Breakfast, lunch, dinner and restaurants
In North America and in Europe, acceptable attire on Shabbat , especially in the synagogue, means a suit and tie, or at the very least a jacket and tie for men, and a dress for women, and shoes with socks.
Of course, every Shabbat dinner is a little different. What to Bring (and What Not to Bring !) DO bring wine or chocolate. DON’T bring home-cooked food. DO bring a house gift. DON’T bring flowers. DO bring your singing voice.
Judaism requires Sabbath candles to be lit before the Sabbath ; it is forbidden to light them on the Sabbath . Ignition is one of the Sabbath laws that has been cited to prohibit electricity on Shabbat .
Just before dark, the mother lights the Shabbat candles and recites a prayer. The family drinks wine or grape juice from silver goblets and receives a blessing from the grandfather. They explain that Shabbat is a time to talk and celebrate with family.
Under Jewish law , every Jew must eat three meals on the Sabbath . One of the meals must include bread. Observant Jews will usually eat challah at the beginning of a Sabbath meal.
Shabbat
Phrase | Hebrew script | Pronunciation |
---|---|---|
Shabbat shalom | שַׁבָּת שָׁלוֹם | [ʃaˈbat ʃaˈlom] |
Gut Shabbes Good Shabbos | גוּט שַׁבָּת | [ɡʊt ˈʃabəs] |
Shavua tov | שָׁבוּעַ טוֹב | [ʃaˈvu.a tov] |
Gut Voch | גוט וואָך |
Sabbath food preparation refers to the preparation and handling of food before the Sabbath , (also called Shabbat , or the seventh day of the week), the Bible day of rest, when cooking , baking , and the kindling of a fire are prohibited by the Jewish law.
However, the Jerusalem Talmud states that while the prohibition to venture further than 2000 cubits ( one mil) is rabbinic, venturing a distance over 12 mil is Biblically forbidden. Maimonides rules according to the Jerusalem Talmud, while others rule according to the Babylonian Talmud.
The overwhelming majority of Orthodox halakhic authorities maintain that turning on an incandescent light on Shabbat violates a Biblical prohibition on “igniting” a fire (Hebrew: הבערה, hav’arah), because the filament becomes glowing hot like a coal. Some argue instead that it violates the prohibition on “cooking”.
The requirement to light Shabbat candles is thus of rabbinic origin. It is traditional to light two candles , but in some homes an additional candle is lit for each child.
In the act of lighting the Shabbat candles , every girl will find that something remarkable happens. May this act of dedication illuminate a bright future and let it be a source of eternal peace for all people. A married woman customarily lights two candles and may add an additional one for each of her children.
A Jewish family visits the synagogue on Saturday morning to observe Shabbat . During the service, the Torah is taken out from the Ark, behind the curtains, and a Rabbi reads from it in Hebrew before the scrolls are carefully put away again.