Shabbat from the Hebrew language means “rest” or “cessation.” The roots of the celebration are deep inside the Jewish history and are found in the beginning of times.
Genesis book tells us about the world creation in six days. “Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.” (Gen. 2:3 New King James Version)
After God freed His people from the slavery in Egypt, He gave them the Ten Commandments. “Remember the Shabbat day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God.” (Ex. 20: 8-10 New King James Version) So Sabbath mentions both the world creation and God’s help and protection at the time of their forty-year wandering in the desert. Nourishing manna fell every day, except Shabbat, but the day before they were given twice more than on a usual day so that nobody was hungry.
Shabbat is the seventh day of the week which per se is the holiday. It starts on Friday in the evening when it becomes dark and women light the special holiday candles just eighteen minutes before sunset and place them on the table near the Shabbat dinner. Traditional dinner contains a stew of meat, potatoes and beans called cholent, red sweet wine or grape juice. Special psalms are read and beautiful melody of Lecha Dodi is performed in order to welcome the Shabbat Queen. ("Judaism, Torah And Jewish Info - Chabad Lubavitch")
Many people, who are not Jews, consider Shabbat as a weird tradition. Tourists are very surprised when they see elevators without buttons, all shops, cafés and restaurants closed and the total absence of traffic in the streets of Israel at the weekend. In the modern society, in which the most valuable things are businesses, money and career and personal vanity and satisfaction is the core of most people lives, it is really strange and considered by many people as just a waste of time.
The places of people are clean, the food for the celebration is ready. The Jews wash and dress their best clothes. In this way they display their love and respect to God Who created the earth, people, animals and all living creatures, God Who protected Their people and released them from Egyptian slavery, God Who fed them with manna during the long journey in the desert, God Who always helps his people within thousands of years. This day is also devoted to family and friends. Preserving this ancient tradition, the Jews not only recollect the major facts from the history and thank God for everything, they also remember about the importance of being united and this unity gives them strength, their special wisdom, and identity.
Franz Rosenzweig, a great Jewish philosopher of the early twentieth century said that Shabbat is an island in time. Observing the traditions of the holiday we can see that Shabbat is the time when the hustle and bustle of modern life and daily routine disappear, it seems that the time stops and only tranquility rest, love, and friendship, veneration and gratitude remains. It is like a peaceful island in the middle of the rough sea.
References
"Judaism, Torah And Jewish Info - Chabad Lubavitch". Chabad.org. N.p., 2016. Web. 6 Mar. 2016.
Holy Bible New King James Version. 2nd ed. Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, Inc., 2016. Print.
