SHABBAT

s. Iuliana NDS

1. I. Introduction

Shabbat: Beginning at sundown, before twilight (phase between sunset and appearance of stars), on Friday evening and ending after dusk on Saturday night or at the termination of Shabbat.

Shabbat:

• Commemorates God’s own blessing and hallowing of seventh day after first week of creation (Gen 2,2-3). The Shabbat celebrates God’s power in the creation.
• Historically: Sabbath observance (shemirat Shabbat) is the most important mitzvat which revolutionized ancient society.
• Shabbat: symbol of messianic times
• In practice weekly honoring of Shabbat proclaims:
  • Renewal of the ancient covenant with Patriarchs
  • Sanctification of time: spiritualizes the use of time (there is a social significance to the Shabbat)

Biblical texts: Gen 2, 1-2; Ex 16, 22-26; 16,29-30; 20,8-11; 23,12; 31,12-17; 34,21; 35,2-3; Lv 19,3; 19,30; 23,3; 26,2; Nm 15,32-36; Dt 5, 12-15; Is 56,2; 58,13-14; Jer 17,21-24; Ez 20,12; Am 8,5; Ne 10,32; 13,15-22; Ps 92,1.

1. II. Basic text for study: Gn 2,1-4

¹ Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and ^aall the host of them.  ² And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done.  ³ So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.  ⁴ ¶ ^aThese are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens.

• the root of the verb: klh  = to be at an end.

A secondary expansion of the notion “to close off, set limits”. The neutral notion of “concluding” is often modified in various ways: “to make ready, complete”, which primarily regards the conclusion as attainment of a pursued goal (Gen 2,2). It is used twice (inf) of the divine word that is fulfilled (Ezra 1,1; 2Chron 36,22). This root gives the idea of perfection in completing creation.

• klh= bride, daughter-in-law. In the hymn at the beginning of Shabbat, the Shabbat it self is called bride, the “Shabbat” is the bride of Israel.

1. on the seventh

The plenitude number in this world. Creation arrived at its plenitude with Shabbat. Eight is the sign of the world to come.

1. his work

mlakh = indicates  productivity – a work which creates something.

The same word is used for the construction of the temple: 1 King 7,51

Shabbat is to time what the Temple is to space. The Temple filled with the presence of God, is located in a particular place, but indicates what is everywhere. The Shabbat expresses this in reference to time.

His work – in creation, God finished his creating activity. The works forbidden on Shabbat are those that transform nature.

1. he rested (on the seventh day)

sbt = in qal: to cease, to stop ( in the meaning of Shabbat).

On Shabbat, Israel ceases to create in order to:

• celebrate the Creator (cf. Ex 20,8-11 – liturgy on Friday evening)
• remember the Covenant (Ex 31, 13.16.17 – liturgy on Saturday morning).
• celebrate the Redeemer (Dt 5, 12-15 – liturgy on Saturday afternoon)

The Shabbat is part of the creation and it is indispensable to it.

1. God blessed the seventh day

brch- to bless (the verb and the sost. occur 398 times in the Hebrew OT).

The benediction is always linked with life. In the passage of creation, God blesses: the animals, the human being, the Shabbat.

Shabbat is a space in time filled with the presence of God. Shabbat is for life, and because of this, the “work” is permitted in 3 circumstances (Ex 31,14):

• circumcision: Gen 17,11-12
• worship in the Temple: Nm 28, 9-10
• care for life: Lev 18,5

1. qds= made it holy

qds = The basic meaning “set apart”. The separation from the other days of the week.  “The holy” is set apart from the profane, and so Shabbat starts before sunset and finishes after sunset.  (Remember the Shabbat before it starts - Ex 20,8 and observe it after it finishes - Dt 5,12)

1. III. The liturgy of Shabbat

Before considering the content of different services, I think that is good to have a short explanation of the term Amidah, that will be repeated several times during the presentation.

Amidah – literally “standing” prayer, because it must be recited while standing, also known as Ha-Tefillah (The prayer). The amidah is recited three times daily, at morning, afternoon and evening sevices. A third popular name for the amidah is “shemoneh esrei”. The term Shemoneh Esrei = 18 blessings. The text of the individual blessings was composed by Men of the Great Assembly at the beginning of the second Temple period and  was put into its final form under Rabban Gamliel II after the destruction; over 4 centuries later. A nineteenth blessing was added latter (against heretics, composed in response to the threats of heretical Jewish sects) but the name Shemoneh Esrei was left unchanged. The 2 names Amidah and Shmoneh Esrei are used interchangeably.

The Shmoneh Esrei has 3 sections:

v  3 blessings: the supplicant pays homage to God, like a slave praising his master before he dares make a request.

v  The middle section of 13 (originally 12) contains the supplicant’s requests. It is not merely a catalogue of selfish requests. Each blessing, first acknowledges God’s mastery, and only then makes the request. Thus, each blessing is an affirmation of God’s power.

v  The last 3 blessings, express gratitude and confidence in the Master’s graciousness.

On Shabbat the middle 13 blessings are omitted and replaced with a single blessing known as Sanctification of the Day. On Shabbat and festivals an additional amidah is recited during musaf.

Sanctification of the Day or Kedushat: expresses the concept that God is exalted above and separated from the limitations of material existence. The kedushat of Shabbat is expanded to indicate the special significance of the Shabbat in attaining the goal of sanctification.

Friday Evening Service

n  Kabbalat Shabbat - “reception of the Sabbath”:

• Psalms 95-99; Psalm 29: whose common theme is that God is Master of the universe. Indeed the Shabbat is the testimony that He created heaven and earth in six days and rested on Shabbat, as we will see throughout the Shabbat prayers. In this light, many commentators teach that the six psalms allude to the six weekdays, which we elevate by dedicating them to the service of God and by preparing for Shabbat.
• Lekhah Dody hymn – “come my beloved”. Was composed by the sixteenth century Kabbalist Rabbi Shlomo HaLevi Alkabetz. The song is based on the Talmud’s description of the Sages’ joyous greeting of the Shabbat.

It contains many biblical echoes and reflects the “Shabbat bride” notion. Shabbat as bride whom Community of Israel must honor and welcome with royal ceremony and expressions of joy.

• Psalm 92-93: the songs of not only every Shabbat, but of the eternal Shabbat, but of the eternal Shabbat of the Messianic days.

Psalm 92,1

Ps 93 is a direct continuation of the previous theme of God’s greatness, as each day has its own song of praise and each part of creation serves God in its own way.

Ma'ariv:

• 2 blessings

-Shema

2 blessings

• Amidah

(Kiddush is said over the wine in the reform and conservative synagogues not in the orthodox)

• Aleinu: Praise to God

v  “For allowing the Jewish people to serve Him”

v  Hope that the whole world will come to God & abandon idolatry

n  Shacharit - Morning Service

• Morning Blessings

• Pesukei d'Zimra: Ps 30 (it was decided to include it in Shacharit because it was sung to inaugurate the morning Temple service).

• Shema (and its blessings) Two blessings before the Shema and one after.

The blessings express God’s mastery over nature, pray for intellectual and moral attainment throught the study of Torah, and describe God’s role in the flow of history.

The recitation of the Shema is requested by the Torah as the basic acknowledgement of God’s sovereignty and Oneness.

• Amidah

• Torah Reading

• Haftarah Reading (prophetic reading). The selection is always related to the subject of the Torah reading.

• Derashat (sermon). Sometimes also in Friday evening.

During the morning service Psalms are added at different times, based on 3 fundamental concepts found in Shabbat:

• The remembrance that God finished creation in six days and rested on Shabbat (Ps 19; 34;90;91)
• The remembrance of the Exodus from Egypt (Ps 135; 136)
• The idea that our Shabbat is a foretaste of the World to Come (Ps 33, 92; 93; and the Hallel 146; 147; 148; 149, 150)

Musaf - Additional Service: commemorates the special communal offerings that were brought in the Temple on days of enhanced holiness (Nb 28-29). These additions to the daily service symbolized the added holiness and joy of the Shabbat. This is reflected in the emphasis on joy that is found in the Mussaf Shemoneh Esrei and in the expanded version of the Mussaf Kedushah.

-          Patriarchs: recalls the greatness of our forefathers in whose merit God pledged to help Israel.

-          God’s Might – The resuscitator of the dead.

• Amidah

Saturday

Minchah - Afternoon Service: The Climax of Shabbat is described as a time when God receives our prayers with favor, and He Himself yearns for the Redemption, an aspect of the day that is reflected by the Minchah service

• Ø Asherei: Psalms  145 – 150 (hallel). Has two characteristics: the opening of the psalm’s respective verses follow the order of the alphabet and contain the inspiring and reassuring testimony to God’s mercy.

• Ø Prayer:  “A redeemer shall come to Zion”, this confidently looks ahead to the coming of the Messiah.

• Ø Torah Reading: identical to the reading on the following Monday and Thursday. The Torah reading just before the end of Shabbat symbolizes the commitment to take the Torah-imbued spirit of Shabbat with us into the new week.

• Ø Amidah – speaks of the spiritual bliss that will prevail when the perfection and universal recognition of God’s sovereignty is achieved.

Saturday

Motse Shabbat - Evening Service

(Ma’arit of the next day)

• 2 blessings

Shema

2 blessings

• Amidah

• (Havdalah) literally means distinction.

Includes symbols of blessings. Among them are the optimistic verses of blessing that introduce the post- Shabbat Havdalah. At the departure of Shabbat, one recites Havdalah holding a cup of wine. Either he or someone else holds a multi-wicked candle or two ordinary candles with their flames touching each other. Aromatic spices are held in the left hand preferably, or they may be placed on the table.

The one who recited Havdalah, or someone else present for Havdalah, should drink most of the wine from the cup, then extinguish the flame by pouring leftover wine over it into a dish. It is customary to dip the fingers into the wine-dish and touch the eyelids and inner pockets with them. This symbolizes that the “light of the mitzvah” will guide us and it invokes blessing for the week.

Havdalah symbolically consecrates the individual for the commitments of coming week; it also stresses the existence of moral distinctions in the universe, the distinction between holy and profane, light and darkness.

• Zemiros for the departure of Shabbat

v  HaMavdil: we begin the new week with a prayer of forgiveness.

v  B’Motzael: begins with a plea that God gather Israel together from its exile during the coming week.

1. IV. The Shabbat in the life of a Jew of today.

• The preparation of Shabbat begins a long time in advance. During the course of the week, activities are arranged so that people can be free on the Shabbat.
• The home should be made as welcoming as possible in honor of the feast. (cleaning, special food). Fasting is forbidden on the Shabbat.
• One must provide for the poor; tzedakah – it means an act of social justice.
• When all is prepared, the moment comes for departure for the synagogue in good time so as to join the chorus of those greeting the Shabbat with the hymn Lekha Dodi.
• At this moment life should be suffused with an atmosphere of serenity.