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{{About|the rest day in Judaism|Sabbath in the Bible|Biblical Sabbath|the Talmudic tractate|Shabbat (Talmud)|other uses|seventh-day Sabbath|and|first-day Sabbath}}
{{About|the day of rest in Judaism|the general day of rest in Abrahamic religions|Sabbath|Sabbath in the Bible|Biblical Sabbath|the Talmudic tractate|Shabbat (Talmud)}}
| sa = '']'', Shabbat 244–344; Eruvin{{nbsp}}345–395; Techumin 396–416
| codes = '']'' ch. 72–96
}}
{{Judaism}}
{{Judaism}}
'''Shabbat''' ({{Hebrew Name|שַׁבָּת|Shabbat|Šabbāṯ}}, ]: '''Shabbos''', ]: '''שבת''' {{IPA-yi|ˈʃabəs|}}, in ]: '''the Sabbath''', "rest" or "cessation") is the seventh day of the Jewish ] and a day of rest in ]. Shabbat is observed from a few minutes before sunset on ] evening until a few minutes after the appearance of three stars in the sky<ref>], ] 293:2</ref> on ] night. The exact times, therefore, differ from week to week and from place to place, depending on the time of sunset at each location. In polar areas where there is no sunrise or sunset at certain times of the year, a ] applies.
'''Shabbat''' ({{IPAc-en|UK|ʃ|ə|'|b|æ|t}}, {{IPAc-en|US|ʃ|ə|'|b|ɑː|t}}, or {{IPAc-en|ʃ|ə|'|b|ʌ|t}}; {{langx|he|{{Script/Hebrew|שַׁבָּת|Šabbāṯ}}}}, {{IPA|he|ʃa'bat|}}, {{literal translation|rest' or 'cessation}}) or the '''Sabbath''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|s|æ|b|ə|θ}}), also called '''Shabbos''' ({{IPAc-en|UK|ˈ|ʃ|æ|b|ə|s}}, {{IPAc-en|US|ˈ|ʃ|ɑː|b|ə|s}}) by ], is ]'s day of rest on the seventh day of the ]—i.e., ]. On this day, religious ] remember the biblical stories describing the ] and the redemption from slavery and ] from Egypt, and look forward to a future ]. Since the ] counts days from sunset to sunset, Shabbat begins in the evening of what on the ] is ].
On Shabbat Jews recall the ] account in ], describing God creating the Heavens and the Earth in six days and resting on the seventh. It also recalls the giving of the Torah at ], when God commanded the Israelite nation to observe the seventh day and keep it holy.
Shabbat observance entails refraining from ], often with ], and engaging in restful activities to honor the day. Judaism's traditional position is that the unbroken seventh-day Shabbat originated among the Jewish people, as their first and most sacred institution. Variations upon Shabbat are widespread in Judaism and, with adaptations, throughout the ] and many other ].
Shabbat is considered a festive day, when a Jew is freed from the regular labors of everyday life, can contemplate the spiritual aspects of life, and can spend time with family. Traditionally, three ] are eaten: on Friday night, Saturday morning, and late Saturday afternoon. The day is also noted for those ] according to ] (Jewish law).
According to '']'' (Jewish religious law), Shabbat is observed from a few minutes before the sun sets on Friday evening until the appearance of three stars in the sky on Saturday night, or an hour after sundown.<ref>], ] 293:2</ref> Shabbat is ushered in by lighting candles and reciting blessings over wine and bread. Traditionally, three ] are eaten: The first one is held on Friday evening, the second is traditionally a lunch meal on Saturday, and the third is held later Saturday afternoon. The evening meal and the early afternoon meal typically begin with a blessing called '']'' (''sanctification''), said over a cup of wine.
==Origin==
===Etymology===
{{details|Sabbath etymology}}
The word Shabbat derives from the Hebrew verb ''shavat''. Although frequently translated as "rest" (noun or verb), another accurate translation of these words is "ceasing ", as resting is not necessarily denoted. The related modern Hebrew word ''shevita'', (]), has the same implication of active rather than passive abstinence from work. The notion of active cessation from labor is also regarded as more consistent with an ] ]'s activity on the seventh day of ].
At the third meal a ''kiddush'' is not performed, but the ''hamotzi'' blessing is recited and '']'' (braided bread) is eaten. In many communities, this meal is often eaten in the period after the afternoon prayers ''(]'') are recited and shortly before Shabbat is formally ended with a '']'' ritual.
===Biblical source===
{{details|Biblical Sabbath}}
Shabbat is given special status as a holy day at the very beginning of the ] in {{bibleverse||Genesis|2:1–3|HE}}. It is first commanded after ] from Egypt, in {{bibleverse||Exodus|16:26|HE}} (relating to the cessation of ]) and in {{bibleverse||Exodus|20:8–11|HE}} (as the fourth of the ]). Shabbat is commanded and commended many more times in the ] and Tanakh; special ] are to be offered on the day. Shabbat is also described by the prophets ], ], ], ], ], and ].
Shabbat is a festive day when Jews exercise their freedom from the regular labours of everyday life. It offers an opportunity to contemplate the spiritual aspects of life and to spend time with family. The end of Shabbat is traditionally marked by a ritual called Havdalah, during which blessings are said over wine (or grape juice), aromatic spices, and light, separating Shabbat from the rest of the week.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://18doors.org/jewish_holidays_cheat_sheet/ | title=The Ultimate Guide to Jewish Holidays |date=8 January 2020 }}</ref>
===Origin theories===
A longstanding Jewish position is that unbroken seventh-day ''shabbat'' originated among the Jewish people, as their first and most sacred institution,<ref name=landau>{{cite book|url=http://www.archive.org/stream/sabbath00land/sabbath00land_djvu.txt|title=The Sabbath|author=Landau, Judah Leo|publisher=Ivri Publishing Society, Ltd|accessdate=2009-03-26|location=]|pages=2, 12}}</ref> whether this ] tradition preserves an origin in ],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pcea.org.au/articles/the_westminster_confession/the_origin_of_the_sabbath/|title=The Origin of the Sabbath|author=Graham, I. L.|publisher=]|year=2009|accessdate=2009-03-26}} {{Dead link|date=September 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref> or whether it indicates some obscure later naturalistic origin.<ref>{{cite book|url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/303554/Jewish-religious-year/34908/The-Sabbath|title=]|chapter=Jewish religious year: The Sabbath|year=2009|accessdate=2009-03-26|publisher=Encyclopedia Britannica Online|quote=Scholars have not succeeded in tracing the origin of the seven-day week, nor can they account for the origin of the Sabbath.}}</ref> Seventh-day ''shabbat'' did not originate with the ], to whom it was unknown;<ref>{{cite book|url=http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/13287b.htm|title=]|author=Bechtel, Florentine|chapter=Sabbath|volume=13|location=]|publisher=Robert Appleton Company|year=1912|accessdate=2009-03-26}}</ref> and other origin theories based on the day of ], or on the ] generally, have also been abandoned.<ref name=orr>{{cite book|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=Tn4PAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA2630&lpg=PA2630|title=The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia|editor=Orr, James|page=2630|chapter=Sabbath: Critical Theories|author=Sampey, John Richard|publisher=Howard-Severance Company|year=1915|accessdate=2009-08-13|editor-link=James Orr}}</ref> The '']'' advanced a theory of ]s like ]<ref name=landau/> (and of ]),<ref>{{cite book|author=Craveri, Marcello|title=The Life of Jesus|publisher=Grove Press|year=1967|page=134}}</ref> that ''shabbat'' originally arose from the ] in the ]<ref>{{cite book|year=1943|title=The Universal Jewish Encyclopedia: An authoritative and popular presentation of Jews and Judaism since the earliest times|volume=5|page=410|editor=Landman, Isaac|chapter=Holidays|author=Joseph, Max|others=Cohen, Simon, compiler|publisher=The Universal Jewish Encyclopedia, Inc|editor-link=Isaac Landman}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|year=1943|title=The Universal Jewish Encyclopedia: An authoritative and popular presentation of Jews and Judaism since the earliest times|volume=9|page=295|editor=Landman, Isaac|chapter=Sabbath|author=Joseph, Max|others=Cohen, Simon, compiler|publisher=The Universal Jewish Encyclopedia, Inc|editor-link=Isaac Landman}}</ref> containing four weeks ending in Sabbath, plus one or two additional unreckoned days per month.<ref>{{cite book|year=1943|title=The Universal Jewish Encyclopedia: An authoritative and popular presentation of Jews and Judaism since the earliest times|volume=10|page=482|editor=Landman, Isaac|chapter=Week|author=Cohen, Simon|others=Cohen, Simon, compiler|publisher=The Universal Jewish Encyclopedia, Inc|editor-link=Isaac Landman}}</ref> The difficulties of this theory include reconciling the differences between an unbroken week and a lunar week, and explaining the absence of texts naming the lunar week as ''shabbat'' in any language.<ref name=orr/>
==Etymology==
==Status as a holy day==
{{Main|Biblical Sabbath#Etymology}}
The Tanach and ] (Jewish prayer book) describe Shabbat as having three purposes:
#To commemorate the Israelites' ] in ];
#To commemorate ] ]; on the seventh day God rested from (or ceased) his work;
#As a "taste" of ] (the ]).
Judaism accords Shabbat the status of a joyous holy day. In many ways, Jewish law gives Shabbat the status of being the most important holy day in the Jewish calendar:
*It is the first holy day mentioned in the Bible, and God was the first to observe it with the cessation of ] (Genesis 2:1–3).
*] treats the Shabbat as a "bride" and "queen" (see ]).
*The ] is read during the ] which is part of the Shabbat morning services, with a longer reading than during the week. The Torah is read over a yearly cycle of 54 '']'', one for each Shabbat (sometimes they are doubled). On Shabbat, the reading is divided into seven sections, more than on any other holy day, including ]. Then, the ] reading from the Hebrew prophets is read.
*A tradition states that the ] will come if every Jew properly observes two consecutive Shabbats.<ref>] 118</ref>
*The punishment in ancient times for desecrating Shabbat (]) is the most severe punishment in Jewish law.<ref>See e.g. Numbers 15:32–36.</ref>
The word ''Shabbat'' derives from the Hebrew root ]. Although frequently translated as "rest" (noun or verb), another accurate translation is "ceasing ."<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Sabbath-Judaism |title=Sabbath | Judaism |date=April 18, 2023 |website=Britannica }}</ref> The notion of active cessation from labour is also regarded{{by whom|date=October 2018}} as more consistent with an ] ]'s activity on the seventh day of ].
==Shabbat rituals==
Shabbat is a day of celebration as well as ]. It is customary to eat three festive meals: Dinner on Shabbat eve (Friday night), lunch on Shabbat day (Saturday), and a third meal, known as '']'', in the late afternoon (Saturday).
==Origins==
Many Jews attend synagogue services on Shabbat even if they do not do so during the week. Services are held on Shabbat eve (Friday night), Shabbat morning (Saturday morning), and late Shabbat afternoon (Saturday afternoon).
===Babylon===
With the exception of ], which is referred to in the Torah as the "Shabbat of Shabbats", days of public fasting are postponed or advanced if they coincide with Shabbat. Mourners sitting '']'' (week of mourning subsequent to the death of a spouse or first-degree relative) outwardly conduct themselves normally for the duration of the day and are forbidden to display public signs of mourning.
{{Main|Babylonian calendar}}
A ] ] ''Sapattu<sup>m</sup>'' or ''Sabattu<sup>m</sup>'' is reconstructed from the lost fifth ] creation account, which is read as: "''bbatu'' shalt thou then encounter, midly". It is regarded as a form of ]ian ''sa-bat'' ("mid-rest"), rendered in ] as ''um nuh libbi'' ("day of mid-repose").<ref name="ere">{{cite book|author=Pinches, T.G.|editor=Hastings, James|others=Selbie, John A., contrib|title=Encyclopedia of Religion and Ethics|volume=20|publisher=Kessinger Publishing|date=2003|pages=889–891|chapter=Sabbath (Babylonian)|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qVNqXDz4CE8C|isbn=978-0-7661-3698-4|access-date=2009-03-17}}
According to ], God via the Torah commands Jews to ''observe'' (refrain from forbidden activity) and ''remember'' (with words, thoughts, and actions) the Shabbat, and these two actions are symbolized by the two ] which are lit before the onset of Shabbat by Jewish women, usually the mother/wife, though men who live alone are required to do so themselves. It is customary to light two candles, although some families light more, sometimes in accordance with the number of children.<ref>], ] 261.</ref>
It has been argued that the association of the number seven with creation itself derives from the circumstance that the Enuma Elish was recorded on seven tablets.
"emphasized by Professor ], who says: 'Each account is arranged in a series of sevens, the Babylonian in seven tablets, the Hebrew in seven days. Each of them places the creation of man in the sixth division of its series." Albert T. Clay, ''The Origin of Biblical Traditions: Hebrew Legends in Babylonia and Israel'', 1923, .</ref>
Connection to Sabbath observance has been suggested in the designation of the seventh, fourteenth, nineteenth, twenty-first and twenty-eight days of a lunar month in an Assyrian religious calendar as a 'holy day', also called 'evil days' (meaning "unsuitable" for prohibited activities). The prohibitions on these days, spaced seven days apart (except the nineteenth), include abstaining from chariot riding, and the avoidance of eating meat by the King. On these days officials were prohibited from various activities and common men were forbidden to "make a wish", and at least the 28th was known as a "rest-day".<ref>"Histoire du peuple hébreu". ]. Presses Universitaires de France 2009 (8e édition), p. 66</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=The Seven Day Circle: The History and Meaning of the Week|first=Eviatar |last=Zerubavel|publisher=University of Chicago Press|date=1985|isbn=0-226-98165-7}}</ref>
Although most Shabbat laws are restrictive (see below), the fourth of the ] in ] is taken by the ] to allude to the ''positive'' commandments of the Shabbat. These include:
*Honouring Shabbat (''kavod Shabbat''): Preparing for the upcoming Shabbat by bathing, having a haircut, and cleaning and beautifying the home (with flowers, for example). On Shabbat itself, wearing festive clothing and refraining from unpleasant conversation. It is customary to avoid talk about money or business matters on Shabbat.<ref>Derived from {{bibleverse||Isaiah|58:13–14|HE}}.</ref>
*Recitation of '']'' over a cup of ] at the beginning of the first and second Shabbat meals, or at a reception after the conclusion of morning prayers (see ])
] challahs covered by traditional ] Shabbat ].]]
*Eating three festive meals. Meals begin with a blessing over two loaves of bread (''lechem mishneh''), usually a braided ], which is symbolic of the double portion of ] which fell for the Jewish people during their 40 years in the desert after the ] from ]. It is customary to serve meat or fish, and sometimes both, for the Shabbat evening and morning meals. The third meal, eaten late Shabbat afternoon, is called '']'' (literally, "Third Meal"). This is generally a light meal and may be ] or ].
*Enjoying Shabbat (''oneg Shabbat''): Engaging in pleasurable activities such as eating, singing, spending time with the family and marital relations.
]'' ritual in 14th-century Spain.]]
*Recitation of '']'' at the conclusion of Shabbat at nightfall (over a cup of wine, and with the use of fragrant spices and a candle).
The '']'' advanced a theory of ]s like ]<ref name=landau/> (and of ])<ref>{{cite book|author=Craveri, Marcello|title=The Life of Jesus|publisher=Grove Press|date=1967|page=134}}</ref> that Shabbat originally arose from the ] in the ]<ref>{{cite book|date=1943|title=The Universal Jewish Encyclopedia: An authoritative and popular presentation of Jews and Judaism since the earliest times|volume=5|page=410|editor=Landman, Isaac|chapter=Holidays|author=Joseph, Max|others=Cohen, Simon, compiler|publisher=The Universal Jewish Encyclopedia, Inc|editor-link=Isaac Landman}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|date=1943|title=The Universal Jewish Encyclopedia: An authoritative and popular presentation of Jews and Judaism since the earliest times|volume=9|page=295|editor=Landman, Isaac|chapter=Sabbath|author=Joseph, Max|others=Cohen, Simon, compiler|publisher=The Universal Jewish Encyclopedia, Incv|editor-link= Isaac Landman}}</ref> containing four weeks ending in a Sabbath, plus one or two additional unreckoned days per month.<ref>{{cite book|date=1943|title=The Universal Jewish Encyclopedia: An authoritative and popular presentation of Jews and Judaism since the earliest times|volume=10|page=482|editor=Landman, Isaac|chapter=Week|author=Cohen, Simon|others=Cohen, Simon, compiler|publisher=The Universal Jewish Encyclopedia, Inc |editor-link= Isaac Landman}}</ref> The difficulties of this theory include reconciling the differences between an unbroken week and a lunar week, and explaining the absence of texts naming the lunar week as Sabbath in any language.<ref name="orr" />
==Friday Night==
Though it might seem like an afterthought in the wake of Shabbat day, Friday night is an essential part of the Shabbat experience. Unlike on Shabbat day, one can partake in all the suggested activities on Friday night. There is an idea that the Jews who partake in Shabbat should not only have Shabbat, but they also make Shabbat. Through this opportunity to do all the encouraged activities, Friday night often is when a Jew will “make” Shabbat.<ref name="english.sadnatenosh.org">http://english.sadnatenosh.org/dload/shabat.htm</ref>
With this idea in mind one might also assert that Friday night is not just a large part of Shabbat, but really is a full half of it. Friday night has one of the two main prayer times (the fact is that much fewer people attend services Shabbat afternoon than do Shabbat morning or Friday night), one of the two main meals (again for some reason customs have made it that the third meal is never as large as the first two, both in size and import), and time to partake in Oneg Shabbat, Learning of Torah, and socialization.
On Friday afternoon there is a common practice to go to synagogue before Shabbat actually starts to recite the regular afternoon prayers right as Shabbat comes in and that way the prayer flows right into the welcoming of Shabbat in kabalat Shabbat. Though Shabbat starts according to the Jewish laws a few minutes before sunset, many Jews have the custom to add on to the Shabbat by taking away from the mundane of Friday and making that same time holy by accepting the Shabbat upon themselves early (this custom is reserved almost solely for the summer when sunset is extremely late. In the winter when sunset is very early this practice is very uncommon). This custom is called bringing in Shabbat early. Those who bring in Shabbat early simply go to synagogue and light Shabbat candles earlier than the specified time for their community. They do the full prayer service early and thus have more time for their first Shabbat meal, sing songs, or to simply enjoy the Shabbat.
===Egypt===
The Kabalat Shabbat service is a festive one which highlights the arrival of the Shabbat. There are songs throughout the service to bring out the festive aura. In fact, there are special ] (services) which sing almost every paragraph in the service. The Carlebach minyanim pay little attention to the sentences and focus more on the tunes and the singing. There is much dancing and a Carlebach minyan can easily last a half hour longer than the regular services without the extra singing.
Seventh-day Shabbat did not originate with the ], to whom it was unknown;<ref>{{cite book |chapter-url= http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/13287b.htm|title=]|author=Bechtel, Florentine|chapter=Sabbath|volume=13|location=]|publisher=Robert Appleton Company|date=1912 |access-date= 2009-03-26}}</ref> and other origin theories based on the day of ], or on the ] generally, have also been abandoned.<ref name="orr">{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_Tn4PAAAAYAAJ|title=The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia|editor=Orr, James|page=|chapter=Sabbath: Critical Theories|author=Sampey, John Richard|publisher=Howard-Severance Company|date=1915 |access-date= 2009-08-13| editor-link=James Orr (theologian)}}</ref>
The actual evening service is very similar to the weeknight evening services with a few additions and changes with emphases on the origins of Shabbat from the torah and history. After the services there is a custom for the rabbi of a community to propose a question on the week’s torah portion for the congregation to ponder over Shabbat. Whether or not this question is posed the congregation’s announcements are given over for the goings on in the community for the rest of Shabbat.
===Hebrew Bible===
{{Main|Biblical Sabbath}}
In a traditional home, the Friday night dinner is started by two songs; one is to welcome two Shabbat angels into the house<ref>Shabbat 119b</ref> and the other is to thank the wife for the work she has done over the past week. After blessings on wine and special bread (]) a regular meal ensues. Some common Friday night foods include ], chicken soup, meatballs, and any variety of chicken recipes.<ref>http://kosherfood.about.com/od/sabbathcooking/p/menu_shabbat.htm</ref> Each meal on Shabbat has its own group of songs to sing during meals as part of the concept Oneg Shabbat. Friday night has its own group of 6 or 7 commonly sung songs including menucha v’simcha (rest and happiness) and yom shabbaton (day of sabbatical).
After all food is consumed and thanks prayers recited to conclude the meal, people often take the time before going to sleep to learn torah, read, socialize, or really anything they enjoy that is allowed on Shabbat. Among those who socialize groups of people hold “onegs” which are groups of people coming together to eat some more and do all the things mentioned above, just in a group. Onegs are common among youth groups and can be found among Jewish communities on college campuses.
Sabbath is given special status as a holy day at the very beginning of the ] in Genesis 2:1-3.<ref>{{Bibleverse||Genesis|2:1–3|HE}}</ref> It is first commanded after ] from Egypt, in Exodus 16:26<ref>{{Bibleverse||Exodus|16:26|HE}}</ref> (relating to the cessation of ]) and in Exodus 16:29<ref>{{Bibleverse||Exodus|16:29|HE}}</ref> (relating to the distance one may ] on the Sabbath), as also in Exodus 20:8-11<ref>{{Bibleverse||Exodus|20:8–11|HE}}</ref> (as one of the ]). Sabbath is commanded and commended many more times in the Torah and ]; double the normal number of animal ] are to be offered on the day.<ref>''Every Person's Guide to Shabbat'', by Ronald H. Isaacs, Jason Aronson, 1998, p. 6</ref> Sabbath is also described by the prophets ], ], ], ], ], and ].
] ]]
The longstanding Jewish position is that unbroken seventh-day Shabbat originated among the Jewish people, as their first and most sacred institution.<ref name=landau>{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/stream/sabbath00land/sabbath00land_djvu.txt|title=The Sabbath|author=Landau, Judah Leo|publisher=Ivri Publishing Society, Ltd |access-date= 2009-03-26|location=]|pages=2, 12}}</ref> The origins of Shabbat and a seven-day week are not clear to scholars; the ] tradition claims an origin from the Genesis creation narrative.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pcea.org.au/articles/the_westminster_confession/the_origin_of_the_sabbath/|title=The Origin of the Sabbath|author=Graham, I. L.|publisher=]|date=2009 |access-date= 2009-03-26 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20081203162529/http://www.pcea.org.au/articles/the_westminster_confession/the_origin_of_the_sabbath/ |archive-date= December 3, 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |chapter-url= http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/303554/Jewish-religious-year/34908/The-Sabbath|title=]|chapter=Jewish religious year: The Sabbath|date=2009 |access-date= 2009-03-26|publisher=Encyclopædia Britannica Online|quote=According to biblical tradition, it commemorates the original seventh day on which God rested after completing the creation. Scholars have not succeeded in tracing the origin of the seven-day week, nor can they account for the origin of the Sabbath.}}</ref>
The first non-Biblical reference to Sabbath is in an ] found in excavations at ], which has been dated to approximately 630 BCE.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cojs.org/cojswiki/Mezad_Hashavyahu_Ostracon%2C_c._630_BCE|title=Mezad Hashavyahu Ostracon, c. 630 BCE |access-date=2012-09-12 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130130125324/http://www.cojs.org/cojswiki/Mezad_Hashavyahu_Ostracon%2C_c._630_BCE |archive-date= 2013-01-30}}</ref>
==Status as a Jewish holy day==
]]]
The Tanakh and ] describe Shabbat as having three purposes:{{cn|date=June 2021}}
# To commemorate ] creation of the universe, on the seventh day of which God rested from (or ceased) his work;
# To commemorate the Israelites' Exodus and redemption from slavery in ];
# As a "taste" of ] (the ]).
Judaism accords Shabbat the status of a joyous holy day. In many ways, ] gives Shabbat the status of being the most important holy day in the ]:<ref>One measure is the number of people called up to Torah readings at the Shachrit/morning service. Three is the smallest number, e.g. Mondays and Thursdays. Five on the Holy days of Passover, Shavuoth, Succoth. Yom Kippur: Six. Shabbat: Seven.</ref>
* It is the first holy day mentioned in the Bible, and God was the first to observe it with the cessation of creation (Genesis 2:1–3).
* ] treats Shabbat as a "bride" and "queen" (see ]); some sources described it as a "king".<ref>The ] (Shabbat 119a) describes rabbis going out to greet the Shabbat Queen, and the ] poem describes Shabbat as a "bride" and "queen". However, ] (] Hilchot Shabbat 30:2) speaks of greeting the "Shabbat King", and two independent commentaries on Mishneh Torah (Maggid Mishneh and R' Zechariah haRofeh) quote the Talmud as speaking of the "Shabbat King". The words "King" and "Queen" in Aramaic differ by just one letter, and it seems that these understandings result from different traditions regarding spelling the Talmudic word. See .</ref>
* The ] is read during the ] which is part of the Shabbat morning services, with a longer reading than during the week. The Torah is read over a yearly cycle of 54 '']'', one for each Shabbat (sometimes they are doubled). On Shabbat, the reading is divided into seven sections, more than on any other holy day, including ]. Then, the ] reading from the Hebrew prophets is read.
* A tradition states that the ] will come if every Jew properly observes two consecutive Shabbatoth.<ref>] 118</ref>
* The punishment in ancient times for desecrating Shabbat (]) is the most severe punishment in Jewish law.<ref>See e.g. Numbers 15:32–36.</ref> In addition, the divine punishment for desecrating Shabbat, ''kareth (''spiritual excommunication), is the most severe of divine punishments in Judaism.<ref>. (he)</ref>
* On Shabbat an offering of two lambs was brought in the temple in Jerusalem.<ref>Numbers 28:9.</ref>
Honoring Shabbat (''kavod Shabbat'') on Preparation Day (Friday) includes bathing, having a haircut and cleaning and beautifying the home (with flowers, for example).
Days in the Jewish calendar start at nightfall, therefore many ] begin at ].<ref>{{cite web|last1=Moss|first1=Aron|title=Why do Jewish holidays begin at nightfall?|url=https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/160961/jewish/Why-do-Jewish-holidays-begin-at-nightfall.htm|website=Chabad.org|access-date=25 September 2020}}</ref> According to Jewish law, Shabbat starts a few minutes before sunset. Candles are lit at this time. It is customary in many communities to light the candles 18 minutes before sundown (''tosefet Shabbat'', although sometimes 36 minutes), and most printed Jewish calendars adhere to this custom.
The ] service is a prayer service welcoming the arrival of Shabbat. Before Friday night dinner, it is customary to sing two songs, one "greeting" two Shabbat angels into the house<ref>Shabbat 119b</ref> (] -"Peace Be Upon You") and the other praising the woman of the house for all the work she has done over the past week (] -"Women Of Valour").<ref>{{bibleverse|Proverbs|31:10–31|HE}}</ref> After blessings over the wine and ], a festive meal is served. Singing is traditional at Sabbath meals.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Ferguson|first1=Joey|title=Jewish lecture series focuses on Sabbath Course at Chabad center focuses on secrets of sabbath's serenity|url=https://www.deseret.com/2011/5/20/20193051/jewish-lecture-series-focuses-on-sabbath/|agency=Deseret News|date=May 20, 2011|quote=The more we are able to invest in it, the more we are able to derive pleasure from the Sabbath." Jewish belief is based on understanding that observance of the Sabbath is the source of all blessing, said Rabbi Zippel in an interview. He referred to the Jewish Sabbath as a time where individuals disconnect themselves from all endeavors that enslave them throughout the week and compared the day to pressing a reset button on a machine. A welcome prayer over wine or grape juice from the men and candle lighting from the women invokes the Jewish Sabbath on Friday at sundown.}}</ref> In modern times, many composers have written sacred music for use during the Kabbalat Shabbat observance, including ]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.milkenarchive.org/artists/view/robert-strassburg/|title=Strassburg, Robert|website=Milken Archive of Jewish Music|access-date=8 October 2017}}</ref> and ].<ref name="Milken Archive of Jewish Music">{{cite web|title=Milken Archive of Jewish Music – People – Samuel Adler|url=http://www.milkenarchive.org/people/view/all/482/Adler,+Samuel|access-date=2 August 2015}}</ref>
According to ], God via the Torah commands Jews to ''observe'' (refrain from forbidden activity) and ''remember'' (with words, thoughts, and actions) Shabbat, and these two actions are symbolized by the customary two ]. Candles are lit usually by the woman of the house (or else by a man who lives alone). Some families light more candles, sometimes in accordance with the number of children.<ref>], ] 261.</ref>
===Other rituals===
{{redirect2|Oyneg Shabes|Oneg Shabbat|the collection of documents from the Warsaw Ghetto collected and preserved by the group known by the code name Oyneg Shabes|Ringelblum Archive}}
Shabbat is a day of celebration as well as ]. It is customary to eat three festive meals: Dinner on Shabbat eve (Friday night), lunch on Shabbat day (Saturday), and a third meal (a '']''<ref>Since it is this meal that changes the other two from meals of a two-per-day nature to two of a trio</ref>) in the late afternoon (Saturday). It is also customary to wear nice clothing (different from during the week) on Shabbat to honor the day.
Many Jews attend synagogue services on Shabbat even if they do not do so during the week. Services are held on Shabbat eve (Friday night), Shabbat morning (Saturday morning), and late Shabbat afternoon (Saturday afternoon).
With the exception of ], days of public fasting are postponed or advanced if they coincide with Shabbat. Mourners sitting '']'' (week of mourning subsequent to the death of a spouse or first-degree relative) outwardly conduct themselves normally for the duration of the day and are forbidden to display public signs of mourning.
Although most Shabbat laws are restrictive, the fourth of the Ten Commandments in Exodus is taken by the Talmud and ] to allude to the ''positive'' commandments of Shabbat. These include:
* Honoring Shabbat (''kavod Shabbat''): on Shabbat, wearing festive clothing and refraining from unpleasant conversation. It is customary to avoid talking on Shabbat about money, business matters, or secular things that one might discuss during the week.<ref>{{cite book|title=Ein Yaakov: The Ethical and Inspirational Teachings of the Talmud|url=https://books.google.com/books?isbn=1461628245|isbn=1461628245|date=1999}}</ref><ref>Derived from {{Bibleverse||Isaiah|58:13–14|HE}}.</ref>
* Recitation of ''kiddush'' over a cup of ] at the beginning of Shabbat meals, or at a reception after the conclusion of morning prayers (see the ]).
* ] challot covered by traditional ] Shabbat ]]]Eating three festive meals. Meals begin with a blessing over two loaves of bread ('''', "double bread"), usually of braided challah, which is symbolic of the double portion of ] that fell for the Jewish people on the day before Sabbath during their 40 years in the desert after the Exodus from Ancient Egypt. It is customary to serve meat or fish, and sometimes both, for Shabbat evening and morning meals. '']'' (literally, "third meal"), generally a light meal that may be ] or ], is eaten late Shabbat afternoon.
* Enjoying Shabbat (''oneg Shabbat''): Engaging in pleasurable activities such as eating, singing, sleeping, spending time with the family, and marital relations. Sometimes referred to as "Shabbating".
* Recitation of '']''.
===Ending Shabbat===
{{Main|Havdalah}}
]
''Havdalah'' (Hebrew: הַבְדָּלָה, "separation") is a Jewish religious ceremony that marks the symbolic end of Shabbat, and ushers in the new week. At the conclusion of Shabbat at nightfall, after the appearance of three stars in the sky, the ''havdalah'' blessings are recited over a cup of wine, and with the use of fragrant spices and a candle, usually braided. Some communities delay ''havdalah'' later into the night in order to prolong Shabbat. There are different customs regarding how much time one should wait after the stars have surfaced until the sabbath technically ends. Some people hold by 72 minutes later and other hold longer and shorter than that.
==Prohibited activities==
==Prohibited activities==
{{Main|39 Melachot|Rabbinically prohibited activities of Shabbat}}
===The 39 Melakhot===
{{main|Activities prohibited on Shabbat}}
] prohibits doing any form of ''melakhah'' (מְלָאכָה, plural ''melakhot'') on Shabbat, with some exceptions. Though ''melakhah'' is commonly translated as "work" in ], a better definition is "deliberate activity" or "skill and craftmanship". There are 39 categories of prohibited activities (''melakhot'') listed in ] ] Chapter 7, Mishna 2).
] prohibits doing any form of ''melakhah'' (מְלָאכָה, plural ''melakhoth'') on Shabbat, unless an urgent human or medical need is life-threatening. Though ''melakhah'' is commonly translated as "work" in ], a better definition is "deliberate activity" or "skill and craftmanship". There are 39 categories of ''melakhah'':<ref>] Tractate Shabbat 7:2</ref>
Different streams of Judaism view the prohibition on work in different ways. Observant ] and ] Jews refrain from performing the prohibited activities. These prohibited activities are ] derived – based on juxtaposition of corresponding Biblical passages – from the kinds of work that were necessary for the construction of the ]. They are not directly listed in the Torah; elsewhere, the Mishnah observes that "the laws of Shabbat are like mountains hanging by a hair, for they are little Scripture but many laws".<ref>] 1:8.</ref> Many ] have pointed out that these labors have in common activity that is "creative," or that exercises control or dominion over one's ].
{{Div col|colwidth=22em}}
* plowing 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 hide
* 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 private and public domains, or over 4 ]s within public domain) {{div col end}}
The 39 ''melakhoth'' are not so much activities as "categories of activity". For example, while "winnowing" usually refers exclusively to the separation of ] from ], and "selecting" refers exclusively to the separation of debris from grain, they refer in the Talmudic sense to any separation of intermixed materials which renders edible that which was inedible. Thus, filtering undrinkable water to make it drinkable falls under this category, as does picking small bones from fish (] is one solution to this problem).
The 39 categories of ''melakhah'' are: 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 ]s within the public domain.
The categories of labors prohibited on Shabbat are ] derived – on account of Biblical passages juxtaposing Shabbat observance ({{Bibleverse|Exodus|35:1–3|HE}}) to making the ] ({{Bibleverse|Exodus|35:4 etc.|HE}}) – that they are the kinds of work that were necessary for the construction of the ]. They are not explicitly listed in the Torah; the Mishnah observes that "the laws of Shabbat ... are like mountains hanging by a hair, for they are little Scripture but many laws".<ref>] 1:8.</ref> Many ] have pointed out that these labors have in common activity that is "creative", or that exercises control or dominion over one's ].<ref>{{cite news|last1=Klein|first1=Miriam|title=Sabbath Offers Serenity in a Fast-Paced World|url=http://www.triblocal.com/northbrook/community/stories/2011/04/sabbath-offers-serenity-in-a-fast-paced-world/|agency=Chicago Tribune|publisher=Triblocal|date=April 27, 2011|access-date=July 7, 2015|archive-date=July 8, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150708062609/http://www.triblocal.com/northbrook/community/stories/2011/04/sabbath-offers-serenity-in-a-fast-paced-world/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
Each ''melakhah'' has derived prohibitions of various kinds. There are, therefore, many more forbidden activities on the Shabbat; all are traced back to one of the 39 above principal ''melakhot''.
In addition to the 39 ''melakhot'', additional activities were ] for various reasons.
Given the above, the 39 ''melakhot'' are not so much activities as "categories of activity." For example, while "winnowing" usually refers exclusively to the separation of ] from ], and "selecting" refers exclusively to the separation of debris from grain, they refer in the Talmudic sense to any separation of intermixed materials which renders edible that which was inedible. Thus, filtering undrinkable ] to make it drinkable falls under this category, as does picking small bones from ]. ('']'' is one solution to this problem.)
The term '']'' is used for a person (or organization) who adheres to Shabbat laws consistently. The (strict) observance of the Sabbath is often seen as a benchmark for orthodoxy and indeed has legal bearing on the way a Jew is seen by an ] regarding their affiliation to Judaism.<ref>See ]'s "Beis HaLevi" commentary on ] ] for further elaboration regarding the legal ramifications.</ref>
===Use of electricity===
{{main|Electricity on Shabbat}}
Orthodox and some Conservative authorities rule that it is prohibited to turn ] devices on or off as falling under one of the 39 categories of work (''melakhot''). However, the authorities are not in agreement about exactly which category (or categories) this would fall under. One view is that tiny sparks are created in a switch when the circuit is closed, and this would constitute "lighting a fire" (category 37). If the appliance is one whose purpose is for light or heat (such as an incandescent lightbulb or electric oven) then the lighting or heating elements may be considered as a type of fire; if so, then turning them on constitutes both "lighting a fire" (category 37) and "cooking" (a form of baking, category 11), and turning them off would be "extinguishing a fire" (category 36).
===Specific applications===
Another view is that a device which is plugged into an electrical outlet of a wall becomes part of the building, but is nonfunctional while the switch is off; turning it on would then constitute "building" and turning it off would be "demolishing" (categories 35 and 34). Some schools of thought consider the use of electricity to be forbidden only by ], rather than because it violates one of the original categories.
====Electricity====
A common solution to the problem of electricity involves pre-set timers (]s) for electric appliances, to turn them on and off automatically, with no human intervention on Shabbat itself. Some Conservative authorities<ref>{{Cite journal | last1 = Neulander | first1 = Arthur | year = 1950 | title = The Use of Electricity on the Sabbath | url = | journal = Proceedings of the Rabbinical Assembly | volume = 14 | issue = | pages = 165–171 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal | last1 = Adler | first1 = Morris | last2 = Agus | first2 = Jacob | last3 = Friedman | first3 = Theodore | year = 1950 | title = Responsum on the Sabbath | url = | journal = Proceedings of the Rabbinical Assembly | volume = 14 | issue = | pages = 112–137 }}</ref><ref>Klein, Isaac. ''A Guide to Jewish Religious Practice.'' The Jewish Theological Seminary of America: New York, 1979.</ref> reject altogether the arguments for prohibiting the use of electricity.
{{Main|Electricity on Shabbat}}
]. The cap can be twisted, which covers the lightbulb with a dark shell and dims the light in a way arguably acceptable on the sabbath.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Lubrich, Battegay |first=Naomi, Caspar |title=Jewish Switzerland: 50 Objects Tell Their Stories |publisher=Christoph Merian |year=2018 |isbn=978-3856168476 |location=Basel |pages=202–205}}</ref> ]]
Orthodox and some Conservative authorities rule that turning ] devices on or off is prohibited as a ''melakhah''; however, authorities are not in agreement about exactly which one(s). One view is that tiny sparks are created in a switch when the circuit is closed, and this would constitute lighting a fire (category 37). If the appliance is purposed for light or heat (such as an ] or electric oven), then the lighting or heating elements may be considered as a type of fire that falls under both lighting a fire (category 37) and cooking (i.e., baking, category 11). Turning lights off would be extinguishing a fire (category 36). Another view is that completing an electrical circuit constitutes building (category 35) and turning off the circuit would be demolishing (category 34). Some schools of thought consider the use of electricity to be forbidden only by ], rather than a ''melakhah''.
===Automobiles===
{{main|Driving during Shabbat}}
Orthodox and many Conservative authorities completely prohibit the use of automobiles on Shabbat as a violation of multiple categories include "igniting a fire" (category 37), "extinguishing a fire" (category 36) and "transferring between domains" (category 39). However, the Conservative movement's ] permits driving to a synagogue on Shabbat, as an emergency measure, on the grounds that if Jews lost contact with synagogue life they would become lost to the Jewish people.
A common solution to the problem of electricity involves preset timers (]s) for electric appliances, to turn them on and off automatically, with no human intervention on Shabbat itself. Some Conservative authorities<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Neulander|first=Arthur|date=1950|title=The Use of Electricity on the Sabbath|journal=Proceedings of the Rabbinical Assembly|volume=14|pages=165–171}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Adler|first1=Morris|last2=Agus|first2=Jacob|last3=Friedman|first3=Theodore|date=1950|title=Responsum on the Sabbath|journal=Proceedings of the Rabbinical Assembly|volume=14|pages=112–137}}</ref><ref>Klein, Isaac. ''A Guide to Jewish Religious Practice.'' The Jewish Theological Seminary of America: New York, 1979.</ref> reject altogether the arguments for prohibiting the use of electricity. Some Orthodox also hire a "]", a non-Jew (who must not be regularly employed by the household in question) to perform prohibited tasks (like operating light switches) on Shabbat.
A halachically authorized ] added to an ] power operated vehicle may be used on the observance of Shabbat for those with walking limitations. Often referred to as a Shabbat scooter or ] Shabbat, it is manufactured by Zomet Institute in Israel, each Shabbat module application is individually inspected and certified by a Zomet representative. It is intended only for individuals whose limited mobility is dependent on a POV/scooter or automobile consistently throughout the week.
===Shomer Shabbat===
====Automobiles====
{{main|Shomer Shabbat}}
{{Main|Driving on Shabbat}}
The term ''shomer Shabbat'' is used for a person (or organization) who adheres to Shabbat laws consistently. The ''shomer Shabbat'' is an archetype mentioned in Jewish songs (e.g., ''Baruch El Elyon'') and the intended audience for various treatises on Jewish law and practice for ''Shabbat'' (e.g., ''Shemirat Shabbat ke-Hilkhata'').
Orthodox and many Conservative authorities completely prohibit the use of automobiles on Shabbat as a violation of multiple categories, including lighting a fire, extinguishing a fire, and transferring between domains (category 39). However, the Conservative movement's ] permits driving to a synagogue on Shabbat, as an emergency measure, on the grounds that if Jews lost contact with synagogue life, they would become lost to the Jewish people.
===Technology in the service of Shabbat===
When there is an urgent human or medical need which is life-threatening, it is possible to perform seemingly "forbidden" acts by modifying the relevant technology to such an extent that no law is actually violated. An example is the "]". In this mode, an elevator will stop automatically at every floor, allowing people to step on and off without anyone having to press any buttons, which would normally be needed to work. (] is also disabled if it is normally used, shunting energy collected from downward travel, and thus the gravitational potential energy of passengers, into a ] network.) This prevents "violation" of the Shabbat prohibition against doing "useful work." Many rabbinical authorities consider the use of such elevators by those who are otherwise capable as a "violation" of the Shabbat, with such workarounds being for the benefit of the frail and handicapped and not being in the spirit of the day.
A halakhically authorized ] added to a power-operated ] may be used on the observance of Shabbat for those with walking limitations, often referred to as a Shabbat scooter. It is intended only for individuals whose limited mobility is dependent on a scooter or automobile consistently throughout the week.
Many observant Jews avoid the prohibition of "carrying" in the absence of an ] by making their ] into a ], or part of a ] buckle or ]. The key thereby becomes a legitimate article of ] or ], which may be worn, rather than carried. Some also use an elastic band which has clips on both ends, and keys are placed between them as an integral link in the band, which may then be considered a belt.
====Modifications====
In recent years, the ] has been developed to allow a light in a room to be turned on/off at will while the electricity remains on. A special mechanism blocks out the light when the off position is desired without violating Shabbat.
Seemingly "forbidden" acts may be performed by modifying technology such that no law is actually violated. In ], a "]" will stop automatically at every floor, allowing people to step on and off without anyone having to press any buttons, which would normally be needed to work. (] is also disabled if it is normally used, i.e., shunting energy collected from downward travel, and thus the ] of passengers, into a ] network.) However, many rabbinical authorities consider the use of such elevators by those who are otherwise capable as a violation of Shabbat, with such workarounds being for the benefit of the frail and handicapped and not being in the spirit of the day.
Many observant Jews avoid the prohibition of carrying by use of an ]. Others make their ] into a ], part of a ] buckle, or a ], because a legitimate article of ] or ] may be worn rather than carried. An elastic band with clips on both ends, and with keys placed between them as integral links, may be considered a belt.
==Permitted desecration==
{{details|pikuach nefesh}}
In the event that a human ] is in danger ('']''), a Jew is not only allowed, but required,<ref> (January 17, 2010) in Retrieved 2010–01–18</ref><ref> Religious rescue team holds Shabbat prayer with members of international missions in Port au-Prince. Retrieved 2010–01–22</ref> to violate any Shabbat law that stands in the way of saving that person, excluding murder, idolatry, and forbidden sexual acts. The concept of life being in danger is interpreted broadly: for example, it is mandated that one violate the Shabbat to bring a woman in active labor to a hospital. Lesser, rabbinic restrictions are often violated under much less urgent circumstances (a patient who is ill but not critically so).
]s have been developed to allow a light in a room to be turned on or off at will while the electricity remains on. A special mechanism blocks out the light when the off position is desired without violating Shabbat.
{{cquote2|"We did everything to save lives, despite Shabbat. People asked, 'Why are you here? There are no Jews here', but we are here because the Torah orders us to save lives… We are desecrating Shabbat with pride…"|Mati Goldstein, commander of the Jewish ] rescue-mission to ]<ref name="ynews">http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3835327,00.html</ref>}}
The ] is a proposed ] claimed by its creators to enable ] ]s, and all Jewish Sabbath-observers, to use a ] to text on the Jewish Sabbath. It has met with resistance from some authorities.<ref name=uproar>{{cite web|url=http://www.thejewishweek.com/news/international/new-shabbos-app-creates-uproar-among-orthodox-circles|title=New Shabbos App Creates Uproar Among Orthodox Circles|author=Hannah Dreyfus|work=]|date=October 2, 2014|access-date=October 12, 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141007195945/http://www.thejewishweek.com/news/international/new-shabbos-app-creates-uproar-among-orthodox-circles|archive-date=October 7, 2014}}</ref><ref name=toi>{{cite web|url=http://www.timesofisrael.com/app-lets-jewish-kids-text-on-sabbath-and-stay-in-the-fold/|title=App lets Jewish kids text on Sabbath – and stay in the fold; The 'Shabbos App' is generating controversy in the Jewish community – and a monumental on-line discussion of Jewish law|author=David Shamah|date=October 2, 2014|work=]|access-date=October 3, 2014}}</ref><ref name=shalom>{{cite web|url=http://www.shalomlife.com/business/26132/finally-now-you-can-text-on-saturdays-thanks-to-new-shabbos-app/|title=Finally, Now You Can Text on Saturdays Thanks to New 'Shabbos App'|date=October 2, 2014|author=Daniel Koren|work=Shalom Life|access-date=October 12, 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141007135626/http://www.shalomlife.com/business/26132/finally-now-you-can-text-on-saturdays-thanks-to-new-shabbos-app/|archive-date=October 7, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://jewishbusinessnews.com/2014/10/02/will-the-shabbos-app-change-jewish-life-raise-rabbinic-ire-or-both/|title=Will the Shabbos App Change Jewish Life, Raise Rabbinic Ire, or Both?|date=October 2, 2014|publisher=Jewish Business News|access-date=October 12, 2014}}</ref>
Various other legal principles closely delineate which activities constitute desecration of the Shabbat. Examples of these include the principle of ''shinui'' ("change" or "deviation"): A severe violation becomes a non-severe one if the prohibited act was performed in a way that would be considered abnormal on a weekday. Examples include writing with one's non-dominant hand (according to many rabbinic authorities). This legal principle operates ''bedi'avad'' ('']'') and does not cause a forbidden activity to be permitted barring extenuating circumstances.
==Liberal views==
====Permissions====
{{Main|Pikuach nefesh}}
Generally, adherents of ] and ] believe that the individual Jew determines whether to follow Shabbat prohibitions or not. For example, some Jews might find activities, such as writing or cooking for ], to be enjoyable enhancements to Shabbat and its holiness, and therefore may encourage such practices. Many Reform Jews believe that what constitutes "work" is different for each person, and that only what the person considers "work" is forbidden.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.shamash.org/lists/scj-faq/HTML/faq/18-04-17.html|title=Soc.Culture.Jewish Newsgroups Frequently Asked Questions and Answers|page=18.4.7|date=2003-09-04|accessdate=2009-03-27|author=Faigin, Daniel P.|publisher=]}}</ref> Radical Hungarian-born ] rabbi Ignaz Einhorn even shifted his congregation's Shabbat worship to Sundays.<ref>{{cite book|author=Meyer, Michael|title=Response to Modernity: A History of the Reform Movement in Judaism|location=]|publisher=]|year=1988|pages=162ff|isbn=019505167X}}</ref>
If a human life is in danger (pikuach nefesh), then a Jew is not only allowed, but required,<ref> {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100119072338/http://www.israel21c.org/briefs/8-saved-during-qshabbat-from-hellq |date=2010-01-19 }} (January 17, 2010) in Retrieved 2010–01–18</ref><ref> Religious rescue team holds Shabbat prayer with members of international missions in Port au-Prince. Retrieved 2010–01–22</ref> to violate any halakhic law that stands in the way of saving that person (excluding murder, idolatry, and forbidden sexual acts). The concept of life being in danger is interpreted broadly: for example, it is mandated that one violate Shabbat to bring a woman in active labor to a hospital. Lesser rabbinic restrictions are often violated under much less urgent circumstances (a patient who is ill but not critically so).
More rabbinically traditional Reform and Reconstruction Jews believe that these ''halakhot'' in general may be valid, but that it is up to each individual to decide how and when to apply them. A small fraction of Jews, in the Progressive Jewish community, accept these laws much the same way as Orthodox Jews.
{{quote|We did everything to save lives, despite Shabbat. People asked: "Why are you here? There are no Jews here," but we are here because the Torah orders us to save lives .... We are desecrating Shabbat with pride.|Mati Goldstein, commander of the Jewish ] rescue-mission to the ]<ref name="ynews">{{cite news|url=http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3835327,00.html|title=ZAKA mission to Haiti 'proudly desecrating Shabbat'|newspaper=Ynetnews|date=17 January 2010 |access-date=8 October 2017|last1=Levy|first1=Amit}}</ref>}}
Various other legal principles closely delineate which activities constitute ]. Examples of these include the principle of ''shinui'' ("change" or "deviation"): A violation is not regarded as severe if the prohibited act was performed in a way that would be considered abnormal on a weekday. Examples include writing with one's nondominant hand, according to many rabbinic authorities. This legal principle operates ''bedi'avad'' ('']'') and does not cause a forbidden activity to be permitted barring extenuating circumstances.
===Reform and Reconstructionist views===
Generally, adherents of ] and ] believe that the individual Jew determines whether to follow Shabbat prohibitions or not. For example, some Jews might find activities, such as writing or cooking for ], to be enjoyable enhancements to Shabbat and its holiness, and therefore may encourage such practices. Many Reform Jews believe that what constitutes "work" is different for each person, and that only what the person considers "work" is forbidden.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.shamash.org/lists/scj-faq/HTML/faq/18-04-17.html |title=Soc.Culture.Jewish Newsgroups Frequently Asked Questions and Answers |page=18.4.7 |date=2003-09-04 |access-date=2009-03-27 |last=Faigin |first=Daniel P. |publisher=] |archive-date=2006-02-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060222101110/http://www.shamash.org/lists/scj-faq/HTML/faq/18-04-17.html }}</ref> The radical Reform rabbi ] advocated moving Sabbath to Sunday for many no longer observed it, a step taken by dozens of congregations in the United States in late 19th century.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://americanjewisharchives.org/publications/journal/PDF/1982_34_01_00_olitzky.pdf |title=The Sunday-Sabbath Movement in American Reform Judaism: Strategy or Evolution |website=AmericanJewishArchives.org |access-date=8 October 2017 }}</ref>
More rabbinically traditional Reform and Reconstructionist Jews believe that these ''halakhoth'' in general may be valid, but that it is up to each individual to decide how and when to apply them. A small fraction of Jews in the Progressive Jewish community accept these laws in much the same way as Orthodox Jews.
==Encouraged activities==
==Encouraged activities==
The Talmud, especially in tractate Shabbat, defines rituals and activities to both "remember" and "keep" the Sabbath and to sanctify it at home and in the synagogue. In addition to refraining from creative work, the sanctification of the day through ], the preparation of special ], and engaging in ] and ] were required as an active part of Shabbat observance to promote intellectual activity and spiritual regeneration on the day of rest from physical creation. According to many scribes, half of the day should be devoted to Torah study and prayer.<ref>See: Rabbi ], </ref> The Talmud states that the best food should be prepared for the Sabbath, for "one who delights in the Sabbath is granted their heart's desires" (], Shabbat 118a-b).<ref>{{cite book|title=A Book of Jewish Concepts|last=Birnbaum|first=Philip|chapter=Sabbath|date=1975|publisher=Hebrew Publishing Company|location=New York, New York |isbn=088482876X|pages=579–581}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Judaism - The Sabbath|website=Encyclopædia Britannica|url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Judaism|access-date=2020-07-28}}</ref>
All ] encourage the following activities on Shabbat:
All ] encourage the following activities on Shabbat:
*Reading, studying and discussing ] and commentary, ] and ], learning some ] and ].
* Reading, studying, and discussing ] and commentary, ] and Talmud, and learning some ] and ].
*] attendance for ];
* ] attendance for ].
*Spending time with other Jews and socializing with family, friends and guests at Shabbat meals (''hachnasat orchim'', "hospitality");
* Spending time with other Jews and socializing with family, friends, and guests at Shabbat meals (''hachnasat orchim'', "]").
*Singing '']'', special songs for the Shabbat meal (commonly sung during or after a meal)
* Singing '']'' or '']im'', special songs for Shabbat meals (commonly sung during or after a meal).
*Marital relations between husband and wife<ref>Shulkhan Arukh, Orach Chaim 280:1</ref>
* ] between husband and wife.<ref>Shulkhan Arukh, Orach Chaim 280:1</ref>
*Sleeping
* Sleeping.
==Special Shabbats==
==Special Shabbat==
{{main|Special Shabbat}}
{{Main|Special Shabbat}}
The ]s are the Shabbats that precede important ]s: e.g. ''Shabbat ha-Gadol'' is the Shabbat preceding ], ''Shabbat Zachor'' is the Shabbat preceding ], and ''Shabbat Teshuva'' is the Shabbat preceding Yom Kippur.
Special Shabbatot are the Shabbatot that precede important ]s: e.g., ''Shabbat HaGadol'' (Shabbat preceding ]), ''Shabbat Zachor'' (Shabbat preceding ]), and ''Shabbat Shuvah'' (Shabbat between ] and ]).
==Sabbath adaptation==
{{main|Christian Sabbath}}
Most ]s do not celebrate Biblical ''Shabbat'' as outlined in the ] and instead observe a weekly day of worship on ], which they call "]". This originated when Emperor ] of Rome changed the day of rest for the church in 321 A.D. from Saturday to Sunday. Constantine noted, "On the venerable day of the Sun let the magistrates and people residing in cities rest, and let all workshops be closed".
==In other religions==
Several Christian denominations, such as the ], the ]s, and the ], observe ]. Scriptural Sabbath is celebrated from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset. Some of ] considers its Sabbath to be kept according to Jewish doctrinal tradition, while most of ] disagrees.
===Christianity===
The principle of weekly Sabbath also exists in other beliefs: compare the ], the ] '']'', the ]ic '']'', the ] ], the ], the ] ], and the parody-religion ] weekend.
{{Main|Sabbath in seventh-day churches|Sabbath in Christianity}}
Most ] do not observe Saturday Sabbath, but instead observe a weekly day of worship on ], which is often called the "]". Several Christian denominations, such as the ], the ], the ]s, and ], observe ]. This observance is celebrated from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset.
==See also==
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==References==
===Samaritans===
{{Expand section|date=December 2022}}
{{reflist|2}}
] also observe Shabbat.<ref>{{cite web |title=Sabbat Observance |url=https://www.israelite-samaritans.com/religion/sabbath-observance/ |publisher=AB Institute for Samaritan Studies, supported by the ] |access-date=20 December 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Dying Out: The Last Of The Samaritan Tribe – Full Documentary | date=8 August 2019 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zloTR_N5Cys |publisher=Little Dot Studios |access-date=20 December 2022 }}</ref>
==External links==
{{Wiktionary|sabbath}}
==Lunar Sabbath==
Some hold the biblical sabbath was not connected to a 7-day week like the ].<ref>.</ref> Instead the New Moon marks the starting point for counting and the shabbat falls consistently on the 8th, 15th, 22nd, 29th of each month. Biblical text to support using the moon, a light in the heavens, to determine days include , , and See references:
<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thecreatorscalendar.com/sabbaths-consistent-lunar-month-dates/|title=Sabbath's Consistent Lunar Month Dates |date=4 February 2015 |access-date=Dec 27, 2021|quote="the sacred seventh-day Sabbaths are forever fixed to the count from one New Moon to the next, causing them to consistently fall upon the 8th, 15th, 22nd, and 29th lunar calendar dates."}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://multifaiths.com/pdf/BiblicalProofLUNARSabbath.pdf |title=Biblical Proof for the Lunar Sabbath |first=John D. |last=Keyser }}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Cipriani|first=Roshan|date=Oct 1, 2015|title=Lunar Sabbath: The Seventy-Two Lunar Sabbaths: Sabbath Observance By The Phases Of The Moon|location=Scotts Valley, California |publisher=CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform|isbn=978-1517080372}}{{RS|date=February 2022}}</ref>
Rabbinic Jewish tradition and practice does not hold of this, holding the sabbath to be based of the days of creation, and hence a wholly separate cycle from the monthly cycle, which does not occur automatically and must be rededicated each month.<ref>{{Cite web |title=tefilla – No Mekadesh Yisrael on Shabbat |url=https://judaism.stackexchange.com/questions/90473/no-mekadesh-yisrael-on-shabbat |access-date=2022-06-22 |website=Mi Yodeya }}</ref> See ].
==See also==
{{Wiktionary|Shabbat|shabbat}}
{{Commons category|Shabbat}}
{{Commons category|Shabbat}}
* ]
* from Torah.org, based on the ]
* ]
* ]
* {{Section link|Jewish prayer#Prayer on Shabbat}}
* ]
* ]
* ]
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Shabbat}}
{{Shabbat}}
{{Jewish holidays}}
{{Jewish holidays}}
{{Time in religion and mythology}}
{{Authority control}}
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Judaism's day of rest
This article is about the day of rest in Judaism. For the general day of rest in Abrahamic religions, see Sabbath. For Sabbath in the Bible, see Biblical Sabbath. For the Talmudic tractate, see Shabbat (Talmud).
Shabbat observance entails refraining from work activities, often with great rigor, and engaging in restful activities to honor the day. Judaism's traditional position is that the unbroken seventh-day Shabbat originated among the Jewish people, as their first and most sacred institution. Variations upon Shabbat are widespread in Judaism and, with adaptations, throughout the Abrahamic and many other religions.
According to halakha (Jewish religious law), Shabbat is observed from a few minutes before the sun sets on Friday evening until the appearance of three stars in the sky on Saturday night, or an hour after sundown. Shabbat is ushered in by lighting candles and reciting blessings over wine and bread. Traditionally, three festive meals are eaten: The first one is held on Friday evening, the second is traditionally a lunch meal on Saturday, and the third is held later Saturday afternoon. The evening meal and the early afternoon meal typically begin with a blessing called kiddush (sanctification), said over a cup of wine.
At the third meal a kiddush is not performed, but the hamotzi blessing is recited and challah (braided bread) is eaten. In many communities, this meal is often eaten in the period after the afternoon prayers (Minchah) are recited and shortly before Shabbat is formally ended with a Havdalah ritual.
Shabbat is a festive day when Jews exercise their freedom from the regular labours of everyday life. It offers an opportunity to contemplate the spiritual aspects of life and to spend time with family. The end of Shabbat is traditionally marked by a ritual called Havdalah, during which blessings are said over wine (or grape juice), aromatic spices, and light, separating Shabbat from the rest of the week.
The word Shabbat derives from the Hebrew root ש־ב־ת. Although frequently translated as "rest" (noun or verb), another accurate translation is "ceasing ." The notion of active cessation from labour is also regarded as more consistent with an omnipotentGod's activity on the seventh day of creation according to Genesis.
A cognateBabylonianSapattu or Sabattu is reconstructed from the lost fifth Enūma Eliš creation account, which is read as: "bbatu shalt thou then encounter, midly". It is regarded as a form of Sumeriansa-bat ("mid-rest"), rendered in Akkadian as um nuh libbi ("day of mid-repose").
Connection to Sabbath observance has been suggested in the designation of the seventh, fourteenth, nineteenth, twenty-first and twenty-eight days of a lunar month in an Assyrian religious calendar as a 'holy day', also called 'evil days' (meaning "unsuitable" for prohibited activities). The prohibitions on these days, spaced seven days apart (except the nineteenth), include abstaining from chariot riding, and the avoidance of eating meat by the King. On these days officials were prohibited from various activities and common men were forbidden to "make a wish", and at least the 28th was known as a "rest-day".
The Universal Jewish Encyclopedia advanced a theory of Assyriologists like Friedrich Delitzsch (and of Marcello Craveri) that Shabbat originally arose from the lunar cycle in the Babylonian calendar containing four weeks ending in a Sabbath, plus one or two additional unreckoned days per month. The difficulties of this theory include reconciling the differences between an unbroken week and a lunar week, and explaining the absence of texts naming the lunar week as Sabbath in any language.
Egypt
Seventh-day Shabbat did not originate with the Egyptians, to whom it was unknown; and other origin theories based on the day of Saturn, or on the planets generally, have also been abandoned.
Sabbath is given special status as a holy day at the very beginning of the Torah in Genesis 2:1-3. It is first commanded after The Exodus from Egypt, in Exodus 16:26 (relating to the cessation of manna) and in Exodus 16:29 (relating to the distance one may travel by foot on the Sabbath), as also in Exodus 20:8-11 (as one of the Ten Commandments). Sabbath is commanded and commended many more times in the Torah and Tanakh; double the normal number of animal sacrifices are to be offered on the day. Sabbath is also described by the prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Hosea, Amos, and Nehemiah.
The longstanding Jewish position is that unbroken seventh-day Shabbat originated among the Jewish people, as their first and most sacred institution. The origins of Shabbat and a seven-day week are not clear to scholars; the Mosaic tradition claims an origin from the Genesis creation narrative.
The first non-Biblical reference to Sabbath is in an ostracon found in excavations at Mesad Hashavyahu, which has been dated to approximately 630 BCE.
Judaism accords Shabbat the status of a joyous holy day. In many ways, Jewish law gives Shabbat the status of being the most important holy day in the Hebrew calendar:
It is the first holy day mentioned in the Bible, and God was the first to observe it with the cessation of creation (Genesis 2:1–3).
Jewish liturgy treats Shabbat as a "bride" and "queen" (see Shekhinah); some sources described it as a "king".
The Sefer Torah is read during the Torah reading which is part of the Shabbat morning services, with a longer reading than during the week. The Torah is read over a yearly cycle of 54 parashioth, one for each Shabbat (sometimes they are doubled). On Shabbat, the reading is divided into seven sections, more than on any other holy day, including Yom Kippur. Then, the Haftarah reading from the Hebrew prophets is read.
A tradition states that the Jewish Messiah will come if every Jew properly observes two consecutive Shabbatoth.
The punishment in ancient times for desecrating Shabbat (stoning) is the most severe punishment in Jewish law. In addition, the divine punishment for desecrating Shabbat, kareth (spiritual excommunication), is the most severe of divine punishments in Judaism.
On Shabbat an offering of two lambs was brought in the temple in Jerusalem.
Rituals
"Shabbat dinner" redirects here. For the film, see Shabbat Dinner.
Honoring Shabbat (kavod Shabbat) on Preparation Day (Friday) includes bathing, having a haircut and cleaning and beautifying the home (with flowers, for example).
Days in the Jewish calendar start at nightfall, therefore many Jewish holidays begin at such time. According to Jewish law, Shabbat starts a few minutes before sunset. Candles are lit at this time. It is customary in many communities to light the candles 18 minutes before sundown (tosefet Shabbat, although sometimes 36 minutes), and most printed Jewish calendars adhere to this custom.
The Kabbalat Shabbat service is a prayer service welcoming the arrival of Shabbat. Before Friday night dinner, it is customary to sing two songs, one "greeting" two Shabbat angels into the house ("Shalom Aleichem" -"Peace Be Upon You") and the other praising the woman of the house for all the work she has done over the past week ("Eshet Ḥayil" -"Women Of Valour"). After blessings over the wine and challah, a festive meal is served. Singing is traditional at Sabbath meals. In modern times, many composers have written sacred music for use during the Kabbalat Shabbat observance, including Robert Strassburg and Samuel Adler.
According to rabbinic literature, God via the Torah commands Jews to observe (refrain from forbidden activity) and remember (with words, thoughts, and actions) Shabbat, and these two actions are symbolized by the customary two Shabbat candles. Candles are lit usually by the woman of the house (or else by a man who lives alone). Some families light more candles, sometimes in accordance with the number of children.
Other rituals
"Oyneg Shabes" and "Oneg Shabbat" redirect here. For the collection of documents from the Warsaw Ghetto collected and preserved by the group known by the code name Oyneg Shabes, see Ringelblum Archive.
Shabbat is a day of celebration as well as prayer. It is customary to eat three festive meals: Dinner on Shabbat eve (Friday night), lunch on Shabbat day (Saturday), and a third meal (a Seudah shlishit) in the late afternoon (Saturday). It is also customary to wear nice clothing (different from during the week) on Shabbat to honor the day.
Many Jews attend synagogue services on Shabbat even if they do not do so during the week. Services are held on Shabbat eve (Friday night), Shabbat morning (Saturday morning), and late Shabbat afternoon (Saturday afternoon).
With the exception of Yom Kippur, days of public fasting are postponed or advanced if they coincide with Shabbat. Mourners sitting shivah (week of mourning subsequent to the death of a spouse or first-degree relative) outwardly conduct themselves normally for the duration of the day and are forbidden to display public signs of mourning.
Although most Shabbat laws are restrictive, the fourth of the Ten Commandments in Exodus is taken by the Talmud and Maimonides to allude to the positive commandments of Shabbat. These include:
Honoring Shabbat (kavod Shabbat): on Shabbat, wearing festive clothing and refraining from unpleasant conversation. It is customary to avoid talking on Shabbat about money, business matters, or secular things that one might discuss during the week.
Recitation of kiddush over a cup of wine at the beginning of Shabbat meals, or at a reception after the conclusion of morning prayers (see the list of Jewish prayers and blessings).
Two homemade whole-wheat challot covered by traditional embroidered Shabbat challah coverEating three festive meals. Meals begin with a blessing over two loaves of bread (lechem mishneh, "double bread"), usually of braided challah, which is symbolic of the double portion of manna that fell for the Jewish people on the day before Sabbath during their 40 years in the desert after the Exodus from Ancient Egypt. It is customary to serve meat or fish, and sometimes both, for Shabbat evening and morning meals. Seudah Shlishit (literally, "third meal"), generally a light meal that may be pareve or dairy, is eaten late Shabbat afternoon.
Enjoying Shabbat (oneg Shabbat): Engaging in pleasurable activities such as eating, singing, sleeping, spending time with the family, and marital relations. Sometimes referred to as "Shabbating".
Main article: HavdalahObserving the closing havdalah ritual in 14th-century Spain
Havdalah (Hebrew: הַבְדָּלָה, "separation") is a Jewish religious ceremony that marks the symbolic end of Shabbat, and ushers in the new week. At the conclusion of Shabbat at nightfall, after the appearance of three stars in the sky, the havdalah blessings are recited over a cup of wine, and with the use of fragrant spices and a candle, usually braided. Some communities delay havdalah later into the night in order to prolong Shabbat. There are different customs regarding how much time one should wait after the stars have surfaced until the sabbath technically ends. Some people hold by 72 minutes later and other hold longer and shorter than that.
Jewish law (halakha) prohibits doing any form of melakhah (מְלָאכָה, plural melakhoth) on Shabbat, unless an urgent human or medical need is life-threatening. Though melakhah is commonly translated as "work" in English, a better definition is "deliberate activity" or "skill and craftmanship". There are 39 categories of melakhah:
plowing 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 hide
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 private and public domains, or over 4 cubits within public domain)
The 39 melakhoth are not so much activities as "categories of activity". For example, while "winnowing" usually refers exclusively to the separation of chaff from grain, and "selecting" refers exclusively to the separation of debris from grain, they refer in the Talmudic sense to any separation of intermixed materials which renders edible that which was inedible. Thus, filtering undrinkable water to make it drinkable falls under this category, as does picking small bones from fish (gefilte fish is one solution to this problem).
The categories of labors prohibited on Shabbat are exegetically derived – on account of Biblical passages juxtaposing Shabbat observance (Exodus 35:1–3) to making the Tabernacle (Exodus 35:4 etc.) – that they are the kinds of work that were necessary for the construction of the Tabernacle. They are not explicitly listed in the Torah; the Mishnah observes that "the laws of Shabbat ... are like mountains hanging by a hair, for they are little Scripture but many laws". Many rabbinic scholars have pointed out that these labors have in common activity that is "creative", or that exercises control or dominion over one's environment.
In addition to the 39 melakhot, additional activities were prohibited by the rabbis for various reasons.
The term shomer Shabbat is used for a person (or organization) who adheres to Shabbat laws consistently. The (strict) observance of the Sabbath is often seen as a benchmark for orthodoxy and indeed has legal bearing on the way a Jew is seen by an orthodox religious court regarding their affiliation to Judaism.
Specific applications
Electricity
Main article: Electricity on ShabbatTeddy bear lamp in the collection of the Jewish Museum of Switzerland. The cap can be twisted, which covers the lightbulb with a dark shell and dims the light in a way arguably acceptable on the sabbath.
Orthodox and some Conservative authorities rule that turning electric devices on or off is prohibited as a melakhah; however, authorities are not in agreement about exactly which one(s). One view is that tiny sparks are created in a switch when the circuit is closed, and this would constitute lighting a fire (category 37). If the appliance is purposed for light or heat (such as an incandescent bulb or electric oven), then the lighting or heating elements may be considered as a type of fire that falls under both lighting a fire (category 37) and cooking (i.e., baking, category 11). Turning lights off would be extinguishing a fire (category 36). Another view is that completing an electrical circuit constitutes building (category 35) and turning off the circuit would be demolishing (category 34). Some schools of thought consider the use of electricity to be forbidden only by rabbinic injunction, rather than a melakhah.
A common solution to the problem of electricity involves preset timers (Shabbat clocks) for electric appliances, to turn them on and off automatically, with no human intervention on Shabbat itself. Some Conservative authorities reject altogether the arguments for prohibiting the use of electricity. Some Orthodox also hire a "Shabbos goy", a non-Jew (who must not be regularly employed by the household in question) to perform prohibited tasks (like operating light switches) on Shabbat.
Orthodox and many Conservative authorities completely prohibit the use of automobiles on Shabbat as a violation of multiple categories, including lighting a fire, extinguishing a fire, and transferring between domains (category 39). However, the Conservative movement's Committee on Jewish Law and Standards permits driving to a synagogue on Shabbat, as an emergency measure, on the grounds that if Jews lost contact with synagogue life, they would become lost to the Jewish people.
A halakhically authorized Shabbat mode added to a power-operated mobility scooter may be used on the observance of Shabbat for those with walking limitations, often referred to as a Shabbat scooter. It is intended only for individuals whose limited mobility is dependent on a scooter or automobile consistently throughout the week.
Modifications
Seemingly "forbidden" acts may be performed by modifying technology such that no law is actually violated. In Sabbath mode, a "Sabbath elevator" will stop automatically at every floor, allowing people to step on and off without anyone having to press any buttons, which would normally be needed to work. (Dynamic braking is also disabled if it is normally used, i.e., shunting energy collected from downward travel, and thus the gravitational potential energy of passengers, into a resistor network.) However, many rabbinical authorities consider the use of such elevators by those who are otherwise capable as a violation of Shabbat, with such workarounds being for the benefit of the frail and handicapped and not being in the spirit of the day.
Many observant Jews avoid the prohibition of carrying by use of an eruv. Others make their keys into a tie bar, part of a belt buckle, or a brooch, because a legitimate article of clothing or jewelry may be worn rather than carried. An elastic band with clips on both ends, and with keys placed between them as integral links, may be considered a belt.
Shabbat lamps have been developed to allow a light in a room to be turned on or off at will while the electricity remains on. A special mechanism blocks out the light when the off position is desired without violating Shabbat.
The Shabbos App is a proposed Android app claimed by its creators to enable OrthodoxJews, and all Jewish Sabbath-observers, to use a smartphone to text on the Jewish Sabbath. It has met with resistance from some authorities.
If a human life is in danger (pikuach nefesh), then a Jew is not only allowed, but required, to violate any halakhic law that stands in the way of saving that person (excluding murder, idolatry, and forbidden sexual acts). The concept of life being in danger is interpreted broadly: for example, it is mandated that one violate Shabbat to bring a woman in active labor to a hospital. Lesser rabbinic restrictions are often violated under much less urgent circumstances (a patient who is ill but not critically so).
We did everything to save lives, despite Shabbat. People asked: "Why are you here? There are no Jews here," but we are here because the Torah orders us to save lives .... We are desecrating Shabbat with pride.
Various other legal principles closely delineate which activities constitute desecration of Shabbat. Examples of these include the principle of shinui ("change" or "deviation"): A violation is not regarded as severe if the prohibited act was performed in a way that would be considered abnormal on a weekday. Examples include writing with one's nondominant hand, according to many rabbinic authorities. This legal principle operates bedi'avad (ex post facto) and does not cause a forbidden activity to be permitted barring extenuating circumstances.
Reform and Reconstructionist views
Generally, adherents of Reform and Reconstructionist Judaism believe that the individual Jew determines whether to follow Shabbat prohibitions or not. For example, some Jews might find activities, such as writing or cooking for leisure, to be enjoyable enhancements to Shabbat and its holiness, and therefore may encourage such practices. Many Reform Jews believe that what constitutes "work" is different for each person, and that only what the person considers "work" is forbidden. The radical Reform rabbi Samuel Holdheim advocated moving Sabbath to Sunday for many no longer observed it, a step taken by dozens of congregations in the United States in late 19th century.
More rabbinically traditional Reform and Reconstructionist Jews believe that these halakhoth in general may be valid, but that it is up to each individual to decide how and when to apply them. A small fraction of Jews in the Progressive Jewish community accept these laws in much the same way as Orthodox Jews.
Encouraged activities
The Talmud, especially in tractate Shabbat, defines rituals and activities to both "remember" and "keep" the Sabbath and to sanctify it at home and in the synagogue. In addition to refraining from creative work, the sanctification of the day through blessings over wine, the preparation of special Sabbath meals, and engaging in prayer and Torah study were required as an active part of Shabbat observance to promote intellectual activity and spiritual regeneration on the day of rest from physical creation. According to many scribes, half of the day should be devoted to Torah study and prayer. The Talmud states that the best food should be prepared for the Sabbath, for "one who delights in the Sabbath is granted their heart's desires" (BT, Shabbat 118a-b).
Special Shabbatot are the Shabbatot that precede important Jewish holidays: e.g., Shabbat HaGadol (Shabbat preceding Pesach), Shabbat Zachor (Shabbat preceding Purim), and Shabbat Shuvah (Shabbat between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur).
Some hold the biblical sabbath was not connected to a 7-day week like the Gregorian calendar. Instead the New Moon marks the starting point for counting and the shabbat falls consistently on the 8th, 15th, 22nd, 29th of each month. Biblical text to support using the moon, a light in the heavens, to determine days include Genesis 1:14, Psalm 104:19, and Sirach 43:6–8 See references:
Rabbinic Jewish tradition and practice does not hold of this, holding the sabbath to be based of the days of creation, and hence a wholly separate cycle from the monthly cycle, which does not occur automatically and must be rededicated each month. See kiddush hachodesh.
Pinches, T.G. (2003). "Sabbath (Babylonian)". In Hastings, James (ed.). Encyclopedia of Religion and Ethics. Vol. 20. Selbie, John A., contrib. Kessinger Publishing. pp. 889–891. ISBN978-0-7661-3698-4. Retrieved 2009-03-17.
It has been argued that the association of the number seven with creation itself derives from the circumstance that the Enuma Elish was recorded on seven tablets.
"emphasized by Professor Barton, who says: 'Each account is arranged in a series of sevens, the Babylonian in seven tablets, the Hebrew in seven days. Each of them places the creation of man in the sixth division of its series." Albert T. Clay, The Origin of Biblical Traditions: Hebrew Legends in Babylonia and Israel, 1923, p. 74.
"Histoire du peuple hébreu". André Lemaire. Presses Universitaires de France 2009 (8e édition), p. 66
Zerubavel, Eviatar (1985). The Seven Day Circle: The History and Meaning of the Week. University of Chicago Press. ISBN0-226-98165-7.
Craveri, Marcello (1967). The Life of Jesus. Grove Press. p. 134.
Joseph, Max (1943). "Holidays". In Landman, Isaac (ed.). The Universal Jewish Encyclopedia: An authoritative and popular presentation of Jews and Judaism since the earliest times. Vol. 5. Cohen, Simon, compiler. The Universal Jewish Encyclopedia, Inc. p. 410.
Joseph, Max (1943). "Sabbath". In Landman, Isaac (ed.). The Universal Jewish Encyclopedia: An authoritative and popular presentation of Jews and Judaism since the earliest times. Vol. 9. Cohen, Simon, compiler. The Universal Jewish Encyclopedia, Incv. p. 295.
Cohen, Simon (1943). "Week". In Landman, Isaac (ed.). The Universal Jewish Encyclopedia: An authoritative and popular presentation of Jews and Judaism since the earliest times. Vol. 10. Cohen, Simon, compiler. The Universal Jewish Encyclopedia, Inc. p. 482.
"Jewish religious year: The Sabbath". Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 2009. Retrieved 2009-03-26. According to biblical tradition, it commemorates the original seventh day on which God rested after completing the creation. Scholars have not succeeded in tracing the origin of the seven-day week, nor can they account for the origin of the Sabbath.
One measure is the number of people called up to Torah readings at the Shachrit/morning service. Three is the smallest number, e.g. Mondays and Thursdays. Five on the Holy days of Passover, Shavuoth, Succoth. Yom Kippur: Six. Shabbat: Seven.
The Talmud (Shabbat 119a) describes rabbis going out to greet the Shabbat Queen, and the Lekhah Dodi poem describes Shabbat as a "bride" and "queen". However, Maimonides (Mishneh Torah Hilchot Shabbat 30:2) speaks of greeting the "Shabbat King", and two independent commentaries on Mishneh Torah (Maggid Mishneh and R' Zechariah haRofeh) quote the Talmud as speaking of the "Shabbat King". The words "King" and "Queen" in Aramaic differ by just one letter, and it seems that these understandings result from different traditions regarding spelling the Talmudic word. See full discussion.
Ferguson, Joey (May 20, 2011). "Jewish lecture series focuses on Sabbath Course at Chabad center focuses on secrets of sabbath's serenity". Deseret News. The more we are able to invest in it, the more we are able to derive pleasure from the Sabbath." Jewish belief is based on understanding that observance of the Sabbath is the source of all blessing, said Rabbi Zippel in an interview. He referred to the Jewish Sabbath as a time where individuals disconnect themselves from all endeavors that enslave them throughout the week and compared the day to pressing a reset button on a machine. A welcome prayer over wine or grape juice from the men and candle lighting from the women invokes the Jewish Sabbath on Friday at sundown.
"Sabbath's Consistent Lunar Month Dates". 4 February 2015. Retrieved Dec 27, 2021. the sacred seventh-day Sabbaths are forever fixed to the count from one New Moon to the next, causing them to consistently fall upon the 8th, 15th, 22nd, and 29th lunar calendar dates.
Cipriani, Roshan (Oct 1, 2015). Lunar Sabbath: The Seventy-Two Lunar Sabbaths: Sabbath Observance By The Phases Of The Moon. Scotts Valley, California: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. ISBN978-1517080372.
Kiddush cup, Shabbat candles and challah cover
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