Sabbath
The Sabbath is a day of rest and spiritual significance, primarily observed by Jewish people as well as some Christian denominations. In Judaism, the Sabbath, or Shabbat, occurs from sunset on Friday to nightfall on Saturday, marking it as the seventh day of the week. This time is dedicated to abstaining from work and engaging in prayer, family meals, and communal gatherings. Rituals include lighting candles, sharing three festive meals, and reciting blessings over wine and bread.
While most Christians observe Sunday as their Sabbath, some groups, such as the Seventh-day Adventists, continue to honor Saturday as the day of rest, aligning more closely with traditional Jewish practices. The significance of the Sabbath varies among religions; for example, in Islam, Friday is a day dedicated to communal prayer, akin to the Sabbath but with different customs and obligations. Overall, the Sabbath serves as a vital period for spiritual reflection, family connection, and communal worship across different faiths.
Subject Terms
Sabbath
Sabbath is the day of rest and a time of holiness and prayer. The Sabbath is the seventh day of the week when one desists from work and acts of creation. Sabbath is associated with the Jewish people who observe this day as one of sanctification. "Remember the Sabbath day to sanctify it" (Exodus 20:8). The seventh day is Sabbath. "Six days shall you labor and do all your work" (Exodus 20:9-10). Jewish people observe the Sabbath on a Saturday. Some divisions of Christianity regard Saturday as a Sabbath, although the majority consider Sunday to be the day of worship. Some Christian groups believe that Sunday is a new Sabbath day with biblical prohibitions pertaining to Sabbath applying to Sunday. The sabbatical year, being every seventh year, is also referred to as Sabbath in the term being linkedBible.
Background
Commandment. Keeping the Sabbath is the fourth of the Ten Commandments. The Bible, in Exodus 20:8-11, states:
Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but He rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
Meaning and Derivation of the Word. Sabbath is the English word for Shabbat, the Hebrew word by which the day is known. The meaning of the word is rest. The greeting given on the Jewish Sabbath is "Shabbat Shalom," a joining of the words Shabbat (Sabbath) and Shalom (Peace).
Day of Observance and Time. According to Jewish practice, the Sabbath begins at sunset on Friday evening and terminates at nightfall on Saturday night—once three stars are in the sky. This comprises just over a twenty-five-hour period. According to certain traditions, some wait an additional seventy-two minutes after sunset to consider the Sabbath over.
For certain sects of Christianity, the Sabbath is also held on Friday night and Saturday; however, the strict observance of the laws pertaining to work may differ. The bulk of the Christian faith observes Sunday as the day of rest. In countries where Sabbath on Sunday is considered likewise to be a holy day, the opening of businesses has not always been welcomed. Sunday is observed by Christians as a day of worship as it represents the day of Resurrection, after the Saturday Sabbath. The majority opinion is that the biblical Sabbath day is Saturday, the seventh day of the week, and Sunday is the recognition of the Resurrection.
Sabbath is a day of rest in the sense of cessation from work. In addition to resting from the labors of the week, it is considered a time of accessing spirituality and communing with God. The release from doing, from being concerned about mundane activities, creates an opportunity to be free to focus on the spiritual self.
Overview
In Judaism. The Jewish Sabbath commences with the woman of the house lighting two candles in special candlesticks and reciting a unique blessing. Song and prayer welcoming the Sabbath, who is likened to a Queen, are sung and recited.
Sabbath centers around prayer services in the synagogue and meals shared in the home with family. Friends may be invited, with guests contributing to the atmosphere of togetherness. There are three meals designated for the Sabbath, all served at beautifully laid tables: the Friday night meal, Saturday lunch, and a third meal that takes place close to sunset of Saturday evening. The meals are accompanied by Sabbath songs, tunes praising God for the gift of Sabbath.
Sanctification of the Sabbath is commemorated as a prayer over a glass of wine or grape juice. The sanctification further acts as a reminder of the special covenant God made and the promise to keep this day holy. At each meal, men, women, and children wash their hands ritually; then a blessing is made over two specially shaped breads (challah) with each person partaking a piece of the bread. In Israel, the custom is for parents to bless their children on the Friday evening of the Sabbath, asking that God protect them.
In all faiths, Sabbath observers greet its arrival in clothes befitting a special occasion. In Judaism, thirty-nine designated categories of "work" are not permitted on the Sabbath. Exodus 31:13 states that all construction for the Sanctuary during the wanderings in the desert had to cease on the Sabbath; the thirty-nine prohibitions of labor are derived from the tasks involved in building the Sanctuary. When Sabbath ends Saturday after sunset, a farewell prayer is said to separate from the holiness of the Sabbath and return to the work week
In Christianity
The Christian faith believes in the Sabbath per the commandment of "remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy" and the Sabbath as a day of rest. The Seventh-day Adventist Church observes Saturday as the Sabbath. Ellen G. White (1827-1915), considered a prophet by the church, designated keeping Sabbath on Saturday. The observance of the Sabbath accordingly creates one of the differences between Seventh-day Adventists and other Christian denominations. Mostly, Christians celebrate the Sabbath on a Sunday.
The traditional rituals involve attending church in the morning. A special Sabbath meal may be shared by family. In most countries observing Christianity, the Sabbath day was considered a nonbusiness day, a a day of worship and connection with family. This has all but fallen away, with malls remaining open and the law having changed to permit commerce on the Sabbath.
In Islam
The Muslim faith prescribes observing Friday as a day of intensive prayer to venerate Allah. The day may be likened to Sabbath; the day is observed with sanctity as a time of praying at the mosque, rather than privately, in a community-building experience. Men are obligated to attend the Friday prayers; whereas, women's attendance is voluntary.
Bibliography
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"What Does the Bible Say About the Sabbath?" Christian Bible Reference Site. Christian Bible Reference Site, n.d. Web. 26 May 2016.