Shabbat (שבת ''shabbāṯ'', "rest" in Hebrew language, or Shabbos in Ashkenazic pronunciation), is the weekly day of rest in Judaism. It is observed, from sundown on Friday until nightfall on Saturday, by many Jewish people with varying degrees of involvement in Judaism. It is the source for the English language term Sabbath, the Arabic language day "Sabet" (السبت), and concepts such as Sabbatical. ==Etymology== The Hebrew word ''shabbat'' comes from the Hebrew verb ''shabat'', 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 connotation of the word itself. Incidentally, this clarifies the often-asked theological question of why God needed to "rest" on the seventh day of creation (theology), as related in the Genesis account. 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 need "rest." Notwithstanding this clarification, this article will follow the far more common translation of ''Shabbat'' as "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 spelled differently. ==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 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 Tanakh. Halakha defines one day ending at nightfall, which is when the next day then begins. Thus, Shabbat begins at sundown Friday night and ends at nightfall Saturday night (traditionally, after three stars can be seen on the sky). The added time between sunset and nightfall on Saturday night owes to the ambiguous nature of that part of the day according to Jewish law. On occasions the word ''Shabbat'' can refer to the law of Shemittah or to the holidays, dependent on the context. ==Status as a holy day== The Tanakh (Hebrew Bible) and the Siddur (Jewish prayer book) describe Shabbat as having three purposes: *A commemoration of the Israelites' redemption from slavery in Egypt; *A commemoration of God's creations of the Universe; on the seventh day God rested from his work; *A taste of the world in Messianic times. While the 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, halakha (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). *The Jewish services treats the Sabbath as a bride and queen. *The Torah is read as part of the services, with a longer reading. The Torah is read over a yearly cycle of 53 ''parshiot'', one for each Shabbat. On Shabbat the reading is divided into seven sections, more than on any other holy day, including Yom Kippur. *There is a tradition that the Jewish eschatology will come if every Jew properly observes two consecutive Sabbaths (Talmud, tractate Shabbat 118). *The penalty of stoning (the most severe of the corporal punishment (Judaism)) was given in Biblical times for violating the Shabbat; this was only done under the most rigid conditions and was rarely administered, but serves as an indicator of the severity of violating the Shabbat. The first case is recorded in the Bible (Numeri 15:32-37). ==Observance== Shabbat is a day of celebration as well as one of prayer. Three festive meals are eaten each Shabbat: on Friday night, Saturday afternoon, and early Saturday evening before the conclusion of the Shabbat. All Jews are encouraged to attend Jewish services during Shabbat, even if they would not normally do so on weekdays. With the exception of Yom Kippur, Jewish holidays are postponed or advanced for a day if they coincide with Shabbat, and mourners sitting Shivah conduct themselves normally for the duration of the day and are indeed forbidden to express public signs of mourning. ==Mandatory activities== According to traditional interpretations of the Bible, Jews are commanded by God to ''keep'' (passively) and ''remember'' (actively) the Shabbat, and these two actions are symbolised by List_of_Jewish_Prayers_and_Blessings#Shabbat_Candle_Lighting. Although most Shabbat laws are restrictive (see below), the fourth Ten Commandments in Exodus is taken by the Talmud to allude to the ''positive'' aspects of the Shabbat. These include: * Recitation of ''Kiddush'' over a cup of wine in the evening and the morning, emphasizing the holiness of the day (see ''List of Hebrew Prayers''); * Three joyful meals that minimally include bread (the traditional ''challah'' loaves) and meat (according to most traditional views). * Torah study (see below); * Recitation of ''Havdalah'' at the conclusion on Saturday night (over a cup of wine, fragrant spices and a candle). Rabbi Moshe Feinstein is quoted to have said that decreased emphasis on the "positive" aspects of the Shabbat has been a factor in increased assimilation in the generations after World War II (''Derash Moshe'', "Balak"). ==Prohibited activities== ''See also 39 categories of activity''. Jewish law prohibits doing any form of ''melachah'' ("work", plural "melachot") on Shabbat. ''Melachah'' does not closely correspond to the English language definition of the term "work", nor does it correspond to the definition of the term as used in physics. Rather, it refers to the 39 categories of activity that the Talmud prohibits Jews from engaging in on Shabbat; they are legally 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 labours have something in common -- they prohibit any activity that is creativity, or that exercises control or dominion over one's environment. ===The 39 activities=== As based on the Mishnah Tractate Shabbat 7:2, the 39 activities are: #Sowing; #Plowing; #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; #Salting meat; #Curing hide; #Scraping hide; #Cutting hide up; #Writing two or more letters; #Erasing two or more letters; #Building; #Tearing something down; #Extinguishing a fire; #Kindling a fire; #Putting the finishing touch on an object; #Transporting an object between a private domain and the public domain, or within the public domain; ===Status of prohibitions=== 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 rabbinic Sages 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" usually refers exclusively to the separation of chaff from cereal, it refers 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 (in Orthodox halacha) on turning electricity on or off, which is derived from "building" and "tearing something down" (the Hebrew word that is used can be interpreted as "destroying for the purpose of rebuilding"). The solution commonly used involves pre-set timers. ===Delineations=== 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 which stands in the way of saving that life. The derived laws of ''shevuth'' are violated under much less stringent circumstances, e.g. a patient who is ill but not critically so. Various other legal principles closely delineate which activity constitutes 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 authorities). This legal principle, however, is ''post-facto'' (''bedi avad'') and is not normally relied upon except in specific circumstances. Reform Judaism, generally speaking, says that while one should study those prohibitions, as one would study Jewish law, 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 some other malachah, or derivative of such a melachah) for leisure purposes to be an enjoyable activity that enhances Shabbat and its holiness, and therefore encourage such practices. More traditional Jews, naturally, would disagree on this issue. ===Legal workarounds=== It is occasionally 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 having to press any buttons, which would be 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 authorities consider the use of such elevators by those who are otherwise capable as a breaking 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 objects outside by making their Key (lock) part of a Belt (clothing), as it would be unsafe to leave doors unlocked or hide the keys too close to the house. ==Permitted activities== The following activities are encouraged on Shabbat: *Visiting family and friends (within walking distance, given problems with transport); *Spending Shabbat together with one's own immediate family; *Synagogue attendance; *Hosting family and friends to sleep over for Shabbat (''hachnasat orchim'', hospitality) or at least for one of the festive meals; *Singing folk songs, zmirot (pizmonim), etc. (commonly done during or after the meals); *Reading, studying and discussing Torah and commentary, Mishnah and Talmud, Halakha and Midrash. * According to Kabbalah (Jewish mysticism), Sexual intercourse between husband and wife is encouraged. *According to Reform Judaism rabbis, anything that enhances the enjoyability of Shabbat as a special and spiritual day is to be encouraged.[http://www.shamash.org/lists/scj-faq/HTML/faq/18-04-17.html] The following activities are in accord with halakha but are not mandated: *Playing board games *Reading modern Jewish fiction (a number of rabbinic literature discourage the reading of novels and newspapers; inspirational stories might fall outside this opinion); *Taking a nature walk or hiking; *Some, mainly Modern Orthodox Judaism, Conservative Judaism, and Reform, authorities permit spending time with one's pets. ==Adaptation by other religions== Judaism's teachings about the ''Shabbat'' were 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. Subsequently, with the advent of Islam Friday became a day of public prayer for Muslims (the concept of "rest" is traditionally not incorporated, but is catching on nowadays), that may be derived from the practice of having market days on Friday in the Middle East in preparation for a "Sabbath". ==See also== *Jewish holidays *Jewish services *Sabbath breaking ==External links== *[http://www.chabad.org/generic.asp?AID=253215 Online Shabbat Guide] *[http://shamash.org/lists/scj-faq/HTML/faq/07-index.html FAQ about Shabbat] *[http://www.judaica-guide.com/sabbath-shabbat.htm Shabbat on Judaica Guide] *[http://www.chabad.org/article.asp?AID=6226 Candle Lighting Times for Shabbat World Wide] *[http://www.ou.org/chagim/shabbat/ Information on Shabbat from the Union of Orthodox Congregations] *[http://www.torah.org/learning/halacha-overview/chapter12.html an overview of the laws of Shabbat] from Torah.org, based on the Mishneh Torah *[http://www.torah.org/advanced/shulchan-aruch/ocarchives.html a more detailed summary of the laws of Shabbat] from Torah.org, based on the Shulchan Aruch *[http://www.chabad.org/library/article.asp?AID=258707 A guide to Shabbat] == Recommended reading == *''The Sabbath'' Abraham Joshua Heschel *''The Sabbath: A Guide to Its Understandings and Observance'' Dayan Isadore Grunfeld, Philipp Feldheim Inc. *''A Guide to Jewish Religious Practice'' Isaac Klein, Ktav, 1992 *''The Artscroll Siddur'' Ed. Nosson Scherman, Mesorah Publications *''The Encyclopaedia Judaica,'' entry on "Shabbat", Keter Publishing House Ltd *''Siddur Sim Shalom for Shabbat and Festivals'' Ed. Leonard S. Cahan, The Rabbinical Assembly and the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism *''Siddur Sim Shalom'' Ed. Jules Harlow, The Rabbinical Assembly and the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism Jewish holy days Hebrew words simple:Shabat
==Shabbat vs. Sabbath== Shouldn't this be moved to Sabbath, or else Sabbath made a redirect here? --User:Brion VIBBER 00:50 Oct 18, 2002 (UTC) It could be. I've been working on this page to specifically refer to the Jewish Sabbath concept. I was thinking that the more general Sabbath article could be developed to discuss the biblical origin of the holiday, and a brief overview of how it is interpreted in Judaism, Christianity, Islam and perhaps in other cultures. Then there would be a link to this particular entry (Shabbat) for details on the Jewish understanding of the day. When more details are written on the Christian or Islamic view of this day, these could be developed into their own separate entries as well. As things currently stand, the two articles are short enough to combine. I am just envisioning that as they grow longer, the separation will become more useful. User:RK I don't think that we need a disambiguation block, since the Christian and Pagan holidays are never called "Shabbat". Or am I wrong? User:Toby Bartels 18:10 Nov 3, 2002 (UTC) Removed. User:Toby Bartels 05:04 Apr 15, 2003 (UTC) ==Deletion of debate== [http://www.wikipedia.org/w/wiki.phtml?title=Talk:Shabbat&oldid=1343658 "12 hour" debate] deleted by anonouser. Because it's long and not directly relevant to this article, I'm leaving a pointer here, rather than reverting or creating an archive in the article's namespace. User:Mkmcconn 18:02, 25 Aug 2003 (UTC) ==Other Sabbaths== The paragraph "other sabbaths" is very poorly written. I don't know the subject well enough to rewrite it but someone should. --User:Zero0000 08:23, 30 Sep 2003 (UTC) That is some leftover material from anonymous user <134.124.144.44> , who introduced some creative understandings of the Sabbath should be. Despite a few attempts to learn who held these views, we never succeeded. It seems to be his own conclusions. Like the other material contributed by him, it is best removed, as Wikipedia encyclopedia articles should not contain original research or unique views. User:RK 16:18, 30 Sep 2003 (UTC)~ :The Sabbath mentioned in Leviticus 23:32 is not the seventh day Sabbath, but an annual twenty-four hour Sabbath that takes in parts of two days. It begins on the evening of the ninth day and ends the following evening on the tenth day (Atonement). This Sabbath like the land Sabbath of Leviticus chapter 25 is more than one day in duration. A Sabbath is not limited to a single day. In fact it can be over 300 days long (Leviticus 25:4). This is the only annual Sabbath that is 24 hours in length. God calls the evening before the Day of Atonement the ninth and not the tenth day as it would be called if a new day began at sunset. 34. ==Playing with pets== :''Spending time with one's pets'' Dear User:RK, I think this newly inserted paragraph is just utterly confusing. Can you state which posek gave guidance to the Modern Orthodox community on how to play with your pets in a manner that conforms to halakha? In absence of this, I suggest this matter is left alone. User:Jfdwolff User:Jfdwolff | User_talk:Jfdwolff 17:45, 11 Apr 2004 (UTC) Well, I've now rephrased the contended bit to sound less radical. IMHO it's not a compliment to say that Modern Orthodox authorities "disregard" elements of halakha.
User:Jfdwolff User:Jfdwolff | User_talk:Jfdwolff 22:25, 21 Apr 2004 (UTC) ==Reform Sabbaths== I think we need to explicate Reform positions on Shabbat observance, and also differentiating between Conservative and Orthodox halacha. I promise ot help work on it if others will. :)--User:Savant1984 07:35, 29 Jan 2005 (UTC) ==Christian Observance of Jewish Sabbath== The mention of Christians changing the Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday is not entirely true. Roman Catholics changed it (the New Testament gives no instruction to change the 4th Commandment [of which is an eternal covenant) during the 3rd-4th centuries. Although the Roman Catholics became the predominant Cristian church, it wasn't the only one. There have always been Christians (like the Waldensians) and beginning in the 1800's, the Seventh Day Adventists that keep the Sabbath. Perhaps a note that wouldn't group all Christians as keeping Sunday, or a reference that states that the Catholic Church changed the day, but there are still Christians observing the original Jewish Sabbath. DM
See other meanings of words starting from letter:
Words begining with Shabbat:
Shabbat
Shabbat
Shabbatai_Zevi
Shabbatai_Zvi
Shabbat
Shabbat (שבת ''shabbāṯ'', "rest" in Hebrew language, or Shabbos in Ashkenazic pronunciation), is the weekly day of rest in Judaism. It is observed, from sundown on Friday until nightfall on Saturday, by many Jewish people with varying degrees of involvement in Judaism. It is the source for the English language term Sabbath, the Arabic language day "Sabet" (السبت), and concepts such as Sabbatical. ==Etymology== The Hebrew word ''shabbat'' comes from the Hebrew verb ''shabat'', 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 connotation of the word itself. Incidentally, this clarifies the often-asked theological question of why God needed to "rest" on the seventh day of creation (theology), as related in the Genesis account. 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 need "rest." Notwithstanding this clarification, this article will follow the far more common translation of ''Shabbat'' as "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 spelled differently. ==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 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 Tanakh. Halakha defines one day ending at nightfall, which is when the next day then begins. Thus, Shabbat begins at sundown Friday night and ends at nightfall Saturday night (traditionally, after three stars can be seen on the sky). The added time between sunset and nightfall on Saturday night owes to the ambiguous nature of that part of the day according to Jewish law. On occasions the word ''Shabbat'' can refer to the law of Shemittah or to the holidays, dependent on the context. ==Status as a holy day== The Tanakh (Hebrew Bible) and the Siddur (Jewish prayer book) describe Shabbat as having three purposes: *A commemoration of the Israelites' redemption from slavery in Egypt; *A commemoration of God's creations of the Universe; on the seventh day God rested from his work; *A taste of the world in Messianic times. While the 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, halakha (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). *The Jewish services treats the Sabbath as a bride and queen. *The Torah is read as part of the services, with a longer reading. The Torah is read over a yearly cycle of 53 ''parshiot'', one for each Shabbat. On Shabbat the reading is divided into seven sections, more than on any other holy day, including Yom Kippur. *There is a tradition that the Jewish eschatology will come if every Jew properly observes two consecutive Sabbaths (Talmud, tractate Shabbat 118). *The penalty of stoning (the most severe of the corporal punishment (Judaism)) was given in Biblical times for violating the Shabbat; this was only done under the most rigid conditions and was rarely administered, but serves as an indicator of the severity of violating the Shabbat. The first case is recorded in the Bible (Numeri 15:32-37). ==Observance== Shabbat is a day of celebration as well as one of prayer. Three festive meals are eaten each Shabbat: on Friday night, Saturday afternoon, and early Saturday evening before the conclusion of the Shabbat. All Jews are encouraged to attend Jewish services during Shabbat, even if they would not normally do so on weekdays. With the exception of Yom Kippur, Jewish holidays are postponed or advanced for a day if they coincide with Shabbat, and mourners sitting Shivah conduct themselves normally for the duration of the day and are indeed forbidden to express public signs of mourning. ==Mandatory activities== According to traditional interpretations of the Bible, Jews are commanded by God to ''keep'' (passively) and ''remember'' (actively) the Shabbat, and these two actions are symbolised by List_of_Jewish_Prayers_and_Blessings#Shabbat_Candle_Lighting. Although most Shabbat laws are restrictive (see below), the fourth Ten Commandments in Exodus is taken by the Talmud to allude to the ''positive'' aspects of the Shabbat. These include: * Recitation of ''Kiddush'' over a cup of wine in the evening and the morning, emphasizing the holiness of the day (see ''List of Hebrew Prayers''); * Three joyful meals that minimally include bread (the traditional ''challah'' loaves) and meat (according to most traditional views). * Torah study (see below); * Recitation of ''Havdalah'' at the conclusion on Saturday night (over a cup of wine, fragrant spices and a candle). Rabbi Moshe Feinstein is quoted to have said that decreased emphasis on the "positive" aspects of the Shabbat has been a factor in increased assimilation in the generations after World War II (''Derash Moshe'', "Balak"). ==Prohibited activities== ''See also 39 categories of activity''. Jewish law prohibits doing any form of ''melachah'' ("work", plural "melachot") on Shabbat. ''Melachah'' does not closely correspond to the English language definition of the term "work", nor does it correspond to the definition of the term as used in physics. Rather, it refers to the 39 categories of activity that the Talmud prohibits Jews from engaging in on Shabbat; they are legally 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 labours have something in common -- they prohibit any activity that is creativity, or that exercises control or dominion over one's environment. ===The 39 activities=== As based on the Mishnah Tractate Shabbat 7:2, the 39 activities are: #Sowing; #Plowing; #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; #Salting meat; #Curing hide; #Scraping hide; #Cutting hide up; #Writing two or more letters; #Erasing two or more letters; #Building; #Tearing something down; #Extinguishing a fire; #Kindling a fire; #Putting the finishing touch on an object; #Transporting an object between a private domain and the public domain, or within the public domain; ===Status of prohibitions=== 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 rabbinic Sages 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" usually refers exclusively to the separation of chaff from cereal, it refers 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 (in Orthodox halacha) on turning electricity on or off, which is derived from "building" and "tearing something down" (the Hebrew word that is used can be interpreted as "destroying for the purpose of rebuilding"). The solution commonly used involves pre-set timers. ===Delineations=== 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 which stands in the way of saving that life. The derived laws of ''shevuth'' are violated under much less stringent circumstances, e.g. a patient who is ill but not critically so. Various other legal principles closely delineate which activity constitutes 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 authorities). This legal principle, however, is ''post-facto'' (''bedi avad'') and is not normally relied upon except in specific circumstances. Reform Judaism, generally speaking, says that while one should study those prohibitions, as one would study Jewish law, 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 some other malachah, or derivative of such a melachah) for leisure purposes to be an enjoyable activity that enhances Shabbat and its holiness, and therefore encourage such practices. More traditional Jews, naturally, would disagree on this issue. ===Legal workarounds=== It is occasionally 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 having to press any buttons, which would be 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 authorities consider the use of such elevators by those who are otherwise capable as a breaking 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 objects outside by making their Key (lock) part of a Belt (clothing), as it would be unsafe to leave doors unlocked or hide the keys too close to the house. ==Permitted activities== The following activities are encouraged on Shabbat: *Visiting family and friends (within walking distance, given problems with transport); *Spending Shabbat together with one's own immediate family; *Synagogue attendance; *Hosting family and friends to sleep over for Shabbat (''hachnasat orchim'', hospitality) or at least for one of the festive meals; *Singing folk songs, zmirot (pizmonim), etc. (commonly done during or after the meals); *Reading, studying and discussing Torah and commentary, Mishnah and Talmud, Halakha and Midrash. * According to Kabbalah (Jewish mysticism), Sexual intercourse between husband and wife is encouraged. *According to Reform Judaism rabbis, anything that enhances the enjoyability of Shabbat as a special and spiritual day is to be encouraged.[http://www.shamash.org/lists/scj-faq/HTML/faq/18-04-17.html] The following activities are in accord with halakha but are not mandated: *Playing board games *Reading modern Jewish fiction (a number of rabbinic literature discourage the reading of novels and newspapers; inspirational stories might fall outside this opinion); *Taking a nature walk or hiking; *Some, mainly Modern Orthodox Judaism, Conservative Judaism, and Reform, authorities permit spending time with one's pets. ==Adaptation by other religions== Judaism's teachings about the ''Shabbat'' were 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. Subsequently, with the advent of Islam Friday became a day of public prayer for Muslims (the concept of "rest" is traditionally not incorporated, but is catching on nowadays), that may be derived from the practice of having market days on Friday in the Middle East in preparation for a "Sabbath". ==See also== *Jewish holidays *Jewish services *Sabbath breaking ==External links== *[http://www.chabad.org/generic.asp?AID=253215 Online Shabbat Guide] *[http://shamash.org/lists/scj-faq/HTML/faq/07-index.html FAQ about Shabbat] *[http://www.judaica-guide.com/sabbath-shabbat.htm Shabbat on Judaica Guide] *[http://www.chabad.org/article.asp?AID=6226 Candle Lighting Times for Shabbat World Wide] *[http://www.ou.org/chagim/shabbat/ Information on Shabbat from the Union of Orthodox Congregations] *[http://www.torah.org/learning/halacha-overview/chapter12.html an overview of the laws of Shabbat] from Torah.org, based on the Mishneh Torah *[http://www.torah.org/advanced/shulchan-aruch/ocarchives.html a more detailed summary of the laws of Shabbat] from Torah.org, based on the Shulchan Aruch *[http://www.chabad.org/library/article.asp?AID=258707 A guide to Shabbat] == Recommended reading == *''The Sabbath'' Abraham Joshua Heschel *''The Sabbath: A Guide to Its Understandings and Observance'' Dayan Isadore Grunfeld, Philipp Feldheim Inc. *''A Guide to Jewish Religious Practice'' Isaac Klein, Ktav, 1992 *''The Artscroll Siddur'' Ed. Nosson Scherman, Mesorah Publications *''The Encyclopaedia Judaica,'' entry on "Shabbat", Keter Publishing House Ltd *''Siddur Sim Shalom for Shabbat and Festivals'' Ed. Leonard S. Cahan, The Rabbinical Assembly and the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism *''Siddur Sim Shalom'' Ed. Jules Harlow, The Rabbinical Assembly and the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism Jewish holy days Hebrew words simple:Shabat
Shabbat
==Shabbat vs. Sabbath== Shouldn't this be moved to Sabbath, or else Sabbath made a redirect here? --User:Brion VIBBER 00:50 Oct 18, 2002 (UTC) It could be. I've been working on this page to specifically refer to the Jewish Sabbath concept. I was thinking that the more general Sabbath article could be developed to discuss the biblical origin of the holiday, and a brief overview of how it is interpreted in Judaism, Christianity, Islam and perhaps in other cultures. Then there would be a link to this particular entry (Shabbat) for details on the Jewish understanding of the day. When more details are written on the Christian or Islamic view of this day, these could be developed into their own separate entries as well. As things currently stand, the two articles are short enough to combine. I am just envisioning that as they grow longer, the separation will become more useful. User:RK I don't think that we need a disambiguation block, since the Christian and Pagan holidays are never called "Shabbat". Or am I wrong? User:Toby Bartels 18:10 Nov 3, 2002 (UTC) Removed. User:Toby Bartels 05:04 Apr 15, 2003 (UTC) ==Deletion of debate== [http://www.wikipedia.org/w/wiki.phtml?title=Talk:Shabbat&oldid=1343658 "12 hour" debate] deleted by anonouser. Because it's long and not directly relevant to this article, I'm leaving a pointer here, rather than reverting or creating an archive in the article's namespace. User:Mkmcconn 18:02, 25 Aug 2003 (UTC) ==Other Sabbaths== The paragraph "other sabbaths" is very poorly written. I don't know the subject well enough to rewrite it but someone should. --User:Zero0000 08:23, 30 Sep 2003 (UTC) That is some leftover material from anonymous user <134.124.144.44> , who introduced some creative understandings of the Sabbath should be. Despite a few attempts to learn who held these views, we never succeeded. It seems to be his own conclusions. Like the other material contributed by him, it is best removed, as Wikipedia encyclopedia articles should not contain original research or unique views. User:RK 16:18, 30 Sep 2003 (UTC)~ :The Sabbath mentioned in Leviticus 23:32 is not the seventh day Sabbath, but an annual twenty-four hour Sabbath that takes in parts of two days. It begins on the evening of the ninth day and ends the following evening on the tenth day (Atonement). This Sabbath like the land Sabbath of Leviticus chapter 25 is more than one day in duration. A Sabbath is not limited to a single day. In fact it can be over 300 days long (Leviticus 25:4). This is the only annual Sabbath that is 24 hours in length. God calls the evening before the Day of Atonement the ninth and not the tenth day as it would be called if a new day began at sunset. 34. ==Playing with pets== :''Spending time with one's pets'' Dear User:RK, I think this newly inserted paragraph is just utterly confusing. Can you state which posek gave guidance to the Modern Orthodox community on how to play with your pets in a manner that conforms to halakha? In absence of this, I suggest this matter is left alone. User:Jfdwolff User:Jfdwolff | User_talk:Jfdwolff 17:45, 11 Apr 2004 (UTC) Well, I've now rephrased the contended bit to sound less radical. IMHO it's not a compliment to say that Modern Orthodox authorities "disregard" elements of halakha.
User:Jfdwolff User:Jfdwolff | User_talk:Jfdwolff 22:25, 21 Apr 2004 (UTC) ==Reform Sabbaths== I think we need to explicate Reform positions on Shabbat observance, and also differentiating between Conservative and Orthodox halacha. I promise ot help work on it if others will. :)--User:Savant1984 07:35, 29 Jan 2005 (UTC) ==Christian Observance of Jewish Sabbath== The mention of Christians changing the Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday is not entirely true. Roman Catholics changed it (the New Testament gives no instruction to change the 4th Commandment [of which is an eternal covenant) during the 3rd-4th centuries. Although the Roman Catholics became the predominant Cristian church, it wasn't the only one. There have always been Christians (like the Waldensians) and beginning in the 1800's, the Seventh Day Adventists that keep the Sabbath. Perhaps a note that wouldn't group all Christians as keeping Sunday, or a reference that states that the Catholic Church changed the day, but there are still Christians observing the original Jewish Sabbath. DM
See other meanings of words starting from letter:
S
SB | SC | SD | SE | SF | SG | SH | SI | SJ | SK | SL | SM | SN | SO | SP | SR | SS | ST | SU | SW | SX | SY | SZ |Words begining with Shabbat:
Shabbat
Shabbat
Shabbatai_Zevi
Shabbatai_Zvi
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