Shabbat

purpose is to reflect on the fact that god created the world for 6 days and rested on the 7th and by not working Jews are being a witness for that.

eat two formal meals together-eat traditional foods, sing traditional songs, discuss the weekly bible portion

spend quality time together- talking, playing games, visiting family and friends

some people like to squeeze a nap in.

If you are going to give birth on a sabbath then there is nothing you can do about it , that was the big day for you.

It is a Minhag (Tradition) that the woman of the house lights the Shabbat candles. (The reason for this is mentioned in the Talmud, that says that this is a Tikun (a correction, an amendment) to the "original sin" of Hava (Eve))

According to many Poskim (Rabbis) this act is a declaration of Kabbalat Shabbat (Welcoming the Shabbat) and thus the woman is usually the first to start the shabbat.

Here is a translation of the Sephardi havdala service. I can't post the website apparently

הִנֵּה. אֵל יְשׁוּעָתִי

Behold! The Almighty is my deliverance—

אֶבְטַח. וְלֹא אֶפְחָד.

I will trust in Him and will not fear;

כִּי עָזִּי וְזִמְרָת יָהּ.

for the strength and retribution of God

יְהֹוָה. וַיְהִי לִי לִישׁוּעָה.

Adonoy was the cause of my deliverance.

וּשְׁאַבְתֶּם מַֽיִם בְּשָׂשׂוֹן.

And you will draw water with joy,

מִמַּעַיְנֵי הַיְשׁוּעָה:

from the wellsprings of deliverance.1

לַיהֹוָה הַיְשׁוּעָה.

To Adonoy belongs deliverance

עַל עַמְּ֒ךָ בִרְכָתֶךָ סֶּֽלָה.

upon Your people is Your blessing, selah.2

יְהֹוָה צְבָאוֹת עִמָּֽנוּ

Adonoy of Hosts is with us

מִשְׂגָּב לָֽנוּ

a stronghold for us

אֱלֹהֵי יַעֲקֹב סֶֽלָה.

is the God of Jacob, selah.3

יְהֹוָה צְבָאוֹת

Adonoy of hosts,

אַשְׁרֵי אָדָם בּוֹטֵֽחַ בָּךְ:

fortunate is the man who trusts in You.4

יְהֹוָה הוֹשִֽׁיעָה

Adonoy, deliver [us,]

הַמֶּֽלֶךְ יַעַנֵֽנוּ בְיוֹם קָרְאֵֽנוּ:

the King will answer us on the day we call.5

לַיְהוּדִים הָיְ֒תָה אוֹרָה וְשִׂמְחָה.

For the Jews there was light and joy,

וְשָׂשׂוֹן וִיקָר:

gladness and honor.6

כֵּן תִּהְיֶה לָּֽנוּ.

So be it with us.

כּוֹס יְשׁוּעוֹת אֶשָּׂא.

The cup of deliverance, I will raise

וּבְשֵׁם יְהֹוָה אֶקְרָא:

and upon the Name, Adonoy, will I call.7

Over the wine:

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה.

Blessed are You, Adonoy,

אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם.

our God, King of the Universe,

בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הַגָּֽפֶן.

Creator of the fruit of the vine.

Over the spices:8

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה.

Blessed are You, Adonoy,

אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם.

our God, King of the Universe,

בּוֹרֵא מִינֵי בְשָׂמִים:

Creator of the kinds of spices.

Over the fire:

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה.

Blessed are You, Adonoy,

אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם.

our God, King of the Universe

בּוֹרֵא מְאוֹרֵי הָאֵשׁ:

Creator of the lights of fire.

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה.

Blessed are You, Adonoy,

אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם.

our God, King of the Universe,

הַמַּבְדִּיל

Who makes distinction

בֵּין קֹֽדֶשׁ לְחוֹל.

between sacred and unhallowed,

בֵּין אוֹר לְחֽשֶׁךְ.

between light and darkness,

בֵּין יִשְׂרָאֵל לָעַמִּים.

between Israel and the peoples,

בֵּין יוֹם הַשְּׁ֒בִיעִי

between the seventh day

לְשֵֽׁשֶׁת יְמֵי הַמַּעֲשֶׂה.

and the six work days.

בָּרוּר אַתָּה יְהֹוָה.

Blessed are You, Adonoy,

הַמַּבְדִּיל

Who makes distinction

בֵּין קֽדֶשׁ לְחוֹל:

between sacred and unhallowed.

According to the prophet Isaiah, we should "call the Shabbat a day of delight" and as a reward, we will "delight in HaShem" in the world to come.

The rabbis of the Talmud determined that a major component of "delight" is meat and drink. There's no specification as to the type of meat, it could even be fish, or any 'high end' cooked foods. The reason for the minhag of eating meat is that it's assumed that most people take more pleasure in eating meat than other foods and in drinking wine more than other drinks. As a result, they should increase both meat and wine within their means.

Please see the related links for more detailed explanations.

The Sabbath occurs every week.

Yes only when Shabbat is over.

For conditions of life and death, it is permissible to do "work". For example, ambulances still run on Shabbat because people could be seriously injured on Shabbat and need medical help.

Shabbat is the Jewish meal on Friday night.

There is no prohibition against eating in a restaurant during Shabbat. Shabbat and kashrut observant Jews would require that the restaurant be kosher. To get around the issue of not being able to handle money during Shabbat, kosher restaurants will pre-sell meals. Additionally, the restaurant would have to be within walking distance.

Shabbat Shalom means "peaceful Sabbath" and is the standard greeting between Jews on Saturday.

First, ekklesia is the Greek word from which we get the word church. Ekklesia however only means to be called out, it can also mean an assembly or congregation. IN the Septuigent (The Greek OT translated by Jews a couple of hundred years before Yehoshua/Jesus) the word ekklesia appears a few times, one of them being when the Israelites were "called" before the base of Mt. Sinai.

The synagogues were the places during the period of time you mention where people would gather to worship and hear the Torah scrolls read. Acts 13:42-44 shows us gentiles on the Sabbath seeking to be taught in or around the synagogues. There are other references in Acts which point to the same thing. Remember, most of the earliest believers were Jews, who while believing in Yehoshua as Messiah, continued to practice the feasts and sabbath. The Yehoshua believing Jew would not have stopped being a Jew (short for Judah or Yehudim the Hebrew eq.) but would have considered himself a "good Jew" for accepting the prophecies of the coming messiah.

Both. It's a religious observance marking the historical event of God's creation.

Ultra Orthodox men tend to wear conservative suits (black' blue) on Shabbat. Much as a business man would dress when going into his office.

If you are talking about a Hanukkah menorah (also called a Chanukiah), then you would light the Chanukiah first, and say the 2 hanukkah blessings (3 if it's the first night).

Then you would light the Shabbat candles and say the blessing over the shabbat candles.

There were many things that were not allowed during the Sabbath in His time. The Sabbath worship started Friday evening at sundown and ended Saturday morning as sunrise. The Sabbath continues through Saturday. During the Sabbath, you may only walk a certain amount of steps that day. And even less steps before stopping and praying and then walking again. You may not exceed the amount of steps that day. You were not allowed to heal, help, or work that day. Any violation with that law would lead to death. This is a reason that the Jews wanted to kill Jesus. (Let it be noted that the Jews never actually killed Him, it was the Romans.) He went against the Sabbath rules. He helped, He healed, and He worked nonstop. That includes the Sabbath. It really angered everyone that He did that on the Sabbath, and it angered them more that at the same time, He was saying that He was the Son of God. In the Jews minds and point-of-view, Jesus was this random man that broke the sacred rules of the Sabbath and claimed to be God's Son. In their eyes, Jesus was mocking God, when in fact He was just preaching. And He was the Son of God. Of course, few believed this until after Hid death. Once He died, they all realized that He was the Son of God.

Steve Hill

Kosher grapejuice

The custom of a groom being called to the Torah in synagogue on the Sabbath before his wedding is called an aufruf.

Although it would seem that there'd be no issue riding a bike during Shabbat, this activity is not allowed. The reason behind this prohibition is the scenario of the bike breaking in some way while you're away from home. If, let's say, the chain fell off the bike, you would not be able to put it back on as that's a form of prohibited work. Also, you would not be able to carry the bike home as that too would be a prohibited form of work.

A rezhvolke is a satin overcoat worn by some Hungarian Hasidic Jews on Shabbos (the Jewish Sabbath). On Shabbos and Festivals-Hasidic men will wear a bekishe-a silk robe that replecates the kind worn in ancient Israel by the kohanim (tribal priests) who used to perform animal sacfrices to G-d in the Temple in Jerusalem. A rezhvolke is a coat worn over the bekishe-its a coat for the Sabbath. A Rabbi's rezhvolke will either have a silver or fur lining.

See related links below for a URL that shows a group of Hasidic men wearing their rezhvolkes. Notice the Rabbi's has a fur collar.

See related links below for a group of Hasidic men with just their bekishes, no rezhvolke-notice the difference (tied with a silk belt, no buttons, shinier appearance)

A rezhvolke is always work over a bekishe-never on its own-its gives the appearance of a very overweight person-but they're very thin, more comfortable then a regular business suit and such good quality silk that walking to synagogue in New York even gets cold in the deep of winter!

A Rabbi is always identifiable by his clothes-as I said, his rezhvolke has a velvet/fur lining and his bekishe either has a floral patter, or is solid white-the latter being the more traditional-but much less common due to its sensitivity to the modern, polluted urban air.

See related links below for a Rabbi's traditional white bekishe.

Judaism.

There is no meal in Judaism designated as the last meal of the Sabbath. Shabbat is a time of enjoyment and plenty, and all of the meals served during Shabbat are special.