Shabbat Essay
The Nature of Shabbat
The Sabbath (or Shabbat, as it is called in Hebrew) is one of the best known and least understood of all Jewish observances. People who don’t observe Shabbat think of it as a day filled with restrictions, or as a day of prayer like the Christian Sabbath. But to those who observe Shabbat, it is a day of great joy eagerly awaited throughout the week, a time when we can set aside all of our concerns and devote ourselves to higher pursuits. Shabbat is the most important ritual observance in Judaism. It is the only ritual observance instituted in the Ten Commandments. The word "Shabbat" comes from the root Shin-Beit-Tav, meaning to cease, to end, or to rest.
Shabbat is not specifically a day of prayer. Although Jews pray on Shabbat, and spend some time in synagogue praying, prayer is not what distinguishes Shabbat from the rest of the week. Shabbat is a day of feasting: we eat every day, but on Shabbat, we eat more elaborately and in a more leisurely fashion. The same can be said of prayer on Shabbat.
Shabbat involves: zakhor to remember Shabbat, shamor to observe Shabbat.
Zakhor: To Remember …show more content…
We are commanded to remember Shabbat; but remembering means much more than merely not forgetting to observe Shabbat.
It also means to remember the significance of Shabbat, both as a commemoration of creation and as a commemoration of Moses freeing the Jews from slavery in Egypt. By resting on the seventh, Jews remember and acknowledge that God is the creator of heaven and earth and all living things. The Jews follow Gods example and don’t work on the seventh day, as God did. In the 10 commandments god tells us to observe Shabbat and keep it holy “Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and God brought you forth from there with a mighty hand and with an outstretched arm; therefore God commanded you to observe the Sabbath day." – Moses Deuteronomy
5:15
Shamor: To Observe
Observe the Sabbath day to sanctify it -Deuteronomy 5:12
People think that on Shabbat Work is forbidden. This would include physical labour and effort, or employment. Under this definition, turning on a light would be permitted, because it does not require effort, but a rabbi would not be permitted to lead Shabbat services, because leading services is his employment. Jewish law prohibits the turning on the light. But permits the Rabbi to lead services. The Torah does not prohibit "work" in the sense of the word. The Torah prohibits "melachah", which means "work," but does not mean exactly the same thing as the English word. Melachah generally refers to the kind of work that is creative, or that exercises control over your environment. An example of melachah is the work of creating the universe, which God ceased from on the seventh day. Note that God's work did not require physical effort: he spoke, and it was done.
The Sabbath (or Shabbat, as it is called in Hebrew) is one of the best known and least understood of all Jewish observances. People who don’t observe Shabbat think of it as a day filled with restrictions, or as a day of prayer like the Christian Sabbath. But to those who observe Shabbat, it is a day of great joy eagerly awaited throughout the week, a time when we can set aside all of our concerns and devote ourselves to higher pursuits. Shabbat is the most important ritual observance in Judaism. It is the only ritual observance instituted in the Ten Commandments. The word "Shabbat" comes from the root Shin-Beit-Tav, meaning to cease, to end, or to rest.
Shabbat is not specifically a day of prayer. Although Jews pray on Shabbat, and spend some time in synagogue praying, prayer is not what distinguishes Shabbat from the rest of the week. Shabbat is a day of feasting: we eat every day, but on Shabbat, we eat more elaborately and in a more leisurely fashion. The same can be said of prayer on Shabbat.
Shabbat involves: zakhor to remember Shabbat, shamor to observe Shabbat.
Zakhor: To Remember …show more content…
We are commanded to remember Shabbat; but remembering means much more than merely not forgetting to observe Shabbat.
It also means to remember the significance of Shabbat, both as a commemoration of creation and as a commemoration of Moses freeing the Jews from slavery in Egypt. By resting on the seventh, Jews remember and acknowledge that God is the creator of heaven and earth and all living things. The Jews follow Gods example and don’t work on the seventh day, as God did. In the 10 commandments god tells us to observe Shabbat and keep it holy “Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and God brought you forth from there with a mighty hand and with an outstretched arm; therefore God commanded you to observe the Sabbath day." – Moses Deuteronomy
5:15
Shamor: To Observe
Observe the Sabbath day to sanctify it -Deuteronomy 5:12
People think that on Shabbat Work is forbidden. This would include physical labour and effort, or employment. Under this definition, turning on a light would be permitted, because it does not require effort, but a rabbi would not be permitted to lead Shabbat services, because leading services is his employment. Jewish law prohibits the turning on the light. But permits the Rabbi to lead services. The Torah does not prohibit "work" in the sense of the word. The Torah prohibits "melachah", which means "work," but does not mean exactly the same thing as the English word. Melachah generally refers to the kind of work that is creative, or that exercises control over your environment. An example of melachah is the work of creating the universe, which God ceased from on the seventh day. Note that God's work did not require physical effort: he spoke, and it was done.