the Bible that speaks of this custom, but it could be that the Rabbis knew instinctively that the lighting of candles before a meal makes the experience all the more special. There is something nourishing for the soul to see a pair of candles glowing on a beautifully set table.
Another ritual performed on the eve of Shabbat is “Kiddush,” which is a special blessing over the wine. It is in reference to the commandment to “remember” and “keep” the Sabbath holy (or sanctified). The word “Kiddush” means sanctification, and therefore, we begin each Shabbat with a prayer of sanctification over a glass of wine. Ultra-Orthodox, Modern Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, Reconstructionist and Secular are all terms that describe the many varieties of Jews today. Their interpretations of Shabbat observance all differ one from another, but the Kiddush is enjoyed by all! Yes, even most secular Jews gather together with their families or friends on Friday nights and light candles, break bread, drink wine and enjoy a meal together.
Shabbat, a day of rest.
Shabbat observance has taken on different forms throughout the ages according to evolving customs and varied religious and ideological viewpoints. From ancient to modern times, observance of the Shabbat has served as a benchmark for individual Jews to identify with a particular community within the Jewish people. Today, for example, traditional Jews (Orthodox Jews who are “Shabbat observant”) refrain from lighting or tending to a fire of any sort, thus resulting in not driving a car or operating electric lights. However, Jews whose approach to tradition is more liberal (non-Orthodox) will drive and use electricity on Shabbat because they do not interpret the flipping of a switch to be igniting a fire.
There is no doubt that Shabbat observance has served as an internal bone of contention for the Jewish community. But no matter how one chooses to observe this very special day, there is no argument over its importance and the essential role it plays in the life of the Jewish people. Ahad Ha-Am, one of the most important early Jewish writers of the last century, wrote, “More than the Jewish people has preserved the Shabbat, the Shabbat has preserved the Jewish people.”
All people need a day of rest. It is encouraged in every culture around the world. It is important to have a day of reflection and relaxation, to be able to enjoy the fruit of your labor and appreciate it. Jews take this day on Saturday because when the days of the week were named in the Hebrew calendar it went according to the days of creation. Sunday was called “the first day”, Monday “day two”, Tuesday “day three”, etc. until Friday “day six” and then Saturday had no number it was called “Shabbat.” No matter what day a person decides to take as their day of rest, it is a day to look forward to. It can and should be the most special day of the week. Whether one chooses to disconnect electronically or not, one can still carve out time to nourish the soul and be inspired to new things for a new week.
A Jewish carpenter named Jesus of Nazareth said it well, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” Mark 2:27. He was an observant Jew who followed the letter of the Law, but lived the spirit of the Law. In the spirit of resting from your work on Shabbat, may all who embrace it find it a blessing to the soul.
