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Prague · 28 Cheshvan 5787

Shabbat this week · 16:02–17:11

Shabbat

Shabbat at Home

שַׁבָּתShabbat
Awaiting expert review

Shabbat is the weekly day of rest from Friday dusk until Saturday night. Besides the synagogue, its center of gravity is the home: lighting candles, kiddush over wine, the blessing over two challot, festive meals, songs and conversation. The degree of observance varies considerably between families and movements.

01

Biblical basis

Bible

The Torah commands both to "remember" (zachor) and to "keep" (shamor) Shabbat; in tradition the two formulations are linked with positive celebration and with refraining from work.1,2

Bible

The prophet Isaiah calls Shabbat a "delight" (עֹנֶג, oneg); hence the emphasis on festive food, clothing and joy.3

02

Friday evening

Minhag

Before dusk, the Shabbat candles are lit. On returning from the synagogue, many families sing Shalom Aleichem (based on the Talmudic story of two angels who accompany a person home) and Eshet Chayil from Proverbs.4,5

Minhag

A widespread custom is blessing the children: sons with the words "May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh", daughters "like Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel and Leah", often together with the priestly blessing.6,7

Halakhah⁂ To verify

Then come Kiddush over wine, washing of the hands and the HaMotzi blessing over two challot (lechem mishneh), recalling the double portion of manna before Shabbat.8,9

03

The Shabbat day

Halakhah

The Talmud prescribes three Shabbat meals; the third (seudah shlishit) is eaten in the afternoon before Shabbat ends.10

MinhagAshkenazimSephardimMizrahim

Because there is no cooking on Shabbat, dishes are prepared that can stay warm overnight: Ashkenazi Cholent, Sephardi chamin or Moroccan Dafina.11

Halakhah

The Mishnah lists 39 main categories of work (avot melakhah) from which one refrains on Shabbat; their application to modern technology (electricity, cars) is the subject of halakhic literature and differs between movements.12

04

Different ways of observing

Modern practice⁂ To verify

In Orthodox practice Shabbat is observed in its full halakhic scope. The Conservative (Masorti) movement keeps its framework with its own halakhic rulings; Reform and secular families often celebrate mainly the Friday dinner as a family gathering.

Modern practiceIsraelDiaspora⁂ To verify

In Israel, Shabbat sets the rhythm of public life (limited public transport, closed offices); in the Diaspora it is mostly a private and communal matter.

FAQ

When exactly does Shabbat begin and end?

It begins on Friday before sunset with the lighting of candles and ends on Saturday after nightfall, when three stars are visible; times for a specific location are given in calendars (e.g. Hebcal).

Can families who do not otherwise observe Shabbat also celebrate the Shabbat dinner?

Yes. The Friday dinner with candles, kiddush and challah is widespread in liberal and secular families too; from an Orthodox point of view it is a part, not the whole, of the obligations of Shabbat.

Sources

See also