What are the key elements of Shabbat?

by sarah96 (student)

GCSE Religious Studies (Philosophy & Ethics)

Shabbat

Judaism is an ancient religion which originated in the Middle East and has spread throughout the world. Today the followers of Judaism have many tradition s and rituals in which are celebrated all year round in thanks and in praise to God. Shabbat is one of the most important rituals and is celebrated by nearly every variant of the Jewish Religion.

In the Torah, Shabbat is signified as a day of rest for the Jews and features as the fourth commandment, “Remember the Sabbath Day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labour and do all your work; but the seventh day. On it you shall not do any manner of work…For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea and all that in them is, and rested on the seventh day; wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath Day, and hallowed it." (Genesis 20: 8-10). As a response to Gods word from Genesis, Shabbat is respected and practised weekly. It symbolises the seventh day on which God rested after the creation of the earth, and allows Jews to reflect and be thankful for our livelihood, health, children and happiness. As it is recognised as the day of rest, his followers are commanded to respite and spend time involved in spiritual activates such as praying, studying and praising God. (Silberberg)

Shabbat is a period of rest and reflection celebrated from sundown on Friday night to sunset on Saturday, which has numerous ceremonies to sanctify and mark the event. The first ritual is the setting of the table, which is done before the commencement of Shabbat in order to avoid working. The table is usually decorated with a white tablecloth, two Challahs and a Challah Cover, a Kiddush Cup and Shabbat Candlesticks which symbolises the welcoming of the royalty of Shabbat. Next is the lighting of the candles which is performed exactly eighteen minutes before sunset and is one of the most important ceremonies as it officially marks the commencement of Shabbat. It is then followed by an evening service at the synagogue where the congregation comes together to celebrate as one. After the service, the Kiddush (the sanctifying of the wine) occurs and a prayer is recited by the man of the house, which enforces the idea that the meal is not just a dinner but is a celebration and is proof God has consecrated. (Kiddush and Friday Night Meal) Also to many Jews, the sanctifying of the wine acts ‘as the bridge from the normal week into the sacred time of Shabbat’ and sets the tone for the meal. After the Kiddush over the wine, the blessing of the Challah is performed. Two loaves of bread are placed on the table and a prayer is recited which praises the gift of food from God. The challah is an important symbol as it represents the double portion of manna which fell from the sky for the Jewish people who wandered the desert for 40 years. After these ceremonies have been completed, a fully kosher dinner is eaten. When finished the burkat ha-mazon is recited and they are free to do what they like. The next day, Shabbat generally follows the same structure. At 9am, families attend another service which follows into the afternoon, after which they return home and have a festive meal, which is acts as the third meal in Shabbat. Approximately 40 minutes after sunset or when three stars are visible, Havdalah is performed, to mark the end of Shabbat. It is a ‘multi-sensory’ ritual to thank God for the creation of the world, and involves prayer over a braided candle, spices and wine. After this Shabbat his officially over and Jews go back to their normal routine.

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On Shabbat both men and women have separate obligations which are followed over the 25 hours. The women are given two very specific jobs which have been in place for centuries and are part of the 613 commandments. The first refers to the lighting of the candles which mark the beginning of Shabbat, it sets the tone in the household and guarantees that light and harmony will be present within her family home. It is thought that women are given such a sacred ability because they have a naturally spiritual nature which enables them to welcome the spirit of Shabbat into the home. Women also have the responsibility of blessing, separating and burning a small piece of the challah dough in thanks and remembrance of God. (Katz) In addition to this the women also cook the kosher meals on Shabbat. Men also have responsibilities on Shabbat. As Rabbis are primarily male, they are in charge fully of the services held at the synagogue because they are the traditional leaders. Also the eldest men in households are given the responsibility of reciting the blessings and prayers that are performed throughout Shabbat, for example the blessing of the wine and challah.

In Judaism there are three divisions or ‘branches’ of Judaism which refer to the varying degrees of observance. (Shleinberg) The three branches, orthodox, conservative and reform, all have differing ways in which they celebrate holidays including Shabbat. Because Shabbat is such an important part of the Jewish family and life it is worshipped by the majority of Jews around the world. Orthodox Jews, which is the strictest branch, keep Shabbat very holy and refrain from 39 activities specifically prohibited in the Torah. They perform every ritual and prepare all their food kosher. In comparison to reform, conservative is extremely different, many reform Jews do not observe Shabbat at all, or have made adjustments into the modern ages with less strictness. If they do celebrate Shabbat, families may have a dinner on the Friday night and light candles but will not avoid electricity and will go shopping etc. Then there is conservative which falls in the middle, they are not as lenient as reform but are not as strict as orthodox. It differs from family to family, as some may use electricity when some may not, but all families follows the traditional structure.

Shabbat is one of the most important occurrences in the Jewish calendar and is a central part of the Jewish family and Jewish life. It is a time for friends and family to come together for meals, prayer, and relaxation. Although it is not celebrated by all Jews it remains sacred as Gods day of rest.

Bibliography

Dosick, W. D. (1998). Living Judaism: The Complete Guide to Jewish Belief, Tradition, and Practice. New York : HarperOne .

Katz, L. (n.d.). Jewish Sabbath Rituals. Retrieved May 2012, from About.com Judaism : http://judaism.about.com/od/sabbathdayshabb2/p/friday_evening.htm

Katz, L. (n.d.). Why/How do Jewish Women Separate Challah? Retrieved May 2012, from About.com Judaism : http://judaism.about.com/cs/women/f/challah_sep.htm

Kiddush and Friday Night Meal. (n.d.). Retrieved May 2012, from Chabad.org: http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/95896/jewish/Kiddush-Friday-Night-Meal.htm

Nye, M. (2008). Religion: The Basics . New York : Routledge .

Rich, T. R. (n.d.). Judaism 101: Shabbat . Retrieved May 2012, from Judaism 101: http://www.jewfaq.org/shabbat.htm

Shleinberg, H. (n.d.). The Three Branches of Judaism. Retrieved 5 2012, from Sho Far Bezion Ministries: http://www.shofarbetzion.com/01/thethreebranchesofJudaism.htm

Silberberg, R. N. (n.d.). What is the point of resting on Sabbath? Retrieved May 6, 2012, from AskMoses: http://www.askmoses.com/en/article/423,2844/What-is-the-point-of-resting-on-Shabbat.html