Shabbat

The practice

Shabbat is the weekly day of rest at the heart of Jewish life. It begins at sunset on Friday and ends after dark on Saturday. Genesis says God rested on the seventh day and blessed it; the Ten Commandments command Israel to remember the Sabbath and keep it holy.

How it is kept

A family welcomes Shabbat by lighting candles, blessing wine and two loaves of challah, and eating a festive meal together. Observant Jews set aside work, commerce, travel, and kindling fire for the day, and gather at the synagogue for prayer and the reading of the Torah.

What it means

Shabbat is a rehearsal for a redeemed world: one day in seven when no one is a worker or a customer, and time itself is a gift. Families call it a bride and a queen, and its peace is the week's centre rather than its pause.