The commandment to celebrate and honor the Sabbath dates back to the Creation of the World. Then the Lord worked for six days, creating our world piece by piece, and on the seventh day He rested. “And God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, for on that day He ceased His work, which God created to do"( , 2:3) This passage from the Torah makes it clear to us that the Sabbath is a day of rest, free from all work.
But this is not just a day of rest from everyday work, when we can have fun, so that, having rested our soul and body, we can begin a new busy work week with restored strength. By stopping work on the seventh day of the week, a person testifies: this world was once created in six days, it has an Owner, a Creator. In other words, our world does not exist because it obeys the eternal and unchanging laws of nature. It was created By a higher power with a specific purpose, and only this gives meaning to the entire Creation. Thus, the Sabbath rest is nothing less than an act of faith.
Millions of people believe in the One Creator, pray to him in churches, write and read prayers and liturgies. But Jews express their faith in action. That is why on Shabbat all work stops, no matter how important it is.
Imagine a huge metropolis like New York. It is known that half of the weekly trade turnover occurs on one day - Saturday. So they say that Americans do “shopping” on Saturdays. It’s not hard to imagine what shopping districts look like on a Friday afternoon: work is in full swing, new goods are being brought in, windows are being washed, everyone is preparing for tomorrow. Suddenly we notice the owner of one store, who behaves at least strangely: instead of preparing for a big working day, at noon he closes his store and rushes home! One of two things: either he was sick or he was a Jew.
Indeed, observing the laws of the Sabbath testifies to the Jewish essence in a person. Stopping all work activities on the Sabbath is the only ritual injunction mentioned in the Ten Commandments.
By the way, who said that you can’t work on Saturday? Can! After all, Saturday is by no means a day off. For example, a person can work as a waiter in a hotel, setting and clearing tables for at least twenty-four hours on Saturday, and not violate it at all. Or work as a watchman, educator, teacher... Working on Saturday is not prohibited! You can’t just show your power over nature.
However, let's clarify the terms. Eat general work, and there are some actions prohibited on Shabbat. The latter have a common name in the Torah - melacha ( plural- melahot). Only for lack of a more suitable equivalent is the term usually translated as work. A total of thirty-nine such works were named.
In fact, in the word melakha one can see the feminine form of the concept malakh, which means angel, messenger of the G-d. There is a logic here: man was sent by the Creator to master and conquer the world. So, the very actions with which he carries out his mission must be stopped on Saturday - regardless of whether they are associated with hard efforts or not.
That's how lucky the Jews are - we have a holiday every week! Yes, Holy Saturday is not just a day off, but a real holiday. Of course, Shabbat is very different from other Jewish important dates.
Firstly, it happens not once a year, but much more often. Secondly, it is not associated with any specific historical event. Although... it depends on how you look at it. After all, we celebrate Shabbat in memory of the main event of human history.
God created the world in six days. And only on the seventh I decided that I deserved a break. “Took a break” or “stopped” - this is how the word “Shabbat” is translated. And since Jews believe that the creation of the world began on Sunday, it turns out that the seventh day is the day of stopping, respite - this is Saturday.
Among the commandments that the Almighty gave to Moses on Mount Sinai was the commandment to keep the Sabbath. What does this mean?
The most important thing is that you cannot work on Saturday. It's easy to remember and enjoyable to stick to. Saturday is a day off according to all laws, and doing nothing on this day is as easy as shelling pears.
But keeping this commandment only seems easy. On Saturday, God completed the creation of the world, so people are prohibited from any constructive or creative work. That is, the labor with which we create or change something.
There are several types of work that should be avoided during Shabbat. The first is cooking. But it's Saturday festive table– an important part of tradition! So Jewish housewives have to work in advance, on Thursday and Friday. On Saturday, food cannot even be heated. Unless, of course, you leave the stove on since Friday.
Another prohibited type of work is anything related to the manufacture of clothing. Not only sewing and knitting, but even tearing threads or cutting animals! In addition, you cannot write or build anything.
Well, okay, you already understand - you can’t work on Saturday. But what can and should be done on Saturday?
We need to turn to God. And in general, think about everything important, beautiful, deep - about what we usually don’t have time to think about on weekdays.
By the way, Shabbat begins on Friday evening - immediately after the sun sets. The holiday comes to the family, to every home. Mom lights Shabbat candles and reads a prayer. Then, when everyone sits down at the table, dad or grandfather says kiddush - blessing - over a glass of grape wine or juice. But no one starts eating yet: you still need to say a blessing over the bread. The bread on the table this day is not ordinary, but festive - wicker golden challah. When the wine and bread are blessed, you can dine.
During the Shabbat meal, people usually talk not about who got what grades at school, or about what’s going on with dad at work, or about who grandma had a fight with in the yard. If this is a religious family, dad can tell something interesting about the holy book - the Torah. But even if you and your family do not strictly observe Jewish customs, nothing stops you from singing. Yes, yes, right at the table! There are special Sabbath drinking songs that are very simple and cheerful. With them, peace and joy come to the house and soul.
On Friday evening and Saturday morning and afternoon, men come to the synagogue. The prayers said there during Shabbat are special. Not like on weekdays.
Shabbat ends on Saturday evening. A ceremony called Havdalah is held. This is translated as “separation” and means that we separate the Shabbat holiday and the work week that lies ahead of us. Everyone says “goodbye” to the Holy Saturday and returns to everyday worries.
For some, Shabbat is a truly sacred holiday. But even those Jews who do not follow all traditions are happy to buy or bake challah, light candles, pour grape juice, remember the good things that happened during the week, sing songs. And then Saturday comes!
The Torah tells us that God created the heavens and the earth in six days. By the seventh day, the work of Creation was completed, and on that day the Almighty did not create anything. Thus this day was sanctified and turned into a day of rest, Shabbat
The people of Israel are the first people in history to introduce the custom of not working on the seventh day of the week, but of resting from work. Both workers and slaves of Jews, and even domestic animals owned by Jews, are prohibited from working on the Sabbath.
Shabbat - it is the highest social achievement, intended to liberate man and his consciousness for the higher. spiritual activities, to strengthen family and friendly ties between people. However, this still far from exhausts the meaning of the Sabbath.
Keeping the Sabbath is a person’s expression of his faith in G-d, the Creator of the Universe and the recognition that in addition to our material world, there are also high spiritual worlds.
The Jews rested on the Sabbath while still in Egyptian slavery. Moses, who grew up in Pharaoh's house, saw how exhaustingly his brothers worked, turned to Pharaoh with a request to give these unfortunate slaves one day a week to rest. Pharaoh agreed. Thus, Saturday reminds us not only of the creation of the world by the Almighty, but also of the exodus from Egypt.
The commandments of the Torah related to the observance of the Sabbath are divided into two groups:
- commandments requiring rest from work; - commandments prohibiting working on Saturday.
The first give the Sabbath its homely, family appearance. On this day, all family members stay at home, go to the community (synagogue) to pray and listen to the Torah reading, and then they all sit down together for the Shabbat meal.
The commandments prohibiting work on the Sabbath give it a different shade - a shade of seriousness. What is this work? The Torah answers that work is any action that creates something new.
Since ancient times, observing the Sabbath has been hallmark Jews And, as the ancient saying goes, “more than the people of Israel protect the Sabbath, the Sabbath protects the people of Israel.”
LIGHT THE SABBATH CANDLE
BARUCH ATA ADONAI ELOEINU MELECH AOLAM,ASHER KIDSHANU BEMITZVOTAV VETSIVANU LEADLIK NER SHEL SHABAT
If the house is dark, how sad it is! And the Torah tells us that the Sabbath should be a delight for us. That's whyWe light candles before Shabbat.
According to Jewish tradition, the day begins in the evening. That is, at sunset a new day begins. Therefore, Saturday begins when the sun sets on Friday.
Just before the onset of Saturday, mother lights the Shabbat candles, and this means that the coming day is being sanctified.
Mom covers her eyes with her palms as she says, “Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to light the Shabbat candle!”
Without opening her eyes, at this holy moment she raises a prayer to the Almighty for the well-being of her family and the health of her children. Then she looks at the burning candles, the lights of which are reflected in her sparkling eyes, and blesses the whole family with a wish: Shabbat shalom! -"Peaceful Saturday!"
Thus, by lighting Shabbat candles, a Jewish woman most fully fulfills her role - to bring light, beauty and goodness into the house.
SHALOM ALAICHEM
BOAHEM LESHALOM MALACHEY ASHALOMMALACHEY ELION
MIMELECH MALCHEY AMLACHIM AKADOSH BARUCH U.
When dad, dressed in beautiful Sabbath clothes, having forgotten about everyday worries and anticipating the complete peace of the Sabbath day, goes to the community (synagogue), he is like a king who freely manages his time and is free in his actions.
And, the Jewish tradition tells us, when he returns to his palace, he is accompanied by his retinue - two angels of the Most High. One of them is a good angel, the other is an evil one. If they enter a house where Shabbat candles are burning, where the festive table is set with challah (bread), and the wine prepared for Kiddush is purple in a shiny decanter, waiting for the moment when it will be poured into a silver glass standing right there, a good angel says: “God grant that it will be the same next Saturday!” And the evil angel answers “amen” against his will.
However, if the table is empty and it is clear that the Sabbath is not respected in this house, an evil angel steps in and says: “God grant that it will be the same next Saturday!” And against his will the good angel is forced to answer “Amen”...
In honor of these angels and in honor of Holy Saturday, dad and his whole family sing, returning from the synagogue and standing near the festively laid table: Shalom Aleichem... - "Peace be with you, angels, servants of the Most High..."
1. SHALOM ALAICHEM MALACHEI ASHARETH
MALACHEY ELION MIMELECH MALCHEY AMLAHIM
AKADOSH BARUCH HU.PEACE TO YOU MINISTERING ANGELS,
MESSENGERS OF THE MOST HIGH, THE KING OF KINGS,
HOLY BLESSED IS HE - 3 times2.BOAHEM LESHALOM MALACHEY ASHALOM
MALACHEI ELION MIMELECH MALCHEY AMLAHIM
AKADOSH BARUCH HU.COME IN PEACE ANGELS OF THE WORLD,
MESSENGERS OF THE MOST HIGH, THE KING OF KINGS
HOLY BLESSED IS HE - 3 times3. BARKHUNI LESHALOM MALACHEY ASHALOM
AKADOSH BARUCH HUGREET ME WITH THE WORD "PEACE", ANGELS OF PEACE,
MESSENGERS OF THE MOST HIGH, THE KING OF KINGS
HOLY BLESSED IS HE - 3 times4. TSETHEM LESHALOM MALACHEI ASHALOM
MALACHEY ELYON MIMELECH MALCHEY AMLAHIM
AKADOSH BARUCH HUREST IN PEACE, ANGELS OF PEACE,
MESSENGERS OF THE MOST HIGH, THE KING OF KINGS
HOLY BLESSED IS HE - 3 times
KIDDUSH
YOM ASHISHI. VAEKHULU ASHAMAYIM BEAARETZ VEKHOL TZVAAM. VAEKHAL ELOIM BAYOM ASHVIY MIKOL MLAKHTO ASHER ASA, VAISHBOT BAYOM ASHVIY MIKOL MLAKHTO ASHER ASA. VAEVAREKH ELOYIM E-YOM ASHVII VAEKADESH OTO, KI VO SHAVAT MIKOL-MLAHTO, ASHEP BARA ELOYIM LAACOT. ...
“Remember the Sabbath day to sanctify it,” the Torah tells us, andwe must prove by deeds that we remember the Sabbath day and its holiness. 
How exactly should this be done? Solemnly declaring our belief that the Almighty created the whole world in six days and, having completed His work on the seventh day, sanctified this day, as well as the connection of the holiness of the Sabbath with the memory of the exodus of our people from Egypt. This is Kiddush.
According to our tradition, Kiddush is performed before the first Shabbat meal, in the evening. after the Sabbath. Dad stands at the table, holding a glass full of wine in his hand, the whole family stands around and listens carefully to the words of “Kiddush” and then answers: Amen!
Dad sits down, takes a sip of wine and lets everyone try from his glass. Only after this does the Shabbat meal begin.
The moment when Kiddush is made is a holy moment in every Jewish home, when the whole family together expresses their faith in the Creator of the Universe and their willingness to do His will.
"KIDDUSH", PERFORMED ON FRIDAY EVENING.
Psalm of David.
THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD; I WILL NOT LACK ANYTHING. THE LUXURIOUS MEADOWS WILL GIVE ME A REST, WILL LEAD ME TO CALM WATERS. HE WILL CALM MY SOUL; HE WILL LEAD ME ON STRAIGHT PATHS FOR HIS NAME'S SAKE. EVEN IF I WILL PASS A GORGE IN THE DARKNESS OF THE GRAVE, I WILL NOT FEAR Evil, FOR YOU ARE WITH ME; YOUR INSTRUCTION AND YOUR SUPPORT WILL CONSOLE ME. WILL YOU SET THE TABLE BEFORE ME IN THE VIEW OF MY ENEMIES, WILL YOU ANOINT MY HEAD WITH OIL; MY CUP WILL BE FULL. MAY ONLY GOOD AND LOVE ACCOMPANY ME ALL DAYS OF MY LIFE AND I WILL BE IN THE TEMPLE OF THE LORD FOR LONG YEARS. (Tehillim 23 - Psalm 23).
Take a glass to right hand, after that they take it with their left hand and place it on the palm of their right. Kiddush is said while standing. Saying “AND THEY WERE COMPLETED...”, they look at the candle flames. During the blessing over the wine and the blessing that follows, they look at the glass.
"THE SIXTH DAY. AND THE HEAVEN AND THE EARTH WERE COMPLETED WITH ALL THEIR WAR. AND ON THE SEVENTH DAY GOD FINISHED HIS WORK IN WHICH HE WAS ENGAGED, AND ON THE SEVENTH DAY HE DID NOT DO ANY OF THE WORKS WHICH HE WAS BUSY, AND GOD CAUGHT THE SEVENTH DAY, AND SANCTIFYED HIM, FOR ON THIS [DAY] HE DID NOT DO ANY OF HIS WORKS THAT HE WAS DOING [BEFORE] AND WHICH [INTENDED] TO DO [AFTER THIS]."Over wine:
BLESSED ARE YOU, LORD OUR GOD, LORD OF THE UNIVERSE, WHO CREATED THE FRUIT OF THE GRAPE VINE!
Over bread:
BLESSED ARE YOU, LORD OUR GOD, LORD OF THE UNIVERSE, WHO GREW BREAD FROM THE GROUND!
WASHING YOUR HANDS BEFORE EATING
BARUCH ATA ADONAI ELOEINU MELECH AOLAM, ASHER KIDSHANU BEMITSVOTAV VEZIVANU AL NETILAT YADAIM.
When we are about to start eating bread, we first wash our hands.
We do this with the help of a mug from which we pour water onto each hand.
Jewish tradition compares dining table with an altar on which sacrifices are made to the Most High. We do not consider the process of eating food only as satisfying our physiological needs. We see in it an expression of concern for the health of our body - so that it can be used to achieve higher goals, to fulfill the high purpose of man. Just as the priest approached the altar in the Temple only after washing his hands from a special washbasin, so we wash our hands before eating - when we begin to accomplish something that is filled with the highest spiritual significance.
Of course, there is another meaning in washing our hands before eating - hygienic, aesthetic: we clean our hands before touching food.
Having washed our hands, we bless the Almighty for commanding us to wash our hands, wipe them dry and immediately start eating.
BRACHA FOR BREAD
BARUX ATA ADONAI ELOEINU MELECH AOLAM, HAMOTZI LECHEM MIN HAAREZ.
Bread is the main human food product. The only meal considered a real meal is when bread is eaten. In Jewish tradition, a separate blessing has been established for bread, which marks it as a special gift from the Almighty to man.
BARUX ATA ADONAI ELOEINU MELECH AOLAM, HAMOTZI LECHEM
MIN HAARETS. Blessed are you, Lord, our God, King of the Universe, Who grows bread from the ground.
This blessing opens the meal, and then there is no need to say blessings over other types of food - if they are an integral part of the meal.
Immediately after the blessing, it is customary to cut off a piece of bread, dip it in salt and eat it.
When sacrifices were made in the Temple, they were sure to be salted before being burned on the altar. As already mentioned, Jewish tradition likens the dining table to the altar in the Temple.
SATURDAY MEAL
The meal is one of the most important moments of the Sabbath, conveying its mood to the entire Sabbath day. The whole family gathers at the table, everyone has forgotten about the needs, the worries of everyday life, everyone is calm - after all, there is nowhere to rush...
The table is set in a special, festive way. Candles are burning, wine, a magnificent silver glass: two challahs covered with a beautifully embroidered napkin... 
The Torah says that when the Jews walked through the desert, leaving Egypt, the Almighty fed them with heavenly bread, which was called manna (manna). However, on the Sabbath manna did not fall from the sky, and the children of Israel did not go out of camp to gather it. Instead, on Friday the Almighty gave them a double portion mana. In memory of this, on Shabbat we place two challahs on the table - lechem mishneh.
Sang ShalomAleichem, have made Kiddush - now it’s your turn to wash your hands and sit down at the table.
The Shabbat meal should consist of best food: fish, meat and those delicacies that the family loves most.
During the Shabbat meal the whole family sings Zmirot Shabbat- Shabbat songs, known and loved among the Jewish people from generation to generation. An atmosphere of peace, joy and holiness reigns in the house...
The family table meeting every Saturday provides an opportunity to talk about everything that happened during the week. The father examines the children, asking them what they have done during the week, and talks about the content of the weekly Torah portion and examples of moral behavior.
“May the Almighty be pleased to overshadow His people with His presence, tasting the honeyed sweetness of the Sabbath dishes...” - as it is sung in one Sabbath song.
SONG OF THE STEPS
SHIR HAMAALOT, BESHUV ADONAI ET SHIVAT GIYON AYNU KEHOLMIM...
On Saturdays and holidays after meals, before reading Birkash hamazon, it is customary to sing a chapter frombooks Tehillim (Psalms of Ascension) - Songsteps. The whole family sings it - in each community to its own tune, according to its customs.
Thus, the family identifies itself with the entire people of Israel, expressing faith in a speedy and complete liberation from exile - when the entire Jewish people will return to Zion and live according to the laws they inherited from their great ancestors.
The time of exile and the hope of redemption are expressed in this chapter of Tehillim in the image of a farmer sowing his field in tears. These tears are not tears of suffering, but tears of hope, tears of one who sees endless troubles, but firmly believes that in the end joy and gladness will come: “Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of rejoicing!”
Psalm 125 Song of Ascension.
When the Lord returned the captivity of Zion, we were as if seeing in a dream: then our lips were full of joy, and our tongue was full of singing;
Then they said among the nations: “The Lord has done great things for them!”
The Lord did great things for us: we rejoiced.
Bring back, O Lord, our captives like streams at noon.
Those who sow in tears will reap with joy.
Weeping, the one who bears the seeds will return with joy, bearing his sheaves.
BIRKAT GAMAZON
BARUCH ATA ADONAI ELOEINU MELECH AOLAM, AZAN ET AOLAM KULO BETUVO, BEKHEN UVEHESED UVERACHAMIM, U NOTEN LECHEM LECHOL BASAR, KI LEOLAM HASDO...
Having finished the meal, we thank the Almighty for giving us the opportunity to satisfy our hunger, we read Birkat hamazon.
Think for yourself: if it is appropriate to bless the Almighty before eating, then after eating, when we are full, it is even more appropriate to do this. We don’t want to be ungrateful and therefore after eating we say to the Almighty: “Thank you!”
Birkat hamazon contains an expression of gratitude to the Almighty for the fact that He cares about the food of each of His creatures: billions of living creatures living on the earth have the opportunity to satisfy their physical needs by finding food - each one exactly what he needs.
However, we do not limit ourselves to gratitude just for satisfying our hunger. We thank the Almighty - and this is the main thing! - for the fact that He also honored us with spiritual heritage, the property of G-d’s people: the Torah, the Land of Israel, Jerusalem, the Temple, that is, the highest moral values closely related to our country, because it is there that we are obliged to make them reality and from there spread throughout the world.
Ends Birkat hamazon prayer for peace, for the feeling of satiety largely depends on whether a person is in peace and quiet. "The Lord will give strength to His people. The Lord will bless His people by giving them peace."(Tehillim 29:11,Psalms 28:11)
GAVDALA
BARUCH ATA ADONAI ELOEINU MELECH AOLAM, AMAVDIL BEIN KODESH LECHOL, BEIN OR LEHOSHECH, BEIN YISRAEL LAAMIM, BEIN YOM ASHVII LESHESHET YEMEI AMAASE. BARUCH ATA ADONAI, AMAVDIL BEIN KODESH LECHOL.
The ability to distinguish some objects, phenomena, ideas from others by analyzing their properties is the basis of the human mind. The ability to distinguish the sacred from the everyday, the important from the secondary is the most the essence of it what a believer is called to do.
At nightfall, when we bid farewell to the Sabbath, the last honor we pay to it is to perform the rite of “Gavdala”: we draw the line between the holy Saturday and the weekdays that follow it.
MESSIANIAN VIEW
One of the 10 commandments reads:
Deuteronomy 5:12-15 (Deuteronomy) “Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, as the Lord your God commanded you; six days you shall work and do all your work, and the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. You shall not [in he has nothing to do, neither you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your manservant, nor your maidservant, nor your ox, nor your donkey, nor any of your livestock, nor your stranger who is with you, so that your servant may rest, and your handmaid is like you; and remember that [you] were a slave in the land of Egypt, but the Lord your God brought you out from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm; therefore the Lord your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day."
What did our Rav Yeshua say about Shabbat (Saturday)?
Mark 2:23-28 “And it happened on the Sabbath that He passed through the sown [fields], and His disciples began to pluck the heads of grain along the way. And the Pharisees said to Him, “Look, what are they doing on the Sabbath, which ought not [to be done]? He said to them: Have you never read what David did when he was in need and he and those with him were hungry? How he entered the house of God with Abiathar the high priest and ate the showbread, which no one should eat except the priests, and he gave it to those with him. him? And he said to them: Sabbath is for man, not man for Sabbath; 28 therefore The Son of Man is the Lord of the Sabbath."
There is no mention of abolishing the Sabbath. It talks about ritual and religiosity. After all, on this day of the week we step away from work to glorify the Almighty. Yes, we must worship Him and praise Him in our hearts. And there are circumstances when we can save a person from trouble on Saturday. Yeshua, as a true Jew, observed Shabbat and other holidays. But sometimes with our own good deeds(healings) on Shabbat (Saturday) showed that the state of a person’s heart is important before God, and not just a mechanical ritual performance of the holiday “without soul and heart.”
Did Jesus come to abolish God's law? Matthew 5:17 - words of Jesus: “Do not think that I came to destroy the law or the prophets: I came not to destroy, but to fulfill.”.
He said that he came to FULFILL the law, for only by grace, with His help, can we fulfill the law of God!
But this does not mean that if we are under grace, then we do not need the law of God, we can throw it away, make it OLD, old, unnecessary and do not need to be fulfilled.
They say there is no need to fulfill the 10 commandments (which Jesus supplemented in the Sermon on the MOUNT - Matt. 5 - 7 chapters), grace will cover all our iniquities and sins. We believe a little, we sin a little, Jesus will still forgive. We are under grace, not under the law! Yeshua even made the law stricter! Let's read about this carefully in the 5th chapter of Matthew.
On almost every excursion in Jerusalem I am asked: “Tanya, what is Shabbat?” Sometimes they offer their own options, which are very erroneous. Sometimes they even draw an analogy with the Sabbath. Therefore, I decided to write on this topic for those who are planning to come to Israel.
Shabbat is the seventh day of the week, which is essentially a holiday for Jews. Already the day before Shabbat, Jews begin to wish each other “Shabbat Shalom,” that is, “peaceful Saturday” or “hello Saturday.” The main rule of Saturday (Shabbat) is that a person should not work. Isn't it a wonderful condition? But everything is not so simple, because the Jews call work on Shabbat something that you may not associate with it at all. For example, writing (although you can read, but religious literature), or hanging laundry, or turning on/off the light, you can’t even tie your shoelaces. It's easier to say what can be done. But what is possible is quite enough for a Jew, since you need to devote this day to God and family. You might think that it’s impossible to spend the day with family if you can’t properly cook a meal and take the kids to an amusement park? But it turns out that what is much more important for a family is love, communication and attention. And there are all conditions for this on Shabbat.
Jews celebrate Shabbat with a Shabbat meal. The woman lights the candles, the husband reads the blessing for Shabbat, Shabbat wine (similar to Cahors) or grape juice is poured, and challah, a special bread for Shabbat, is broken. The whole family sits around the table and celebrates Shabbat - they communicate, eat, sing songs. Shabbat begins at sunset on Friday and ends on Saturday, also at sunset. For a traditional Jew, Shabbat is a Holy Day, so it is not only celebrated, but also seen off. The ceremony is called "Havdalah" from the word "to separate" - you need to separate the holy day from everyday life. 
Shabbat for a Jew is one of the ten main commandments received by Moses on Mount Sinai (we read the Bible), which must be followed. In Israel the tradition is very strong and many Jews observe the Sabbath.
Shabbat has a powerful philosophical, spiritual background. There are many interpretations of the meaning of Shabbat. But the basics are as follows:
The Bible says that the Lord created all things in 6 days, and on the seventh day he rested from the process of creation. "And God finished his work which he had done on the seventh day, and rested ( Shabbat) on the seventh day from all His works that He did. And God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, for on it He rested from all His works, which God had created and created."(Gen.)
So he bequeathed to the Jews: " Say to the children of Israel, “You shall keep My Sabbaths, for this is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the Lord who sanctifies you; and keep the Sabbath, for it is holy to you: whoever defiles it shall be put to death; whoever begins to do business in it, that soul must be destroyed from among his people; Six days let them do their work, and on the seventh a Sabbath of rest, dedicated to the Lord."(Ex.)
To this day, Jews try to observe the Holy Sabbath to the best of their ability and desire. This means that a tourist arriving in Israel and, for example, wanting to go on an excursion in Jerusalem with or without a Jerusalem guide, must take into account several points.
1. Already on Friday, towards evening, most establishments in the city begin to close: shops, restaurants, many museums. They will open either at the end of Saturday (in the evening) or the next day (Sunday).
2. Public transport It does not work on Shabbat, so you need to take this into account when planning your day. If you are not staying in Jerusalem and want to come on a tour of Jerusalem on Friday, then plan the first half of the day to catch the last bus before the start of Shabbat or come by your own transport (optionally, on a tour transfer). If you have an excursion planned in Jerusalem on Saturday, count either on a taxi, or book an excursion with transfer (convenient, not cheap), or rent a car the day before and arrive in it.
3. Shabbat elevator. It is very funny to listen to perplexed tourists who, without knowing it, used such an elevator. The fact is that in order not to press the elevator button on Shabbat (not to break the commandment - not to work and not to light a fire), elevators were created that move independently on Shabbat, constantly stopping on each floor. There are such elevators in many Israeli hotels, and tourists sometimes begin to panic when they get into them. So: don’t panic - the elevator will take you to the desired floor, but it will take longer than usual. By the way, as a rule, the hotel also has a regular elevator, for tourists - not Jews.
4. And, of course, if you are lucky enough to go on an excursion to Jerusalem on Friday or Saturday, then be sure to visit the Western Wall (Western Wall). You will get a special, unforgettable experience if you are there on the eve of Shabbat, between 4 and 6 pm on Friday.
Welcome to new version Sokhnut website. In the future, I, Misha Beshkin, will be leading the History and Tradition column. As far as possible, we will get acquainted with the Weekly Chapters of the Torah, Jewish traditions and laws. I hope the knowledge that we can gain together will help us better understand what it means to lead a Jewish way of life.
Today we will begin to examine the laws of Shabbat. Shabbat is a special day. The sages say that the Sabbath preserved the Jewish people. Not even the Torah and Talmud, but Shabbat. Why? The answer can be found if you try to observe the laws of Shabbat for at least some time. Let me give just a few examples:
1. Food on Shabbat. You can't cook on Shabbat hot food, and in order to enjoy a good tasty and most importantly hot lunch, you need to prepare hot food before Shabbat and keep it hot until lunch on Shabbat. This is where all the ingenuity of Jewish housewives comes into play. This is where many famous Jewish dishes take their roots - cholent, tzimmes, kugol. These are dishes that can be kept warm for a long time and only become tastier because of it.
2. Entertainment on Shabbat. Shabbat is a special day and filled with great spiritual meaning, so most of Saturday is dedicated to spiritual self-improvement and knowledge. Entertainment that is common for other people is unfortunately (or fortunately) not available on this day. If you look at the program of concerts and TV shows, you get the impression that the most interesting things usually happen on Saturday or Friday evening. This is probably true, and I personally was worried that I couldn’t go to the concerts of my favorite bands. But what Shabbat really gives is a feeling incomparable to a good party - a feeling of belonging to a large people, who at this very moment forget about the idle bustle and sit down at the festive table.
3. Work on Shabbat. This is one day a week when you need to not only stop working, but also stop thinking about it. What other people have such a day? Today's rhythm of life requires a lot of strength and energy from a person. To achieve anything in life, you need to work hard. These are all axioms today. But sometimes you need to stop and switch to something else. There are many ways to do this, and happy people are those who know how to disconnect from work. Jews are hardworking people and the Almighty took care of us by forcing us not to work for one day. It is He who forces us to give up work on Shabbat, otherwise some of us would work 24 hours a day and 7 days a week.
I think I have given enough examples to show how Shabbat sets us apart from other nations. In the future, we will look at the laws of Shabbat in more detail, but for now, let’s start with a small list of FAQs (frequently asked questions):
1. What is Shabbat?
- Seventh day of the week2. When does Shabbat begin and end?
- In different cities and in different times years differently. The fact is that the day according to the Jewish calendar begins at sunset. So it turns out that Shabbat begins on Friday evening. But that's not all. It is customary to start Shabbat a little earlier (outside Israel - 18 minutes), so as not to make a mistake and not break Shabbat and end Shabbat about 30 minutes later. Detailed list for the Baltic countries can be found on our website, and for any point on Earth at this address http://www.evrey.com/luach/kzmanjs.htm3. What can and cannot be done on Shabbat?
- There is a large list of permitted and prohibited actions, which we will discuss further, but all actions fit into the formula On Saturday, one must renounce actions that demonstrate human dominance over nature, which I read in a very good book by Rabbi Moshe Pantelat “Queen Saturday”.4. Should non-Jews observe Shabbat laws?
- No, the Almighty made a covenant only with the Jewish people and only we were told: /8/ REMEMBER THE SABBATH DAY TO SANCTIFY IT. /9/ SIX DAYS WORK, AND DO ALL YOUR WORK, /10/ AND THE SEVENTH DAY, SATURDAY, TO GOD THY ALMIGHTY: YOU SHALL NOT DO ANY WORK, NEITHER YOU, NOR YOUR SON, NOR YOUR DAUGHTER, NOR YOUR Servant, NOR YOUR maidservant, NEITHER YOUR LIVESTOCK, NOR YOUR STRANGER WHO IS WITHIN YOUR GATES. /11/ FOR IN SIX DAYS GOD CREATED THE HEAVEN AND THE EARTH, THE SEA, AND EVERYTHING THAT IS IN THEM, AND HE RESTED ON THE SEVENTH DAY; THEREFORE GOD BLESSED THE SABBATH DAY AND SANCTIFYED IT. Exodus 19:8-11In the future, I think that it will be possible to add to this list, so that if a question arises, I could take a look.
Now that we have more or less understood the main aspects associated with Shabbat, we can begin to consider the laws of Shabbat.
The laws that determine what can and cannot be done on Shabbat are divided into 39 types of work. But here we need to make one very important caveat:
Working on Shabbat is a slightly different term than we are used to understanding. It would be more correct to call this action melacha, i.e. some action that is prohibited on Shabbat. In Russian it sounds somewhat cumbersome, which is why it was translated as “work”; we will also use this word for convenience.
What are the 39 types of work prohibited by the Torah to be performed on Shabbat?
1. Food production:
1.1. plow
1.2. sow
1.3. reap
1.4. knit sheaves
1.5. thresh
1.6. winnow
1.7. sort through
1.8. sift
1.9. grind
1.10. knead (dough)
1.11 cook (or bake bread);
2. Garment making:
2.1. cut
2.2. comb
2.3. bleach and dye (wool)
2.4. spin
2.5. straighten the threads
2.6. install longitudinal threads in a loom
2.7. weave
2.8. unweave
2.9. tie and untie knots
2.10. cut
2.11. sew and tear (rip);
3. Construction of a dwelling and lighting a fire:
3.1. build and destroy for the purpose of new construction
3.2. light and extinguish
3.3. deliver the finishing blow
3.4. transfer burdens from private property to public property;
4. Writing letters, making dyes and writing materials:
4.1. write and erase what is written
4.2. catch (hunt animals)
4.3. kill
4.4. skinning
4.5 tan and scrape it.
As you can see, this entire list of works represents man as a creator and ruler over nature. That is why all these actions are prohibited on Shabbat, because the Lord of the Universe himself rested on this day, and ordered the Jews not to do any work on Shabbat.
Do not think that absolutely everything is prohibited on Shabbat and that it is an extremely boring day. In general, there is plenty of entertainment: walks, reading books, conversations with loved ones. This is far from full list those things that can be redone in so much time short time. Sometimes I really regret that Shabbat is over - there is so much left to read.
That's it this time. I repeat once again, try to spend Shabbat according to the laws a couple of times, it will be at least an interesting experience. To make sure everything turns out interesting and according to the rules, I recommend finding knowledgeable person, who himself observes and will help you understand the many laws of Shabbat.
I'm waiting for comments and questions,
Misha Beshkin
01/20/2006 | Kurashov Nikolay | [email protected]
"4. Should non-Jews keep the laws of the Sabbath?"
YES We must... No, the Almighty made a covenant NOT only with the Jewish people and NOT only with you, Exodus 19:8-11 was told
11/23/2010 | Ivan Boryagin | [email protected]
Misha, Thanks a lot for this useful start - publishing basic information about Judaism!
The article mentions the word "covenant", which is currently the subject of my personal research. G‑d's individual covenants with the patriarchs are clear, but I would like to know more about G‑d's covenant with all nations. I came across a mention of it in Scripture while studying all the places with the word "covenant". Can you tell us in more detail about covenants in general and about the covenant with all nations in particular?
