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Shabbat
Shabbat is Judaism’s day of rest and the Jewish week’s seventh day. Considered a festive day, Jews reflect on the Biblical Creation when God rested on the seventh day after creating heaven and Earth in six days.
535 Questions
What are the three stars in the sky at the end of Shabbat?
The 3 stars in the sky say that Shabbat is over.
Why do Jews go to a synagogue?
Men go 3 times a day, women can go whenever they want. Everyone gathers there on Shabbos. (saturday) Male Jews are required to pray in a quorum of 10 males, at least 3 times a day. The best place to do this is in a synagogue - hence orthodox Jews go to the synagogue 3 times daily; for morning prayers, afternoon prayers and evening prayers. Often the afternoon prayers are done right before sundown and the evening prayers right afterwords - so that all 3 prayers are done by going to the synagogue only twice. Even less-traditional Jews will go to the synagogue on Saturdays, and at the very least on the High Holidays.
Christian View
For those Christians - primarily a minority of fundamentalist/evangelicals who still observe the 7th Day Sabbath - sunset Friday to sunset Saturday, the Sabbath rest is for abstaining from your usual work routine and attending your local Church group (or participating via T.V. broadcasts or Internet viewing). Here members and guests will consider God and His Creation, hear a sermon or teaching and socialize together.
In effect then, one should be preparing themselves to come together to worship God as Creator. However, the 'letter of the law' burdens Jesus discussed in the New Testament apply. If it was of a dire necessity that was otherwise unavoidable, yes you may fly to resolve the urgent issue. If it was just for leisure or comfort or plain desire, then one should be planning said flight in a more appropriate way, i.e...fly on the other 6 days of the week as needed.
Jewish View
According to Jewish religious Law (Halakhah), flying on Shabbat is a violation of about 10 of the 39 tasks (melachot) which are prohibited on Shabbat. As a result, flight is is not permissible on Shabbat unless life-or-death circumstances are involved. It is for this reason, for example, that the Israeli National Airline El-Al does not fly on Shabbat.
What are the sins for not keeping the sabbath day holy?
The question answers itself: not keeping the Sabbath day holy is a sin.
How many candles are lit at the beginning of the sabbath day?
It depends. Normally a woman lights 2 candles and the daughters light only 1 or sometimes 2; however it can vary. In some families the woman adds an additional candle for each of her children; and in many families unmarried daughters don't light candles.
What religion says shabbat shalom?
Shabbat shalom is a Jewish greeting which we say during the day of Shabbat. See also:
Why is the Christian Sabbath different from the Jewish Sabbath?
Christians originally observed the Jewish Sabbath of Saturday. When the Roman emperor Constantine reversed the previous Roman policy of persecuting Christianity, and instead offered to sponsor the church (he saw it as a potential unifying and rallying force for the weakening Roman Empire), it was with the provision that they would change their worship day from Saturday to Sunday, which was the Romans' traditional day of worship.
The Roman Christians considered traditional Jewish law to have been set aside, could not see any special or compelling reason to keep the traditional Sabbath, believed Jesus had risen from the tomb on a Sunday, and wanted to see their religion finally legitimized in the Empire, so they agreed to the change. Christians have largely observed the Sunday Sabbath ever since.
Furthermore, the Catholic church claims, that she has by her "Divine Authority" changed the Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday. Read the Convert's Catechism. They cahnged the Sabbath to allow the pagans who were comin ginto the church to feel comfortable and continue worshipping on the day of the Sun. The Catholic church also admits that there is NO biblical basis whatsoever for this change. If you are a Christian, and you are following the bible and the Bible alone, then you should be keeping the "Jewish" Sabbath, which is the Sabbath of all mankind.
We hold our hands between us and the candles so that we do not directly view the flames while reciting the bracha (blessing).
The reason for this is a bit convoluted. Normally, we say the bracha before we perform the act. However, once the bracha over the candles is recited, Shabbat has started and once Shabbat starts we cannot light candles. So, to get around this conundrum, we light the candles then block the flames from our view until after the bracha is recited thereby "recreating" the lighting after the bracha.
source: Code of Jewish Law, Orach Chaim 263:5.
Who takes care of the family pets on Shabbat?
During Shabbat, the 39 categories of melachot ("work" or "deliberate activity", singular melachah) are off limits to observant Jews. The melachot consist of ploughing earth, sowing, 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 stitches, tearing, trapping, slaughtering, flaying, tanning, scraping hide, marking hides, cutting hide to shape, writing two or more letters, erasing two or more letters, building, demolishing, extinguishing a fire, kindling a fire, putting the finishing touch on an object and transporting an object between the private domain and the public domain, or for a distance of 4 cubits within the public domain - all of which can be interpreted as including a wide range of modern day activities, but not - so far as I can see - to the usual tasks involved in caring for pets.
For example, while cooking usually involves kindling a fire (which includes switching on a modern oven according to rabbinic discussion and tradition), pets are not usually served freshly-cooked food - feeding your cat tinned food would not contravene this rule. Opening the tin may well do so, but with a little preparedness it would be easy to open the tin prior to Shabbat and use it when needed. Most other pets' needs could be similarly accommodated with good knowledge of the melachot and some imagination.
There is a tradition that at least part of each Shabbat should be devoted to pleasure, often shared with the whole family. Since we keep pets chiefly for the pleasure they bring us, it could be argued that caring for them is in itself a pleasurable experience and as such does not count as melachah.
In the past, and even today in some areas, Jewish families employ the services of a Shabbos Goy - a non-Jewish person who is paid to carry out tasks forbidden to Jews during Shabbat such as lighting lamps, cooking and so on (a non-Jewish friend of mine's mother made enough money each Shabbat while living in London's Stamford Hill during the 1970s to not have to work for the rest of the week) - who would also be able to carry out animal care.
Note: According to Jewish law, if a person owns animals, they are required to care for them every day including during Shabbat. This includes feeding, walking, and any other act that is necessary for the animal's well-being.
What traditional food is served in the sabbath?
Most of our cuisine (once it's kosher) isn't bound by Jewish law. For that reason, there's a lot of variation in such a minor matter as what is served at meals.
1) These are necessary at Shabbat and festival meals: bread and wine. Slightly sweet, braided challah-bread is customary; as is sweet red wine.
2) These are long-established customs: fish (typically gefilte fish, and especially at the evening meal); and cholent at the morning meal. Cholent is a slow-cooked stew of barley, meat and beans, with other ingredients to taste; but each family adjusts the basic makeup of the cholent as they wish.
3) These are common: soup at the evening meal; especially chicken soup (that's the famous "Jewish chicken soup" with its reputed healing-properties). Egg salad with chopped onions, and/or chopped liver.
4) Other dishes, including dessert, will vary according to family or community habits and taste.See also the Related Link.
Does the time change for the sabbath?
Yes. Shabbat begins before sundown Friday night to after sundown Saturday night. Consult a local orthodox rabbi for specific times as it changes weekly depending on nightfall in your area.
What is the Sabbath observance?
When people observe the Sabbath day (Friday sundown - Saturday sundown), they do not work. Activities that constitute 'work' are the 39 activities related to building the Temple that were forbidden during Shabbat in the Torah. Additionally, they cannot ask others to work during Shabbat.
This can be seen in the 4th commandment:
Exodus 20:8-11
"Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. On that day you shall do no work; nor your son, your daughter, your male servant, your female servant, your cattle, or the stranger who lives among you. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it."
Please see the related article that lists the 39 categories of work and what they include.
- Answer 2
What we don't do: we're not permitted to work on the Shabbat (Exodus ch.20). This includes 39 categories of productive interaction with the world, such as planting, writing, kindling fire, etc. (Talmud, Shabbat 73b).
On Shabbat morning, we again attend synagogue. The services are longer than on weekdays and include prayers as well as reading the weekly Torah-portion.
There's often a kiddush (refreshments) afterwards, and congregants then have a chance to schmooze (to talk). Towards the late afternoon, there's another (short) service (Shabbat mincha).
Husband and wife, in particular, finally have a chance to be together after a hectic week.
What does the sabbath Jew thinks about jewelry?
A Sabbath-observant Jew probably doesn't spend a lot of time thinking about jewelery. It is permitted to wear jewelery on the Sabbath (if that is the question).
Which spices are used during the Havdalah service?
Pleasantly fragrant spices are used; often spices such as nutmeg, allspice, cloves, or a combination.
Answer:The most commonly used spice is ground cinnamon.Why do Ashkenazim say Shabbes instead of Shabbat?
Different customs in pronunciation of the Hebrew Aleph-bet. Specifically, the letter "Tav"/"Sav" (ת) which is the final letter in Shabbat/Shabbas (שבת) is pronounced like a "T" by Sephardi, Mizrahi, Liberal Jewish, and Israeli communities. It is pronounced like an "S" by Orthodox Ashkenazi communities. The differences in letter pronunciation developed over time as the Hebrew spoken in Europe began to take on more "European-sounding" aspects.
A similar example of this trend is that there is a disagreement between Ashkenazim and Mizrahim on how to pronounce the letter "Sadi"/"Tzadi" (צ). Ashkenazi, Sephardi, Liberal Jewish, and Israeli communities all pronounce it as a "ts" sound, which is analogous to the Slavic "c". Mizrahi Jewish communities pronounce the letter as an emphatic "s", which is analogous to the Arabic "sad" (ص). This results in Ashkenazi and Mainstream Jews saying "Matzah" while Mizrahi Jews will say "Masah".
Can a Jew enter a Buddhist temple?
It depends. I teach comparative religions, and yes absolutely, there are Jewish people who can and do enter churches, temples, and mosques from other faiths. That said, there is a big difference between going inside for an event and joining the congregants in prayer. (Praying to other deities violates the commandment "Thou shalt have no other gods before Me.")
Among Orthodox Jews in particular, it is generally frowned upon to enter the house of worship of another religion, especially one that has "graven images" (statues of their deity). The issue is whether by going into a temple where there is what is considered an idol, you are in some way worshiping that idol. Of course, not everyone agrees that to enter a house of worship is the same as agreeing with the beliefs of that particular group. If you are concerned, feel free to ask your rabbi and see what the prevailing view in your synagogue is.
My Reform synagogue is that way. I think it may have something to do with privacy issues.
Do Christians have to keep the Sabbath?
Jehovah's Witnesses as Christians do NOT observe a weekly sabbath; just as we don't observe the festivals given to the Israelites; and we don't observe the animal sacrifices; and we don't require circumcision for religous reasons.
Jehovah God did not give the sabbath requirements to Adam & Eve. It was also not given to Noah, after the new start after the Flood.
The sabbath observance and the other requirements were first given to God's ancient people, the Israelites. It was also not given to the Gentile nations. Jehovah did not deal with the Gentiles.
It's true that Jesus and his family would have observed the weekly Sabbath; because Jesus was 'born into' the Jewish nation, which was bound by the Law.
But with Jesus death, was started a new form of worship, namely Christianity. The Gentiles were brought into the new congregation of God. By then, it was not obligatory for males to be circumcised; neither did they observe the 'new moon'; neither did they sacrifice animals anymore. All those things received a symbolic meaning in the Christian system. Likewise the 'sabbath' observance received a symbolic meaning, which many don't know about; they still observe the sabbath in a literal way; although some aspects of the Sabbath laws they ignore during their actual sabbath day activities.
Another Answer:
If by 'Christian' you mean a 'disciple' of Christ, then yes, the Sabbath Law of God has never been changed and Jesus, the Apostles, and all newly converted disciples throughout the Roman Empire, observed it then just as true Christians should and are observing it today and everyday since Pentecost in 31 AD.
There are about 50 mentions of the Sabbath in the Four Gospels - more than in the first Five Books of the Bible - so there is sufficient examples to help determine if this 4th Command of God should continue for His Church.
By the time Jesus began His ministry, the Sabbath had drastically changed from its original intent. Jesus, as Lord of the Sabbath, showed the religious leaders how onerous they have made this 'letter of the Law' forgetting its 'spiritual' intent. Zondervan's Pictorial Bible Dictionary describes how extreme these measures had become by Christ's day. Religious code regarding the Sabbath listed "39 principal classes of prohibited actions: sowing, plowing, reaping, gathering into sheaves, threshing, winnowing, cleansing, grinding, sifting, kneading, baking, etc. Each of these chief enactments was further discussed and elaborated, so that actually there were several hundred things a conscientious, law-abiding Jew could not do on the Sabbath. The minutia of the letter of the Law without the spiritual component.
It would be unthinkable for Jesus Christ to disobey any of God's Command's having been found acceptable to the Father as mankind's 'wave sheaf' offering - our Passover Lamb with blemish or spot. He always did whatever He saw the Father do therefore He was perfect as the Father is (John 5:19). Recall the words of Jesus here:
Matthew 5:17New American Standard Bible (NASB)17 "Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.
The Greek word for fulfill is 'pleroo' meaning to 'render full' or to complete the Law making it full and perfect for all. It surely does not mean Jesus did all the 'lifting' for mankind and we can disregard the Law of God. Rather, a Christian should behave and practice exactly as our perfect example Christ did and still does:
1 John 2:6New King James Version (NKJV)6 He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.
What prayer comes first in the shabbat services?
Jews pray thrice daily; morning afternoon and evening. They usually do so in a synagogue. On Saturday morning the prayer service takes 2 - 3 hours and includes Shacharit - the morning prayer, Kriat haTorah - reading from the holy Torah and Mussaf - commemorating the special Sabbath sacrifice in the Temple.
Yes and no. Shabbat Shalom is only said on Fridays and Saturdays.
What are Modern Orthodox Jews?
Modern Orthodox Jews keep the rules of Judaism in a relatively strict manner. This includes the laws and ethics of the Torah, detailed in the Talmudic texts ("Oral Torah") and as subsequently developed and applied by the later authorities known as the Gaonim, Rishonim, and Acharonim. They can also live in today's world with all the modern conveniences.
If a Jewish holidays falls on Shabbat which set of candles do you light first?
You don't light more candles than usual. In the blessing over the candles, the Shabbat is
mentioned first.
In the event that a more frequent occasion coincides with one less frequent, the more
frequent is acknowledged and blessed first.
Is Ben Gurion airport open on Shabbat - the Jewish sabbath?
Yes it should be as planes will come from all over the world.
