Shabbat

From Shabbat

shabbāt is the weekly day of rest in Judaism. It is observed, from before sundown on Friday until after nightfall on Saturday, by many Jewish people with varying degrees of involvement in Judaism. Contents [hide]

   * 1 Etymology
   * 2 Definition
   * 3 Status as a holy day
   * 4 Observance
   * 5 Mandatory activities
   * 6 Prohibited activities
         o 6.1 Extenuating circumstances
         o 6.2 Legal workarounds
         o 6.3 Reform and Reconstructionist views
   * 7 Permitted activities
   * 8 Special Sabbaths
   * 9 Adaptation by other religions
   * 10 See also
   * 11 External links
   * 12 Recommended reading

[edit] Etymology

The Hebrew word Shabbat comes from the Hebrew verb shavat, which literally means "to cease," or shev which means "sit." Although Shabbat (or its anglicized version, "Sabbath") is almost universally translated as "rest" or a "period of rest," a more literal translation would be "ceasing", with the implication of "ceasing from work." Thus, Shabbat is the day of ceasing from work; while resting is implied, it is not a necessary denotation of the word itself. For example, the Hebrew word for "strike" (as in work stoppage) is shevita, which comes from the same Hebrew root as Shabbat, and has the same implication, namely that the striking workers actively abstain from work, rather than passively.

Incidentally, this clarifies the often-asked theological question of why God needed to "rest" on the seventh day of Creation according to Genesis. When it is understood that God "ceased" from his labor rather than "rested" from his labour, the usage is more consistent with the Biblical view of an omnipotent God who does not "rest."

A common linguistic confusion leads many to believe that the word means "seventh day." Though the root for seven, or sheva, is similar in sound, it is derived from a different root word. Shabbat is the source for the English term Sabbath, and for the word in many languages meaning "Saturday", such as the Arabic As-Sabt (السبت), the Armenian Shabat (Շաբաթ), the Persian shambe Spanish Sábado and the Greek Savato. It is also responsible for the word "sabbatical," although that concept is also derived from the Jewish concept of the sabbatical year.

[edit] Definition

Observance of Shabbat is mentioned a number of times in the Torah, most notably as the fourth of the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:8-11 and Deuteronomy 5:12-15). Other instances are Exodus 31:12-17 and 35:2-3, Leviticus 19:3 and 30, 23:3 and Numbers 28:9-10 (the sacrifices). It is referred to directly by the prophets Isaiah (56:4,6) and Ezekiel (ch. 20, 22, 23) and Nehemiah 9:14, apart from numerous other allusions in the Jewish Bible.

Jewish law's definition defines a day as ending at dusk and nightfall, which is when the next day then begins. Thus, Shabbat begins before sundown Friday night and ends at after nightfall Saturday night (traditionally, after three stars can be seen in the sky). The added time between sunset and nightfall on Saturday night owes to the ambiguous status of that part of the day according to Jewish law.

On occasions the word Shabbat can refer to the law of Shemittah (Sabbatical year) or to the Jewish holidays, or to a week of days, dependent on the context.

[edit] Status as a holy day

The Tanakh and the Siddur describe Shabbat as having three purposes:

  1. A commemoration of the Israelites' redemption from slavery in Ancient Egypt;
  2. A commemoration of God's creations of the universe; on the seventh day God rested from (or ceased) his work;
  3. A taste of the world in Messianic times.

While the Jewish Sabbath is not considered a "holiday" by many other cultures and religions, 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 one to observe it with the cessation of Creation. (Genesis 2:1-3).
   * Jewish liturgy treats the Sabbath as a "bride" and "queen".
   * The Sefer Torah is read during the Torah reading which is part of the Saturday morning services, with a longer reading than during the week. The Torah is read over a yearly cycle of 54 parshiot, 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 Sabbaths (Talmud, tractate Shabbat 118).
   * The punishment given in ancient times for desecrating Shabbat (stoning) is the most severe punishment within Jewish law.

[edit] Observance

Shabbat is a day of celebration as well as one of prayer. Three sumptuous meals are eaten each Shabbat after synagogue services conclude: on Friday night, Saturday around noon, and late Saturday afternoon before the conclusion of the Shabbat. More Jews attempt to attend Shabbat services at a synagogue during Shabbat, even if they would not normally do so on weekdays.

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 indeed forbidden to express public signs of mourning.

Yom Kippur, the annual Day of Atonement, is excepted because it is called the "Sabbath of Sabbaths" by the Torah, meaning that it and its practices take precedence if it falls on Shabbat. Additionally, its practices are not for the purposes of mourning but to mark the spiritual and indeed joyful character of the day.

[edit] Mandatory activities

According to Rabbinic literature, Jews are commanded by God to observe (refrain from forbidden activity) and remember (with words, thoughts, and actions) the Shabbat, and these two actions are symbolised by lighting candles late Friday afternoon (no later than eighteen minutes before sunset on Friday) by Jewish women, usually the mother/wife, though men who live alone are required to do so themselves. At least one candle is required, and two are customary. An example of a traditional Shabbat candlestick holder. This bronze example was manufactured in Israel in the 1940s. An example of a traditional Shabbat candlestick holder. This bronze example was manufactured in Israel in the 1940s.

Although most Shabbat laws are restrictive (see below), the fourth of the Ten Commandments in Exodus is taken by the Talmud to allude to the positive commandments of the Shabbat. These include:

   * Recitation of kiddush, or "sanctification," over a cup of wine at the beginning of Shabbat before the first meal and after the conclusion of morning prayers (see List of Hebrew Prayers)
   * Eating three sumptuous meals (shalosh seudot). All three (or at least the Friday night and Saturday morning meals) must be initiated with two loaves of bread (lechem mishneh); usually a traditional braided challah is used. It is customary for meat or fish to be served at all meals. The third meal, eaten late on Saturday afternoon, is called Seudah Shlishit (literally, "third meal") and is generally a light meal and may be parve or dairy based.
   * Recitation of Havdalah, or "separation," at the conclusion on Saturday night (over a cup of wine, and with the use of fragrant spices and a candle)
   * Enjoying Shabbat (Oneg Shabbat). This can include activities such as eating tasty food, resting, or engaging in intimate relations with one's spouse.
   * Honoring Shabbat (Kavod Shabbat) i.e. making an effort during the week to prepare for each upcoming Shabbat. This can include preparations for Shabbat such as taking a shower on Friday, getting a haircut, beautifying the home (with flowers or other decorations), or things done on Shabbat, such as wearing special clothes or refraining from unpleasant conversation.

[edit] Prohibited activities

   Main article: 39 categories of activity prohibited on Shabbat

Jewish law prohibits doing any form of melachah ("work", plural "melachot") on Shabbat. Melachah does not closely correspond to the English definition of the term "work", nor does it correspond to the definition of the term as used in physics.

Different denominations view the prohibition on work in different ways. Observant Orthodox Jews and observant Conservative Jews do not perform the 39 categories of activity prohibited by Mishnah Tractate Shabbat 7:2 in the Talmud. These categories are exegetically derived - based on juxtaposition of corresponding Biblical passages - from the kinds of work that were necessary for the construction of the Tabernacle. Many religious scholars have pointed out that these labors have in common activity that is "creative," or that exercises control or dominion over one's environment. The 39 categories are:

  1. Sowing
  2. Plowing
  3. Reaping
  4. Binding sheaves
  5. Threshing
  6. Winnowing
  7. Selecting
  8. Grinding
  9. Sifting
 10. Kneading
 11. Baking
 12. Shearing wool
 13. Washing wool
 14. Beating wool
 15. Dyeing wool
 16. Spinning
 17. Weaving
 18. Making two loops
 19. Weaving two threads
 20. Separating two threads
 21. Tying
 22. Untying
 23. Sewing stitches
 24. Tearing
 25. Trapping
 26. Slaughtering
 27. Flaying
 28. Tanning
 29. Scraping hide
 30. Marking hides
 31. Cutting hide to shape
 32. Writing two or more letters
 33. Erasing two or more letters
 34. Building
 35. Demolishing
 36. Extinguishing a fire
 37. Kindling a fire
 38. Putting the finishing touch on an object
 39. Transporting an object between a private domain and the public domain, or for a distance of 4 cubits within the public domain

Each melachah 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 melachot. Direct derivatives (toledoth) have the same legal severity as the original melachah (although there are marginal differences); examples are the related activities of cooking, baking, roasting and poaching, all of which fall under "baking." Indirect derivatives instituted by the rabbis are termed shevuth and are much less severe in legal terms (e.g. they were not punished with stoning when this punishment was still in force).

Given the above, the 39 melachot are not so much activities as "categories of activity." For example, while "winnowing" (category 6, above) usually refers exclusively to the separation of chaff from grain, and "selecting" (category 7, above) 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 a traditional Ashkenazi solution to this problem.)

Another example is the prohibition (according to Orthodox and some Conservative rabbinic authorities) against turning electric devices on or off, which is derived from one of the "39 categories of work (melachot)". 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). 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). A common solution involves pre-set timers for electric appliances, to turn them on and off automatically, with no human intervention on Shabbat itself.

[edit] Extenuating circumstances

In the event that a human life is in danger (pikuach nefesh), a Jew is not only allowed, but required, to violate any Shabbat law that stands in the way of saving that life. (In fact, any law in all of Judaism - excluding certain prohibited actions: murder, idolatry, and various sexual relations and acts such as incest and rape - is to be broken if doing so is necessary to help someone who is in grave danger.) Lesser, rabbinic restrictions are often violated under much less urgent circumstances, e.g. a patient who is ill but not critically so.

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 is viewed as bedi'avad (post facto) and does not cause a forbidden activity to be permitted barring extenuating circumstances.

[edit] Legal workarounds

When there is an urgent human or medical need which is not 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 "Sabbath elevator". 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. (Regenerative braking is also disabled if it is normally used, shunting energy collected from downward travel, and thus the gravitational potential energy of passengers, into a resistor network.) This prevents "violation" of the Sabbath 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 Sabbath, with such workarounds being for the benefit of the frail and handicapped and not being in the spirit of the day.

Many Orthodox Jews avoid the prohibition of "carrying" in the absence of an eruv by making their keys into a tie bar, or part of a belt buckle or brooch. The key thereby becomes a legitimate article of clothing or jewelry, which may be worn, rather than carried.

[edit] Reform and Reconstructionist views

Adherents of Reform Judaism and Reconstructionist Judaism, generally speaking, believe that it is up to the individual Jew to determine whether to follow those prohibitions on Shabbat or not. For example, some Jews might find writing or other activities (such as cooking) for leisure and enjoyment purposes to be an enjoyable activity that "enhances" Shabbat and its holiness, and therefore encourage such practices. Many Reform Jews believe that what constitutes "work" is different for each person; thus only what the person considers "work" is forbidden.

On the more rabbinically traditional side of Reform and Reconstructionism, it is believed that these halakhot in general may be valid, but it is up to each individual to decide how and when to apply said laws. Thus one can find a small fraction of Jews in the liberal Jewish community who accept these laws in much the same way that Orthodox Jews do.

[edit] Permitted activities

The following activities are encouraged on Shabbat:

   * Spending Shabbat together with one's own immediate family;
   * Synagogue attendance for prayers;
   * Visiting family and friends (within walking distance);
   * Hosting guests (hachnasat orchim, "hospitality");
   * Singing zemirot, special songs for the Shabbat meal (commonly sung during or after a meal).
   * Reading, studying and discussing Torah and commentary, Mishnah and Talmud, learning some Halakha and Midrash.
   * Sexual intercourse with one's spouse, particularly on Friday night. (The Shulkhan Arukh describes this as a "double mitzvah," as it combines procreation with enjoyment of Shabbat, both of which are considered to be mandated by the Torah.)
   * According to Reform Judaism "one should avoid one's normal occupation or profession on Shabbat whenever possible and engage only in those types of activities that enhance the joy, rest, and holiness of the day" [1].

[edit] Special Sabbaths

   Main article: Special Sabbaths

The Special Sabbaths are associated with certain important Jewish holidays that they precede.

[edit] Adaptation by other religions

The principle of a weekly day of prayer and rest, derived from Shabbat, was eventually adopted and instituted by other religions as well. Christianity moved observance of the Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday in the process of its theological and historical split from Judaism. The Seventh-day Adventist Church and the True Jesus Church observe the Sabbath from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset as mentioned in Bible. None of these religions currently keep Shabbat in the Jewish way.[citation needed]Muslims (according to the ninth century Chinese text, the Tongdian of Du Huan, volume 192 and 193, as well as other contemporary non-Muslim sources) also kept the Sabbath in a manner which closely approximated the Jewish manner, for at least the first two centuries after Muhammad. Work and trade are only prohibited during the Friday Congregation. A Male cannot work while the Friday Congregation is in session. The Rest of the day can be used to work in the remembrance of God. This Congregation takes place during the Second prayer Muslims pray every day called Dhur, Around Noon time.