∙ Purchases challot, Shabbat candles and Kiddush wine
∙ Cleans the house
∙ Bathes and dresses up
∙ Sets the table with finest cutlery and crockery
∙ Prepares a festive meal
Friday night
The beginning of Shabbat is marked by the lighting of a minimum of two Shabbat candles. This is usually done by the woman of the family and a blessing is said. The two candles represent the two commandments in the torah regarding Shabbat, zachor and shamor. They also represent the happiness and joy of the day.
The family then goes to synagogue and attends a service that is roughly 45 minutes in length. They then return home for the festive meal. Before the meal, kiddush (a blessing sanctifying Shabbat) is said over a glass of wine and the blessing for bread is said over the two braided challot. The meal is then eaten and after birchat hamazon recited (grace after meals). The family will usually then talk or discuss torah for an hour or two before going to sleep.
Shabbat day and Synagogue
Shabbat day starts early, at about 9am when the family goes to synagogue. In synagogue, there are three parts to the morning service – shacharit, torah reading and musaf (a special service for Shabbat). After the torah ahs been read, the rabbi often gives a sermon on the parasha of the week. Often, kiddush is recited in the synagogue after the services.
The second festive meal of Shabbat is then had, and after people frequently take Shabbat walks, naps or just have some relaxation time. Afterwards, they return to synagogue for mincha. It is then traditional to have a third festive meal.
Havdallah
Havdallah is a service that marks the end of Shabbat. Havdallah means distinction and it separates Shabbat from the rest of the week. It can be performed until Wednesday, however not before nightfall on Saturday night, which is when 3 stars can be seen in the sky. Four blessing are said and wine, spices and a special Havdallah candle are used. The first blessing is said over wine, which is used to represent the sweetness of the day. The second is said over spices, which are supposed to represent the spirit of Shabbat and carry some of it over into the week with their fragrance. The third blessing is said over the special Havdallah candle, which is multi-wicked. Lighting the fire makes a distinction between Shabbat and the rest of the week, as fire cannot be lit on Shabbat. The final blessing is said over Havdallah itself, over the glass of wine.
Work
On Shabbat, work is prohibited. What constitutes work are the 39 categories of work used to build the tabernacle, as described in Exodus. These are:
- Sowing
- Plowing
- Reaping
- Binding sheaves
- Threshing
- Winnowing
- Selecting
- Grinding
- Sifting
- Kneading
- Baking
- Shearing wool
- Washing wool
- Beating wool
- Dyeing wool
- Spinning
- Weaving
- Making two loops
- Weaving two threads
- Separating two threads
- Tying
- Untying
- Sewing two stitches
- Tearing
- Trapping
- Slaughtering
- Flaying
- Salting meat
- Curing hide
- Scraping hide
- Cutting hide up
- Writing two letters
- Erasing two letters
- Building
- Tearing a building down
- Extinguishing a fire
- Kindling a fire
- Hitting with a hammer
- Taking an object from the private domain to the public, or transporting an object in the public domain.
All of these are prohibited on Shabbat, as well as anything resembling them. However, as with most of the commandments, the laws of Shabbat can be broken if a life is in danger.
By Shira Lappin
