Jewish Traditions: A JPS Guide

Sabbath

Sabbath (tb<=D-) Overview The Sabbath (Shabbat, related to the Hebrew verb “shavat,” meaning “cease, rest”) is the seventh day of the week, a day of rest and refraining from work. Historical Antecedents Scholars have related the word “Sabbath” to the Babylonian “sapattu,” the full moon at mid-month, which apparently was a day of favor, or to the “unlucky day” occurring at seven-day intervals when the king’s activity was severely restricted.1 However, there is no convincing explanation of how it became separated from the lunar cycle to become the weekly “Sabbath of the Lord” observed as a joyous day by the Israelites. The striking difference in the Jewish understanding was the positive sanctity of the day, in which resting from work was regarded as obedience to a divine command. In the Torah After creating the world in six days, God ceased work on the seventh day (shavat mi-kol melachto), blessing the day and declaring it holy (Gen. 2:1–3). In addition to being a celebration of Creation, an imitation of God’s own day of rest, the Sabbath is called an everlasting sign of the divine covenant with the Jewish people (Exod. 31:13,17). The Fourth Commandment mandates the observance of the Sabbath as a remembrance of the redemption from slavery in Egypt (Deut. 5:15). This commandment declares that the Sabbath must be “remembered” (Exod. 20:8) and “observed” (Deut. 5:12). “Six days you shall work, but on the seventh day you shall cease from labor” (Exod. 34:21) prohibited 125 the Israelites from working on the Sabbath. The second half of this verse, “you shall cease from labor even at plowing time and harvest time,” implied that even during those periods of the year when there was urgent pressure in the fields, when the Israelites felt that their livelihood demanded continuous work without a break on the Sabbath, they must nevertheless rest and not desecrate the holy day. This concept was reinforced by having an admonition to keep the Sabbath immediately precede the divine instructions concerning the building of the Tabernacle and Moses’ transmission of them to the people . Thus resting on the seventh day took priority even over the duty of constructing the Sanctuary, the place where God was to dwell among the people. The requirement to refrain from work was emphasized in connection with the manna, which nourished the Israelites during their years of wandering in the wilderness. On each of the first five days of the week, God supplied the required amount of manna and the Israelites gathered it. On the sixth day, however, twice as much manna appeared because none was provided on the seventh day when gathering would have constituted work. The severe consequence of violating the prohibition against work on the Sabbath was graphically illustrated by the tale of a man who was sentenced to death by stoning for gathering sticks on the Sabbath (Num. 15:32–36). Prophetic Perspective In the prophetic books, there are scattered references to the Sabbath. It was a day when people visited prophets (2 Kings 4:22–23) and, in later times, the Temple (Isa. 1:13). Commerce ceased on the Sabbath (Amos 8:5–6), and the Israelites were enjoined not to carry things out of their houses or into the gates of Jerusalem (Jer. 17:21–22). In accordance with biblical prescriptions, additional offerings were sacrificed in the Temple on the Sabbath (Ezek. 45:17), and the showbread was changed (1 Chron. 9:32). Sabbath observance gained prominence during the period of the Babylonian exile, possibly because this practice was a way to distinguish the Israelites and their relationship to God from the gentile nations , thus decreasing the likelihood of assimilation. While the Five Books of Moses considered idolatry as the worst sin of the Jewish peo126 The JPS Guide to Jewish Traditions ple (Exod. 23:24; Deut. 4:25), the exilic and post-exilic prophets considered profanation of the Sabbath the most damaging religious violation. Both Jeremiah and Ezekiel linked the fate of Jerusalem to proper Sabbath observance. Indeed, Ezekiel (20:11–12) equated the Sabbath with all the other commandments. Second Isaiah (58:13–14) considered honoring the Sabbath the essential step to both personal and national redemption. Rabbinic Period The Rabbis of the talmudic period furthered the centrality of the Sabbath by articulating intricate laws that embellished the biblical idea of a day of rest. (A whole talmudic tractate is devoted to the Sabbath.) They also ascribed great theological significance to the Sabbath. Like the Bible, the Talmud describes the Sabbath as a precious gift from God to the Israelites (Shab. 10b). The Sabbath was so important that observing it properly was equivalent to fulfilling all the commandments (Exod. R. 25:12). A person who “profanes the Sabbath publicly” was to be treated as an idolater (Hul. 5a). Conversely, one who prays on the eve of the Sabbath is considered a partner in the creation of the world, is blessed by the angels, and is purged of all sin (Shab. 119b). According to Rabbi Judah, “He who delights in the Sabbath is granted his heart’s desire” (Shab. 118b). Observance of the Sabbath was critical to the redemption of the Jewish people. “If Israel truly were to observe two Sabbaths according to the laws thereof [requirements of halakhah], they would be redeemed immediately [the Messiah will come]” (Shab. 118b). The Rabbis considered the Sabbath metaphysically different from other days. In a famous exchange, the Roman emperor asked Rabbi Joshua ben Chananiah why Sabbath dishes have such a good smell. Rabbi Joshua replied that there is a special spice called Sabbath, but the Roman emperor couldn’t have any because it is effective only for those who hallow the seventh day (Shab. 119a). Jews are also said to have an extra soul on the Sabbath (Betz. 16a). The Rabbis decreed that, because it was a festive day, three meals should be eaten on the Sabbath (Shab. 118b), and they instituted the Kiddush over wine to sanctify the beginning of the Sabbath (Pes. 106a; see p. 138) and the Havdalah ceremony to separate the Sabbath from the regular days of the week (Ber. 33a; see p. 147). Sabbath 127 128 The JPS Guide to Jewish Traditions Later Jewish Thought The medieval Jewish philosophers focused on the symbolic nature of the day. For Maimonides, proper observance of the Sabbath was equal to all of the other commandments in the Torah.2 He viewed the Sabbath as testimony to the fact that God created the world and as a day for providing human beings with well-needed bodily rest and renewal to enable them to better serve God.3 The Akedat Yitzhak considered the Sabbath as teaching three fundamental Jewish beliefs—in the creation of the world from nothingness (creatio ex nihilo); the Revelation of the Torah at Mount Sinai, because Jews study the Torah on their day of rest; and the world to come, of which the Sabbath is a foretaste. According to Samson Raphael Hirsch,4 the prohibition of creative activity on the Sabbath is a critical acknowledgment of God as the Creator. Human beings are permitted to rule over the natural world for six days by divine decree, but on the seventh day they are forbidden to make anything for their own purpose. In effect, on the Sabbath humans relinquish their temporary control over the world and return it to the ultimate Creator of all. In the 20th century, Abraham Joshua Heschel described the Sabbath as “a sanctuary in time.”5 For Ahad Ha-Am, the father of cultural Zionism, the Sabbath was the key to the centuries of Jewish national survival in the Diaspora. “More than Israel has kept the Sabbath, the Sabbath has kept Israel.”6 Asimilar sentiment was expressed by the national poet of Israel, Chaim Nachman Bialik, who wrote: “Without Shabbat, there is no people of Israel, no Land of Israel, no culture of Israel. Shabbat is the culture.”7 Kabbalistic Perspective As a reflection of Creation, the seven days of the week symbolize the seven lower sefirot. The kabbalists interpreted numerous biblical verses and rabbinic teachings about the Sabbath as referring to the divine union of the masculine and feminine aspects of God. By linking the verse “And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy (vay ’kadesh)” (Gen. 2:3) with kiddushin (betrothal; see p. 32), they conceived of the Sabbath as representing a wedding of the Shekhinah (feminine aspect of the Divine) and the Godhead, whose union brings heavenly bliss to the Jewish people. On the Sabbath, each Jew receives an addi- tional soul, and the Sitra Atra (Other Side) is incapable of doing evil. Just as the masculine and feminine aspects of God achieve union on the Sabbath, so conjugal relations between husband and wife are doubly blessed on this day.8 The kabbalists introduced several customs that have become universally accepted over the centuries. They developed the service of Kabbalat Shabbat (Welcoming of the Sabbath) to greet the Sabbath Queen (see p. 145) on Friday evening. In Safed, it was customary to go out to the fields and face west to receive the Divine Presence. This was symbolically represented as the relationship between the bride (Shekhinah) and groom (Israel) in Lekhah Dodi (Come, my beloved) (see p. 146). The kabbalists introduced the recitation of Eshet Chayil (Woman of valor; see below) and a variety of zemirot to be sung at the three Sabbath 129 ESHET CHAYIL ( WOMAN OF VALOR; ly!c- tD3a2) Eshet Chayil (Woman of Valor) is a poem taken from Proverbs (31:10–31) that enumerates the qualities of the virtuous woman. It is traditionally recited or chanted by the husband, alone or together with the children, before the Kiddush on Friday evening. In Eshet Chayil, the woman of valor is praised for being dignified, respected, practical, hardworking, charitable, speaking with wisdom and kindness , and facing life with optimism and confidence. The ideal wife, she is trusted and praised by her husband and beloved by her children . The poem concludes with the lines: “Grace is deceptive, beauty is illusory; it is for her fear of the Lord that a woman is to be praised. Extol her for the fruit of her hand, and let her works praise her in the gates.”1 Initially, the singing of Eshet Chayil was a kabbalistic ritual, and the intended object of the song was the Shekhinah, the Divine Presence and a feminine mystical symbol. Today Eshet Chayil honors the wife and mother of the family who has worked hard all week and especially on Friday to prepare everything for the Sabbath day. Verses of Eshet Chayil are often recited at the funerals of pious women and appear as inscriptions on their tombstones.2 Sabbath meals (see p. 143). They also gave great importance to the fourth meal after sundown, a farewell feast in honor of the departing Sabbath termed melaveh malkah (escorting the queen). Restrictions Work The Bible does not specifically list those labors that are prohibited on the Sabbath, although it alludes to field labor (Exod. 34:21; Num. 15:32–36), treading in a winepress and loading animals (Neh. 13:15–18), doing business and carrying (Isa. 58:13; Jer. 17:22; Amos 8:5), traveling (Exod. 16:29–30), and kindling fire (Exod. 35:2–3) as forbidden work. In the Mishnah, the Rabbis enumerated 39 major categories (with hundreds of subcategories) of labor that were forbidden (avot melakhah) based on the types of work that were related to the construction of the Tabernacle in the wilderness, which ceased on the Sabbath (Shab. 7:2). Activities that cannot be performed on the Sabbath are basic tasks connected with preparing the showbread (sowing, plowing, reaping, binding , threshing, winnowing, selecting, grinding, sifting, kneading, baking), work related to making the coverings in the Tabernacle and the vestments used by the Kohanim (shearing [sheep], bleaching, carding [changing tangled or compressed material into separate fibers], dyeing, spinning, stretching [material], making two loops [meshes], threading needles, weaving, separating, tying [a knot], untying [a knot], sewing, tearing), activities concerned with writing and the preparation of parchment from animal skin (trapping or hunting, slaughtering , flaying [skinning], treating skins [curing hides], scraping pelts, marking out [to make ready for cutting], cutting [to shape], writing, erasing), construction (building, demolishing), kindling a flame (lighting , extinguishing), carrying (from private to public domain, and vice versa), and putting the finishing touches to a piece of work already begun before the Sabbath.1 The Rabbis decreed that one not only should avoid forbidden acts but also must not do anything that (1) resembles a prohibited act or could be confused with it, (2) is a habit linked with a prohibited act, or (3) usually leads to performing a prohibited act. The rabbinic enactment of measures to prevent these possibilities was termed “putting a fence around the Torah” (Avot 1:1). For example, ripping up a piece of 130 The JPS Guide to Jewish Traditions paper was forbidden since it resembles “cutting to shape” or could be confused with it. Similarly, agreeing to buy something was prohibited, because most agreements are confirmed in “writing”; climbing a tree is forbidden, because it may lead to breaking twigs or tearing leaves, which could be construed as “reaping” (i.e., separating part of a growing plant from its source).2 Other activities that by extension are prohibited on the Sabbath include the following:3 • Adding fresh water to a vase of cut flowers (sowing—any activity that causes or furthers plant growth). • Making a bouquet of flowers (making a sheaf). • Removing good fruit from spoiled fruit (winnowing, selecting, sifting). • Brushing dried mud from boots or clothes (grinding). • Adding cold milk directly to hot tea or coffee (baking—cooking in any form, including adding ingredients to a boiling pot). • Cutting hair or nails (shearing sheep—removing outer covering of a human or animal). • Applying makeup (dyeing). • Braiding hair (weaving). • Drawing blood for a blood test (slaughtering). • Rubbing soap to make lather, applying face cream, polishing shoes, using scouring powder for utensils or other surfaces (scraping—smoothing the surface of any material by grinding, rubbing, or polishing). • Sharpening a pencil (cutting to shape—altering the size or shape of an item to make it better for human use). • Painting, drawing, typing (writing—making durable marks on a durable material). • Tearing through lettering on a package (erasing). • Opening an umbrella or unfolding a screen (building). • Smoking a cigarette, using the telephone (kindling a fire). • Switching off an electric light (extinguishing a fire). • Setting or winding a clock or watch (finishing off). • Wearing eyeglasses not permanently required (carrying from private to public domain and vice versa). Sabbath Restrictions 131 For an activity to be considered as work forbidden on the Sabbath, the violation must be intentional. Therefore moving a chair from one place to another is permissible, even though it may produce an impression on the ground. Similarly, walking on the grass is allowed, even though this may result in some of it being crushed underfoot and thus technically constitute the prohibited activity mentioned above or the forbidden cutting of blades of grass. One has not violated the Sabbath as long as the original purpose was solely to move the chair or to walk on the grass. In contrast, one is not permitted to engage in a task that always results in forbidden work. Thus washing oneself on a lawn is prohibited because it inevitably will result in watering the grass, which is forbidden on the Sabbath.4 Any items that may not be used on the Sabbath may not even be handled on that day, lest one unintentionally perform one of the forbidden types of work. These objects are termed muktzeh, meaning to “set aside” or “store away.” Among the many things considered muktzeh are money and checks; scissors, hammers, and saws; pencils and pens; battery-operated toys and flashlights; radios and CDs; telephones and computers; and religious objects such as shofar, tefillin, and lulav. Even the Sabbath candlesticks are muktzeh and thus should not be touched on the Sabbath after the candles have been lit.5 Even if not strictly classified as forbidden work, certain “mundane matters” should be avoided on the Sabbath. These include weekday chores (such as packing suitcases and rearranging furniture, which are not in keeping with enjoyment of the restful spirit of the Sabbath), opening mail, and discussing business issues or matters of everyday concern. One is forbidden to even think about or make plans for the week ahead, such as preparing equipment, mapping out a route, readying a briefcase for the next day, or setting the table for a party on Saturday night. Based on Isaiah’s exhortation that one “honor it [the Sabbath] by not doing your usual ways” (Isa. 58:13),6 the Rabbis recommended that a person should even walk differently on the Sabbath, avoiding the long strides and rushing about that characterize the pace of most people on weekdays.7 In addition to the general forbidding of all manner of work on the Sabbath, there is a special prohibition against making a fire (Exod. 35:3). The Rabbis considered this to include everything that pertains to the kindling of light, even if no actual work is involved. In modern times, there is a controversy regarding whether the switching on of 132 The JPS Guide to Jewish Traditions electric lights and appliances is equivalent to making a fire. There are two reasons to think that switching on an electric light may not be considered kindling. First, switching on a light does not create electric power; the power exists already. Second, there is no combustion in the filament of an electric light. Nevertheless, Orthodox Jews do not use electric appliances on the Sabbath, believing that the prohibition against kindling a fire was not based on the physical effort involved in rubbing two stones together to produce a spark but rather on the thought and planning that resulted in its generation. For the Hazon Ish,8 the activation of an electric current and its transmission to sources of power, heat, and light that is produced by turning on a switch is forbidden because it falls under the category of “building”—intentionally causing something to happen. An exception is the refrigerator, which may be opened and closed because any electric current that this produces is incidental and without conscious intent. However, many observant Jews unscrew the refrigerator bulb for the Sabbath. Lights that have been kindled before the Sabbath, such as the Sabbath candles, are allowed, as are an oven for keeping previously cooked food warm and a burner to keep water warm for coffee or tea. Similarly, it is permitted to leave an electric appliance running during the Sabbath and to use a timer to automatically turn an appliance on or off, as long as the timer is set before the Sabbath begins. One mechanism to ease the difficulty of complying with the prohibition against work on the Sabbath was the concept of the Shabbos goy—a non-Jew hired by an observant family to perform certain activities forbidden to Jews on the Sabbath, such as starting a fire and turning lights on and off.9 However, the proliferation of electronic timers has virtually eliminated the need for the Shabbos goy. Carrying On the Sabbath, it is forbidden to carry any object (even a house key or handkerchief) outside a private domain, though carrying is permitted inside a private residence or a synagogue. An ingenious way to get around this restriction is to change an object that is usually carried into something that can be worn, such as converting a house key into a tie clip. The prohibition against carrying is especially difficult for mothers of infants or young children. Forbidden to carry a child outside the house, they are effectively confined to their homes on the Sabbath.10 Sabbath Restrictions 133 To overcome these restrictions, under certain circumstances the Rabbis permitted the establishment of an eruv. Literally meaning “blending” or “intermingling,” an eruv converts a large public area into a “private domain” where carrying is permitted on the Sabbath. For example, it is forbidden to carry an object from one house to another. However, if all the tenants living around a large courtyard contribute food and place it at a central point before the Sabbath, the entire area is symbolically transformed from a series of individual private homes into one common group dwelling that belongs to the entire community . Today, a common way of making an eruv is to extend a wire or nylon cord around the perimeter of a community, by connecting it to telephone or utility poles. In this way, the entire area becomes a single domain, in which it is permitted to carry and push baby carriages. In Israel, eruvim have been constructed in all cities. In the United States, they have been established in cities that have a substantial Orthodox Jewish population.11 Travel The Rabbis interpreted the verse prohibiting the gathering of manna on the seventh day (Exod. 16:29) as forbidding one from journeying on the Sabbath. Unlike the Karaites, who took the verse “let no person go out of his place on the seventh day” literally and did not allow anyone to leave home on the Sabbath, the Rabbis did not restrict movement within one’s town. However, they prohibited Jews from walking more than 2,000 cubits (approximately 1 ⁄2 mile) beyond the town boundaries on the Sabbath, “because traveling interrupts the rest of both man and beast.”12 As Menachem ha-Babli13 observed, because Jews have an “extra soul” on the Sabbath, they must devote their free time to the study of Torah and not waste the day in going from place to place.14 Orthodox rabbis forbid driving an automobile on the Sabbath, based on the fact that it involves turning on the ignition, which in turn ignites sparks—an act that violates the Torah law against making a fire on the Sabbath (Exod. 35:3). Conservative rabbis generally permit Jews to drive on the Sabbath, but only to synagogue. This ruling was made in response to the migration of Jews to the suburbs, where most no longer live within walking distance of a synagogue. Continuing to forbid driving on the Sabbath would have forced many congregants to remain at home or to pursue nonreligious activities. Fearing an erosion 134 The JPS Guide to Jewish Traditions of Jewish identity if synagogue attendance dropped precipitously, these rabbis permitted driving as the lesser of two evils. Orthodox rabbis denounced this decision, arguing that Conservative rabbis should instead encourage their congregants to live within walking distance of their synagogues.15 In Israel, public transport does not operate on the Sabbath in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, but it does run in Haifa. Except for specifically non-Jewish sections of the country, the Sabbath is the official day of rest on which all businesses and stores must close. Pikuach Nefesh All of the Sabbath restrictions may be violated to preserve life (pikuach nefesh). Those who are seriously ill must be given any necessary medical treatment. As Maimonides16 noted: “The commandments of the Sabbath, like all other commandments, may be set aside if human life is in danger,” based on the verse “You shall keep My laws and My rules, by the pursuit of which a man shall live [and not die]” (Lev. 18:5). Even if unclear whether a life will be saved, a person is permitted to violate the Sabbath, “for the mere possibility of danger to human life overrides the Sabbath.” As an example, Maimonides observed that it was permissible , and even mandatory, to exceed the 2,000-cubit limit to rescue one or more Israelites whose lives were in danger from heathens, a flooding river, a collapsed building, or physical or mental illness.17 As the Talmud concluded, “Violate one Sabbath [in order that someone may live] to observe many Sabbaths” (Yoma 85b). The deliberate desecration of the Sabbath to save a life is more than outweighed by the potential for future sanctification of the Sabbath and God’s Name. Thus, according to the Rabbis, if a building collapsed on top of someone on the Sabbath and it is unclear whether the person is alive or dead, it is required to dig the person out, even though digging is a violation of the Sabbath (Yoma 8:6). However, in situations that are not life threatening, medical treatment that violates the Sabbath should be minimized or administered by a non-Jew. The concept of pikuach nefesh is so highly regarded that if a seriously ill person needs food on the Sabbath, the halakhah requires that one should slaughter animals and prepare them according to the dietary laws, rather than feed the individual ritually forbidden food. It is even permitted to give patients forbidden food if physicians consider it necSabbath Restrictions 135 essary for their recovery. For three days after giving birth, a woman is considered in a weakened and vulnerable condition. If one of these days falls on the Sabbath, it is an obligation to do everything possible to alleviate her pain and ease her discomfort, including lighting a fire to keep her warm. In Israel, the concept of pikuach nefesh also applies to the Israel Defense Forces, border patrol, and home guard, which are permitted to violate the Sabbath by traveling and carrying weapons when necessary for security purposes to protect life.18 Observances The Rabbis ruled that the Sabbath should be made the specific object of honor (kavod) and delight (oneg), based on this verse in Isaiah (58:13): “If you call the Sabbath a ‘delight,’ the Lord’s holy day ‘honored .’”1 Traditionally, “honor” implied the duties of bathing immediately before the Sabbath, wearing special Sabbath clothes, and receiving the Sabbath with joy. “Delight” meant lighting candles on Friday night, enjoying special delicacies, eating a minimum of three Sabbath meals, cohabiting with one’s spouse, and engaging in general repose and added sleep.2 According to the Bible, the agricultural bounty of ancient Israel was reflected in its harvest of grain, wine, and oil. Each week, Jews symbolically experience these divine blessings as they eat challah, drink wine, and kindle the Sabbath lights (originally oil lamps).3 Kindling the Sabbath Lights The kindling of lights has long been viewed as adding to the joy of the Sabbath. While the sages may have disagreed about which precise oils and wicks were appropriate for use as Sabbath lights, they unanimously rejected the practice of the Karaites, who sat in the dark on Sabbath eve because they literally followed the biblical injunction against kindling fire on the seventh day (Exod. 35:5).4 Traditionally, the woman of the house lights at least two candles on Friday evening, corresponding to the two ways in which the Fourth Commandment is phrased—“remember” (Exod. 20:8) and “observe” (Deut. 5:12) the Sabbath day—two phrases that the Talmud relates were miraculously “pronounced in a single utterance” by God (Shev. 20b). Two candles also symbolize the unity underlying all apparent 136 The JPS Guide to Jewish Traditions duality: man and woman, body and soul, speech and silence, Creation and Revelation. In many families, an additional candle is lit for each child in the family; it is customary never to decrease that number.5 So as not to desecrate the Sabbath by miscalculating the precise time that night falls and the seventh day begins, it is customary to light the candles 18 minutes before sunset on Friday evening. Unlike most commandments, for which the recitation of a blessing precedes the activity and any benefit that can be derived from it, the lighting of the Sabbath candles is performed before the blessing is said. Were the woman to recite the blessing first, she effectively would have welcomed the Sabbath before actually having kindled the candles, which would violate the prohibition against making a fire on this day. Before reciting the blessing, some women pass their hands three times over the candles to symbolically draw in the essence of light and the spirit of holiness, thus enhancing the powerful emotion of ushering in the Sabbath. It is customary for women to cover their eyes while reciting the blessing after lighting the Sabbath candles. One explanation is that this enables the woman to exclude all extraneous thoughts and concentrate her full attention on the words she is saying. An alternative is that this practice is consistent with the prohibition against enjoying the subject of a blessing until after it has been recited. Covering her eyes permits the woman to delay (until after finishing the blessing) the spiritually elevating experience of gazing on the glowing light of the Sabbath candles.6 The moment at which the Sabbath candles are lit is considered a favorable time for God to hear a woman’s personal prayer. Therefore, it is customary for her to thank God for the blessings of the past week and ask for continued good fortune for her family. After praying that her children be imbued with Torah and observe the mitzvot, she may beseech God to heal the sick and remember the souls of her departed relatives .7 Finally, she greets all at the table with Shabbat shalom ([may you have a] Sabbath of peace), or the Yiddish gut Shabbos (good Sabbath).8 Based on a literal translation of the Yiddish “bentsch licht,” the candlelighting ceremony is often misunderstood as “blessing the candles.” The Sabbath candles are not inherently holy, and the blessing stresses that God “has sanctified us” by the commandment to kindle the Sabbath lights. Like all mitzvot, this ritual act is designed to enable us to experience holiness, rather than to make any material object holy.9 Kindling the Sabbath lights is not a biblical commandment, but Sabbath Observances 137 rather one of the seven ritual mitzvot legislated by the Rabbis (Shab. 25b). Although the duty to light candles for the Sabbath falls equally on men and women, in a family setting it traditionally has been considered the responsibility of the women “because they usually are at home taking care of the household at that time.”10 Indeed, the lighting of Sabbath candles is generally regarded as one of the three “women’s commandments,” along with observing the laws of family purity through immersion in a ritual bath (mikveh; see p. 555) and separating out a portion of dough (challah) when baking bread. According to Rabbi Moses Isserles, a woman who fails to light the pair of Sabbath candles must henceforth light three Sabbath candles for the rest of her life, to remind her to always be scrupulously careful in fulfilling this important mitzvah.11 Kiddush (DVdq1) Kiddush (sanctification) is the prayer recited over a cup of wine to consecrate the Sabbath (or festival) in accordance with the biblical commandment to “Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy” (Exod. 20:8). When first instituted by Ezra and the men of the Great Assembly, the Kiddush was not an independent ritual but a part of the Amidah, where it still remains in the middle blessing for Friday evening. Later, when the impoverished Jewish community became wealthier and wine was readily available, the Rabbis decreed that the Kiddush also should be recited over a cup of wine. This symbol of joy and celebration was considered most appropriate for the Sabbath and festivals. The use of wine in this ceremony may have related to the sacrificial ritual in the Temple, for the Talmud notes that the Kiddush may be recited only over “wine that is fit to be brought as a drink offering on the altar” (BB 97a).12 The Rabbis debated whether the Kiddush over wine should be recited in the synagogue or the home. The decision was that Kiddush should be said at the table just before sitting down to eat the Sabbath dinner (Pes. 101a).13 Rashbam14 maintained that this was based on this verse, “And you shall call the Sabbath a ‘delight’” (Isa. 58:13), explaining that “Where there is delight [i.e., a festive meal], there shall you recite the Kiddush.”15 However, because the synagogues of Babylonia had annexes that served as community hostels and provided food and lodging for travelers, it became customary to also recite the Kiddush in 138 The JPS Guide to Jewish Traditions the synagogue at the end of the Friday evening service. According to Kol Bo,16 this tradition (which persists among Ashkenazim) was established for the sake of those who cannot read Hebrew; if they hear the Kiddush enough in the synagogue, they eventually will learn how to recite it correctly at home.17 In addition to the principal evening Kiddush, the Rabbis mandated that a minor Kiddush be recited before the noon meal on the Sabbath (or festival). Although termed the “Great Kiddush” (Pes. 106a), it is essentially the customary blessing over wine. Some include an appropriate scriptural verse before the blessing. For the Sabbath, one says: “Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it” (Exod. 20:11). For festivals, the additional verse is: “So Moses declared to the Israelites the set times of the Lord” (Lev. 23:44). Some further enhance the stature of the Great Kiddush by adding the prayer Ve-shamru (And they shall keep [the Sabbath]) (Exod. 31:16–17), a passage in which the Sabbath is labeled “an everlasting sign” between God and the children of Israel. Strong drink other than wine may be used for this Kiddush, for which the word “great” may originally have referred to the amount of drink rather than the length of the prayer.18 In modern times, the Saturday morning Kiddush has assumed new importance. Sponsored by the entire congregation or by specific members to celebrate a special event in their lives, it also serves as a communal social hour. Text The Friday evening Kiddush begins with an introductory paragraph (va-yechulu ha-shamayim) describing the seventh day of Creation (Gen. 2:1–3). This is preceded by the words “yom ha-shishi” (the sixth day), the last two words of the preceding biblical verse (Gen. 1:31), so that the first four letters spell out YHVH (the Tetragrammaton). The blessing over wine (borei peri ha-gafen) is then recited, followed by the blessing for the sanctification of the day. Concluding with “Praised are You, O Lord, who hallows the Sabbath,” the core of this longer blessing refers to both the Creation of the world and the Exodus from Egypt. This double memorial is in accordance with the variant texts of the commandment in Exodus (20:11) and Deuteronomy (5:15). On festivals falling on weekdays, the introductory scriptural passage is omitted; all that is recited are the blessings over wine and for the Sabbath Observances 139 sanctification of the day, which ends “Who hallows Israel and the festive seasons.” On all full festivals, except the last days of Passover, one recites the Shehecheyanu blessing, thanking God for having “kept us in life, sustained us, and enabled us to reach this season” (see p. 479). When a festival immediately follows the Sabbath, a special benediction marking the termination of the Sabbath (Havdalah; see p. 147) is added. Customs Although women are generally exempt from observing the positive mitzvot that depend on a set time, this does not apply to the Kiddush (or kindling the Sabbath and festival lights; see above). The Talmud states that the biblical commands to “remember” (zakhor; Exod. 20:8) and “observe” (shamor; Deut. 5:12) the Sabbath day include women, for “Whoever has to ‘observe’ has to ‘remember’; and since women have to ‘observe’ [by performing no work], they also have to ‘remember ’ ” (Ber. 20b). Because women have an equal obligation to say the Kiddush, according to halakhah they may do so even on behalf of men who are present.19 Opinions differ as to whether the Kiddush should be said while standing or seated at the dinner table. The Sephardic tradition prefers standing during the Kiddush, viewing it as a form of testimony to the loving relationship between God and Israel (and in a Jewish court, testimony is always given while standing). Ashkenazim more commonly sit, based on the concept that if the person saying the Kiddush is fulfilling the ritual obligation of the others in the room, all must sit down together to form a group. Hasidim tend to follow the kabbalistic tradition, which advocates standing because of the comparison of the Sabbath to a bride and the fact that the wedding blessings are said while standing.20 Moshe Feinstein offered a compromise—reciting the Kiddush while standing, but drinking the wine while sitting down. The blessing for bread usually precedes that for wine, because the Torah mentions wheat before the vine when describing the seven species of agricultural produce that symbolize the fertility of the Land of Israel (Deut. 8:8). On the Sabbath and festivals, however, this sequence is reversed. While the Kiddush over wine is being recited, the two challot on the Sabbath table remain covered, which is considered equivalent to having removed the bread from the table. According to the Talmud, it is preferable to recite the evening 140 The JPS Guide to Jewish Traditions Kiddush over wine (Pes. 107a). However, if wine is not available, or if one may not drink it for health reasons, it is permissible to say the Kiddush over grape juice or over the two loaves of challah. In the latter situation, the only difference is that the blessing for bread is substituted for that of wine. When the Kiddush is said over the challot, they do not have to be covered, and it is customary to place one’s hands on the bread during the recitation of the blessing.21 Challah For each Sabbath meal, two whole loaves of bread (challah) are placed on the table and covered with a cloth. These are reminiscent either of the double portion of manna that fell on Friday and sustained the Israelites over the Sabbath or of the two rows (12 loaves) of the showbread (lechem panim) eaten on the Sabbath by the Kohanim (Exod. 25:30). The Hebrew word “challah” is mentioned in the Bible (Num. 15:20) as the small portion of dough (1 /24 for an individual; 1 /48 for a baker) that was to be set aside when baking bread and then offered to the Kohanim in the Temple. Because Kohanim can no longer observe the laws of priestly purity and thus are disqualified from eating anything related to a holy sacrifice, in observant households (and kosher bakeries) where bread is baked, an olive-size challah portion is now thrown into the fire and burned. According to the Mishnah, Jews are responsible for separating the challah portion when baking bread from at least three pounds of flour of any of the five grains—wheat, barley, spelt, oats, and rye (Hal. 1:1).22 According to one explanation, placing two loaves of bread on the Sabbath table may relate to the ancient practice of serving a loaf of bread with every cooked dish. On weekdays, the family ate only one cooked food at a meal, so that only one loaf was placed on the table. However, as befits the joyful quality of the Sabbath, each meal included two cooked dishes, both of which required its own loaf of bread.23 The Sabbath challot are usually covered with a decorative cloth, a symbol of the layer of dew that protected the manna in the wilderness. Covering the challah also prevents it from being “slighted” by having its blessing preceded by the Kiddush over wine—for if bread is served at a meal, at all other times the blessing over it takes precedence (see p. 474). Another explanation of this practice relates to the traditional likening of the Sabbath to a bride. Just as the bridal veil is removed Sabbath Observances 141 after reciting the blessings under the wedding canopy, so the “veil” of the challot is lifted after their blessings have concluded and before the bread is cut. All the people at the table do not have to make their own blessing over the challah, since they have fulfilled their obligation by listening to the blessing and responding “amen.” Because the dinner table is considered to be symbolic of the altar in the Temple (Ber. 55a), where salt was brought with all offerings, the custom developed of sprinkling salt on the challah to commemorate the sacrificial system.24 In some communities, 12 challot are placed on the table to symbolize the showbread, 12 large loaves of wheat flour (corresponding to the number of the tribes of Israel) that were placed in two rows on the table in the sanctuary each Sabbath and left there until the next Sabbath, when they were removed (miraculously still fresh) and eaten by the Kohanim. An alternative is to bake two long challot in the shape of the Hebrew letter “vav” (numerical value of six which, when doubled, equals the 12 showbreads).25 Sabbath Meals It is customary to invite guests and sing special table hymns (zemirot; see below) at the three main Sabbath meals—Friday evening, Sabbath lunch, and a third meal (seudah shelishit, or shal’shudes) before the close of the day. This tradition stems from the threefold repetition of the word “ha-yom” (today) in the verse, “Then Moses said: ‘Eat it [the manna] today, for today is a sabbath of the Lord; you will not find it today on the plain’” (Exod. 16:25).26 The Sabbath table is traditionally covered with a white tablecloth, reflecting either the white manna that covered the earth or the “pure table” (symbolized by white) on which the showbread was laid out in the Temple. The third meal at home is usually quite simple. However, when held in the synagogue, it is often sponsored by a member of the congregation in honor of a special event such as a marriage or yahrzeit. Hasidim assemble around the rebbe’s table for the third meal, sharing a morsel of food and listening to words of Torah wisdom.27 Since it is forbidden to cook food on the Sabbath, though it can be kept warm until served, a popular Sabbath lunch dish among European Jews is cholent (see p. 681), a slow-cooking stew that can be kept 142 The JPS Guide to Jewish Traditions warm overnight. Sephardim also have a traditional slow-simmered stew known either as chamin (or chamim; from “cham,” the Hebrew word for “hot”) or adafina (or dafina; from the Arabic word for “covered ”). The tradition of eating fish on the Sabbath is based on a midrash that reasons that because fish were created on the fifth day and humans on the sixth, followed by the seventh day of rest, this relationship should be continued by having fish eaten by Jews on the Sabbath. In Eastern Europe, a classic dish was gefilte (stuffed) fish (see p. 684), which received its name because originally several types of boned fish (usually carp, pike, and whitefish) were ground up, seasoned , and then stuffed back into the skin of the fish before cooking. Another fish that was used for Sabbath dinner was chopped herring, which was popular because of its appetizing taste and ability to be stretched to feed family and guests.28 Some communities traditionally eat onion and garlic on the Sabbath. According to one interpretation, the manna that the Israelites ate in the wilderness contained all the flavors in the world except for onion and garlic, which were excluded because they were believed to be harmful to pregnant women. Consequently, the custom arose of eating onion and garlic on the Sabbath to make the pleasures of the palate complete.29 Zemirot (torym1z$) “Zemirot” is the term for the table hymns sung during or immediately after Sabbath meals. These medieval songs represent a unique blend of the holy and the secular, the serious and the playful, and allow family and friends to enhance the Sabbath experience. The most famous of the zemirot is Shalom Aleichem (Peace be upon you), which traditionally is sung as the family gathers around the table on Friday night to welcome the “angels of peace.” This hymn, sung only among Ashkenazim and believed to have been written in the 17th century, was inspired by talmudic legend (Shab. 119b). Rabbi Yosi ben Yehuda taught: “Two ministering angels—one good, one evil—accompany every Jew from the synagogue to his home on the Sabbath eve. If they find the candles burning, the table set, and the bed covered with a spread, the good angel exclaims, ‘May it be God’s will that it also be so on the next Sabbath,’ and the evil angel is compelled to respond Sabbath Observances 143 ‘amen.’ But if everything is disorderly and gloomy, the evil angel exclaims , ‘May it be God’s will that it also be so on the next Sabbath,’ and the good angel is forced to say ‘amen.’”30 After extending our wishes for peace to the ministering angels “of the Most Exalted, the Supreme King of kings, the Holy One, blessed be He,” in the final three verses we successively pray “May your coming be in peace,” “Bless me with peace,” and “May your departure be in peace.” Most zemirot were composed by the kabbalists, who considered it proper to chant table hymns in honor of the spiritual guests visiting the Jewish home on Sabbath eve. Among those authors whose zemirot are still sung in Jewish homes was Isaac Luria, the master kabbalist, who composed table hymns for each of the three Sabbath meals. The most popular of these, Yom Zeh l’Yisrael (This day is for Israel), describes a mixture of spiritual and physical pleasure, a divine commandment coupled with bodily enjoyment that concludes with a vision of the messianic age when life will become one great Sabbath. The second verse refers to the additional soul that is given to each Jew on Friday evening and then taken away when the Sabbath ends (Taan. 27b).31 Another major liturgic poet belonging to the Safed circle of mystics was Damascus-born Israel Najara, who wrote 650 hymns, the best known of which is Yah Ribon Olam (God, Master of the universe). This table hymn is written in Aramaic and has the author’s first name as an acrostic formed by the opening letters of the verses. The song praises the glorious and powerful “King who reigns over kings” whose “powerful and wonderful deeds it is beautiful to declare.” It continues by extolling God as the Creator of all life and a worker of wonders. Finally, it concludes with a request that God redeem the Jewish people from exile and allow them to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem, “the city of beauty.” It is interesting that the song does not mention the Sabbath at all. Yom Zeh Mechubad (This day is honored) urges Jews to observe the Sabbath for God will provide those who do with everything they need to enjoy the day—the ceremonial wine for Kiddush; two loaves of challah ; meat and fish, rich foods, sweet drinks, and “all appetizing things”; and even proper clothes to wear. It is based on the talmudic statement promising that all Sabbath expenses would be restored: “The Holy One, Blessed be He, said unto Israel: ‘My children, borrow on My account and celebrate the holiness of the day and trust in Me, and I will 144 The JPS Guide to Jewish Traditions repay’” (Betz. 15b). The refrain to the six stanzas is a reminder that “This day is honored more than all other days, because on it the Eternal rested.”32 Tzur Mishelo (lit., “Rock from whose store [we have eaten]”), is an anonymous hymn that introduces the Birkat ha-Mazon (see p. 476) on the Sabbath. The refrain recalls the invitation to the Grace after Meals, while the four stanzas summarize the contents of that prayer—praising God for providing food, giving thanks for the “good land” bequeathed to Israel, and asking God to have mercy on the Jewish people and restore the Temple and the kingdom of David. By the 16th century, the singing of zemirot at Sabbath meals had become a widespread custom. In addition, special zemirot were sung in honor of the departing Sabbath Queen as the day grew to a close. These table hymns, whose melodies were usually borrowed from folk songs, Jewish and non-Jewish alike, have remained popular to this day. Many Jewish families sit around the dinner table for hours joyfully singing them.33 Liturgy On Friday evening, the regular prayers are preceded by Kabbalat Shabbat (Welcoming the Sabbath), which is a series of psalms, and the hymn Lekhah Dodi (see p. 146), introduced by the kabbalists in 16thcentury Safed. Aspecial prayer, Ve-shomru ([the Children of Israel] shall keep [the Sabbath]), which is also recited on Saturday morning, stresses the obligation of the Jewish people to observe the Sabbath as an eternal covenant between them and God, the Creator of heaven and earth (Exod. 31:16–17). To increase attendance at services, many Reform and Conservative synagogues in the United States have instituted a late Friday evening service that starts after the close of the business day. This service features a sermon by the rabbi and is typically followed by refreshments at an Oneg Shabbat, a term coined by famed poet Chaim Nachman Bialik to describe a popular study session that he initiated on Sabbath afternoon. The Saturday morning service includes readings from the Torah (see p. 438) and haftarah (see p. 456), and there is an additional (Musaf) service. During the afternoon (Mincha) service, there also is a Torah reading from the next Sabbath’s portion. In many congregations, it is Sabbath Liturgy 145 a custom to study Pirkei Avot (Ethics of the Fathers) following the afternoon service from Passover to Rosh Hashanah. This is a collection of the moral and practical teachings of about 60 sages whose lives spanned nearly five centuries. In all Sabbath services, petitions are eliminated from the Amidah and replaced with special blessings in honor of the day. When the Sabbath concludes and three stars can be seen in the night sky, Havdalah (see p. 147) is recited. In addition to a blessing over wine, special blessings are made over spices (to restore the soul saddened by the departure of the day) and over light (which could be neither lit nor blessed on the Sabbath). Lekhah Dodi (yd!od hk=l4) Lekhah Dodi (Come, my beloved) is the climax of the Kabbalat Shabbat, the set of prayers in which the congregation welcomes the Sabbath before the official Friday evening service. It was composed by Solomon ha-Levi Alkabetz, the best-known liturgic poet of the Safed circle of kabbalists in the early 16th century. The author’s Hebrew name—Shlomo ha-Levi—is formed by the initial letters of the first eight stanzas. The opening line and refrain of Lekhah Dodi—“Come, my beloved, to greet the bride; let us welcome the Sabbath presence”—was inspired by the talmudic account of how the sages honored and welcomed the Sabbath, which was compared to a princess or bride (Shab. 119a). Isaac Luria and his disciples used to form a procession every Friday afternoon and go to the outskirts of Safed to receive the Sabbath Bride (Sabbath Queen) with song and praise. This mystical ceremony spread to other communities, where the Sabbath Bride was welcomed not in the fields but in the synagogue immediately before the Friday evening service. Eventually, the Kabbalat Shabbat was standardized to consist of six psalms that correspond to the regular days of the week (Ps. 95–99, 29) and contain 65 verses (the numerical equivalent of Adonai) and Lekhah Dodi, followed by Mizmor Shir, the psalm (92) for the Sabbath day.1 Some congregations open the Friday evening service with the singing of Yedid Nefesh (Beloved of the soul), composed by Eleazar Azikri, a 16th-century kabbalist of Safed. With the first letters of its four stanzas spelling out YHVH (the Tetragrammaton), the poem extols the love between God the Creator and human beings, who humbly yearn for divine mercy and favor.2 146 The JPS Guide to Jewish Traditions In the Torah, there are two different versions of the Fourth Commandment : “remember” and “observe” the Sabbath day to keep it holy (Exod. 20:8; Deut. 5:12). According to tradition, “remember” refers to fulfilling the positive mitzvot associated with the Sabbath, whereas “observe” refers to not violating the negative commandments related to the day. The first stanza opens with the talmudic statement that God simultaneously spoke the words “remember” and “observe” to link them forever in the collective mind of the Jewish people (Shev. 20b). The second stanza notes that although the Sabbath was the final divine act of Creation, it was ordained by God even before the universe was created. In the next verses of Lekhah Dodi, the poet urges Jerusalem to wake up, cease her weeping, and return to her former glory. Eventually the Messiah will come if, as the Talmud states, “Israel observes two Sabbaths according to the laws thereof [halakhah ]” (Shab. 118b).3 According to the Midrash, because God united the Jewish people with the Sabbath, that day of the week is eagerly anticipated and ecstatically welcomed like a beloved bride (Ber. R. 11:9).4 When reciting the final stanza of Lekhah Dodi—“Enter in peace ... come, O bride”—it is customary to turn toward the rear of the synagogue (traditionally facing westward in the direction of the setting sun that signals the arrival of the Sabbath), bowing slightly to symbolically welcome the Sabbath Bride. At this point, the glory of the Sabbath enters and with it the additional soul that enhances the Jew’s experience of this sacred day.5 Turning around at the end of Lekhah Dodi also allows congregants to comfort the mourners, who traditionally wait behind the rear door to the synagogue until the beginning of Mizmor Shir, which follows immediately . In this way, it is readily apparent which of their fellow worshipers are in mourning and in need of consolation.6 In some synagogues, Lekhah Dodi is not recited when a festival falls on the Sabbath, lest the congregation feel shamed when worshipers say, “Let us welcome the presence of the Sabbath” but not the arriving yom tov.7 Havdalah (hl=d+b4h-) Havdalah is a ritual ceremony that is rich in symbols and religious significance and marks the conclusion of the Sabbath (or a festival). The Havdalah 147 Hebrew term (lit., “separation”) is the same word used several times in Genesis to signify God’s original creative act of distinguishing light from darkness (1:4), the primordial waters from the heavens (1:6–7), and day from night (1:14).1 An ancient ceremony that goes back more than 2,000 years, Havdalah emphasizes the distinction between the sacred and the ordinary, the departing Sabbath (or festival) and the following regular weekday. The conclusion of the Sabbath is a time of apprehension and sorrow, when Jews must relinquish their extra Sabbath souls and return to their ordinary states. The Zohar relates that Joseph, Moses, and David all died before sundown on the Sabbath day. As three stars appear in the sky (about 42 minutes after sunset), ending the 25-hour respite from the pressures of daily life, Jews must once again shoulder the stress and burdens of the workday world. Havdalah consists of three blessings—over wine, sweet-smelling spices, and light—followed by the major benediction that deals with the separation or distinction that God has made “between the holy and the profane, between light and darkness, between Israel and the other nations, and between the seventh day and the six working days.” In the Middle Ages during the period of the Crusades, the pupils of Rashi added an introductory set of seven scriptural verses (from Isaiah, Psalms, and Esther) to be recited when Havdalah is said in the home. Beginning with “Behold, the God who gives me triumph” (Isa. 12:2),2 these verses stress that in the past Jews have successfully trusted in God and relied on divine assistance in times of trouble, expressing confidence that in the future God will continue to be a fortress of strength when needed. Although not an obligatory part of the ceremony, the recitation of these verses is regarded as a “good omen” and has become standard practice.3 According to a midrash, Adam became frightened as the skies darkened at the end of the first Sabbath, as he contemplated the unknown dangers that he and Eve would face as they emerged from the sheltered confines of the Garden of Eden. To allay his fear, God taught the first couple how to strike two flints together to make fire, and Adam gratefully declared, “Praised be He, the Creator of Light!”4 This was the origin of the custom of kindling fire in the form of a candle at the end of the Sabbath.5 This legend may have been a response to the ancient Greek myth of Prometheus, who after stealing fire from heaven 148 The JPS Guide to Jewish Traditions and giving it to humans, was chained to a rock and tortured by order of Zeus. In contrast to the Greek gods, who were jealous of the accomplishments of mortals, the God of Israel personally gave the gift of fire to human beings and has provided them the opportunity for continual progress.6 Wine is the preferred beverage for the Havdalah ceremony. However, one may also use any drink “common to the land” (except water), which many authorities consider to include beer, milk, coffee, tea, and fruit juice.7 The cup of wine is filled to overflowing to symbolize the wish for abundant blessings. This is based on an aggadic interpretation of the biblical verse that God “will bless your bread and your water” (Exod. 23:25). A household where “wine flows like water” is regarded as within the framework of this divine blessing (Er. 65a), and this may be emphasized by pouring some wine on the ground. At the end of the Havdalah ceremony, some Jews dampen their fingertips with the last drops of wine in the cup and touch them to their eyelids and pockets to bring good luck during the upcoming workweek.8 The fragrant spices refresh and revive the spirit and dispel the sadness accompanying the end of the Sabbath day. A mystical reason is that the spices either provide spiritual compensation for the additional soul that each observant Jew figuratively possesses on the Sabbath day,9 which Rashi defined as a unique feeling of rest and contentment , or that they symbolize the spiritual farewell “feast” for that extra soul.10 In ancient times, before forks came into use, it was customary to cleanse the hands after a meal by passing them over spices on hot coals. On the Sabbath, this custom could not be performed. However, after the third Sabbath meal was eaten at dusk, the spices could be brought in and thus they became associated with the Havdalah service.l1 Abraided multi-wick candle is customarily used for Havdalah, based on the talmudic recommendation that the ideal way to perform the mitzvah is to employ a “torch” that sheds a greater light (Pes. 103b). If this is not available, it is permissible to use two ordinary single-wick candles held so that their flames merge together.12 Acompound light is required in keeping with the blessing borei me’orei ha-esh (Who creates the flaming lights). Unlike Sabbath, festival, and memorial candles, the Havdalah candle is extinguished at the end of the ceremony.13 Apopular explanation for holding the candle and reciting a blessing Havdalah 149 over it is that light was God’s first creation on the first day of the week. While saying the blessing for the light, it is customary to spread one or both hands toward the flame and examine the shadows playing on the palm of the hand and the nails of the fingers. The order of the blessings in the Havdalah ceremony may reflect a hierarchy in the human senses. The sense of taste (wine) is the lowest and least refined. Smell (spices) is more sensitive than taste (an odor also can be detected at a distance) but less advanced than the sense of sight (candle). Even higher than the senses is the intellect, which can distinguish between two things (Sabbath and regular weekdays).14 According to tradition, the prophet Elijah, the messenger of the good tidings of the coming of the Messiah, will not arrive on Friday when everyone is busy preparing for the Sabbath or on Saturday, when Jews are at rest. Consequently, he is expected immediately after the Sabbath ends. Therefore, at this time many Jews sing Eliyahu Hanavi (Elijah the prophet), which expresses the hope that Elijah will arrive during the coming week and usher in the era of redemption for Israel and all humanity .15 Another hymn that is frequently sung at the conclusion of the Havdalah ceremony is Hamavdil (Who distinguishes), which asks the God who differentiates between the holy and the profane to pardon our sins and to multiply our offspring (and our wealth), making them as numerous “as the sand and as the stars in the night.” These are the same biblical symbols for limitlessness as in God’s promise to Abraham concerning his descendants (Gen. 22:17). Finally, it is customary to wish one another a good week, typically in either Hebrew (shavuah tov) or Yiddish (gut voch). If a person cannot recite Havdalah on Saturday evening or forgets to do so at that time, it is permissible to perform the ceremony any time through Tuesday of the coming week (from Wednesday on, Jews are presumably making preparations for the next Sabbath).16 Throughout the ages, many people have preferred to eat their main meal after Havdalah, when they could have freshly cooked food. Since the Rabbis could not prevent this practice, they insisted that this meal be considered a farewell feast in honor of the departing Sabbath Queen and termed it melaveh malkah (escorting the queen). The Saturday evening meal is also associated with King David, the ancestor of the Messiah. The Talmud relates that in answer to his plea, “Tell me, O Lord, what my term is” (Ps. 39:5)17 , David was informed that his 150 The JPS Guide to Jewish Traditions death would occur on a Sabbath. Therefore, after each Sabbath, King David would celebrate because he knew he would live for at least one more week.18 At the end of a festival that does not fall on a Saturday night, only the blessing over wine and the major Havdalah blessing are said. The introductory verses and the blessings for spices and light are omitted. If the end of the Sabbath coincides with the onset of a festival, Havdalah is still recited. However, the blessing for spices is omitted, since the Havdalah 151 SPICE BOX (Mym1S=b<4 ts-p4Vq) The blessing over aromatic spices is one of the rituals of Havdalah, the ceremony that marks the conclusion of the Sabbath. During the Middle Ages, perhaps in memory of the incense used in the Temple service, it was customary to greet and bid farewell to the Sabbath with fragrant spices, initially myrtle and later precious spices that were often stored in special glass containers. Smelling the spices at Havdalah also compensates the Jew for the loss of the “extra soul” that departs with the close of the Sabbath day. According to an ancient legend, the fires of Geihinnom (netherworld) that are rekindled at the end of the Sabbath produce such an appalling odor that the Havdalah spices are needed to guard against it.1 Today, the spice box is a favorite creation of ceremonial artists, and over the centuries it has been constructed in a multitude of ways. Because spices came from the faraway Orient and were extremely expensive, Europeans guarded them as treasures, often in spice towers. Therefore, Ashkenazic spice boxes were sometimes made in the shape of a tower topped with a pennant and having a clock face to indicate the time when the Sabbath ended that week. Other spice boxes took the form of fruit, animals, and (later) even trains. During the Inquisition, Conversos disguised spice boxes as ornamental pieces or children’s toys to hide their Jewish symbolism from the authorities. festival (yom tov) is regarded as sufficient “fragrance” to compensate for the loss of the Sabbath (Pes. 102b).19 Special Sabbaths Throughout the year, some Sabbaths commemorate specific events and are distinguished by variations in the liturgy and special customs. Two of these Sabbaths recur—Shabbat Mevarchim (see p. 167), which immediately precedes each new month and announces its date, and Shabbat Rosh Hodesh, when the Sabbath coincides with the new moon. The other special Sabbaths are discussed in chronological order, according to the Jewish calendar. Shabbat Shuvah Shabbat Shuvah (Sabbath of Return) occurs during the Ten Days of Repentance between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur (see p. 204). The name derives from the initial word of the week’s haftarah: “Return (shuvah) O Israel, to the Lord your God” (Hos. 14:2). Shabbat Shirah Shabbat Shirah (Sabbath of Song) is applied to the day when the Torah reading includes Shirat ha-Yam (The Song at the Sea; Exod. 15:1–18)— the prayer of thanksgiving chanted by the Israelites after safely crossing the Sea of Reeds during the Exodus from Egypt (see p. 409). The haftarah on Shabbat Shirah contains another triumphal hymn, the “Song of Deborah” (Judg. 5). The Torah portion for Shabbat Shirah includes the story of the manna that sustained the Israelites during their wanderings in the wilderness. According to legend, some ungrateful individuals rebelled against the authority of Moses by violating his command not to gather manna on the Sabbath. They took half of the double portion from Friday and spread it on the ground early on Saturday morning, planning to gather it and thus prove Moses a false prophet. However, the birds immediately swooped down from the skies and cleared the fields, so that not a trace of manna was left. To demonstrate our eternal appreciation for their prompt action, it is customary on Shabbat Shirah to scatter seeds outside the home to feed the birds.1 152 The JPS Guide to Jewish Traditions Shabbat Shekalim Shabbat Shekalim (Sabbath of Shekels) is the Sabbath that falls on or immediately precedes the First of Adar, the month of Purim (Second Adar in a leap year). Besides the weekly Torah portion, the additional reading from a second scroll (Exod. 30:11–16) recounts the commandment to donate a half shekel toward the upkeep of the Temple. On the First of Adar in ancient days, messengers were sent out to all Jewish communities to collect these funds (Shek. 1:1). Shabbat Zakhor Shabbat Zakhor (The Sabbath of Remembrance) immediately precedes the festival of Purim. Its name derives from the additional Torah reading from a second scroll (Deut. 25:17–19), which commands the Israelites to remember Amalek, the tribe that perpetrated a cowardly and unprovoked attack on weary stragglers at the rear of the Israelite column as they wandered in the wilderness soon after the Exodus from Egypt. The recitation of the divine commandment to “blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven. Do not forget” (Deut. 25:19) is most appropriate at this time since, according to Megillat Esther, the arch-villain Haman was a direct descendant of Agag, the king of the Amalekites. Shabbat Parah Shabbat Parah (the Sabbath of the [Red] Heifer) immediately precedes Shabbat ha-Hodesh (see below). The additional Torah reading from a second scroll (Num. 19:1–22) relates the ritual purification with the ashes of the Red Heifer, which was required in Temple times for all those who had been defiled by contact with a dead body. Originally, this was a call for all those planning to participate in the Passover pilgrimage to Jerusalem to ritually cleanse themselves; today Shabbat Parah reminds Jews to begin the extensive cleansing of hametz from their homes, which must be accomplished before the celebration of Passover. Shabbat ha-Hodesh Shabbat ha-Hodesh (Sabbath of the Month) is that Sabbath that falls on or precedes the First of Nisan, the month of Passover. The additional Torah reading from a second scroll (Exod. 12:2) notes that the Special Sabbaths 153 month of Nisan “shall mark for you the beginning of the months; it shall be the first of the months of the year for you”; describes the sacrifice of the paschal lamb on the first Passover in Egypt; and details many of the rules and preparations required for the yearly celebration of that festival. Shabbat ha-Gadol Shabbat ha-Gadol (the Great Sabbath) occurs at the beginning of the week when Passover will be observed. Its name reflects the immense historical and religious significance of the upcoming festival. Although there is no additional Torah portion, the special haftarah (Mal. 3:4–24) ends with the announcement that God will send Elijah the Prophet as the herald of the messianic age. “I will send the prophet Elijah to you before the great (ha-gadol) and awesome day of the Lord. He shall reconcile parents with children and children with their parents, so that when I come I do not strike the whole land with utter destruction.” This reference to the promise of ultimate redemption is most appropriate to the upcoming festival of Passover, which celebrates the historical deliverance of the Jewish people from slavery in Egypt. Shabbat Hazon The Sabbath of Vision (Shabbat Hazon) immediately precedes Tisha b’Av (see p. 304). The name derives from the initial word of the week’s haftarah, in which Isaiah (1:1–27) prophesies the terrible afflictions that God will inflict upon the Israelites as punishment for their sins. Shabbat Hazon occurs during the period of mourning (Nine Days) for the destruction of the Temple, which is commemorated on Tisha b’Av. Shabbat Nachamu Sabbath of Comfort (Shabbat Nachamu) immediately follows Tisha b’Av. It derives its name from the initial word of the week’s haftarah (Isa. 40:1) and is the first of the seven “haftarot of consolation” leading up to the observance of Rosh Hashanah. These selections prophesy the redemption of Israel, the ingathering of the exiles and the restoration of the Jewish people to their land, and the coming of the messianic days of peace and justice. 154 The JPS Guide to Jewish Traditions ...