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Jewish Choices for Living USE RIGHT OR LEFT ARROWS TO GO FORWARD OR BACK

Jewish Choices for Living USE RIGHT OR LEFT ARROWS TO GO FORWARD OR BACK. Unit 7, session 3 - Shabbat Rabbi Jonathan Keren-Black Leo Baeck Centre, East Kew Revised for the Introduction to Judaism Course 2012/5772. Biblical basis for Shabbat.

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Jewish Choices for Living USE RIGHT OR LEFT ARROWS TO GO FORWARD OR BACK

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  1. Jewish Choices for LivingUSE RIGHT OR LEFT ARROWS TO GO FORWARD OR BACK Unit 7, session 3 - Shabbat Rabbi Jonathan Keren-Black Leo Baeck Centre, East Kew Revised for the Introduction to Judaism Course 2012/5772

  2. Biblical basis for Shabbat • There are two biblical explanations for the observance of Shabbat: • A reminder of the works of Creation: that is, of God, the Creator • A reminder of the Exodus from Egypt: that is, that we are no longer slaves, but free to rest on one day in each week (God the Redeemer).

  3. Reminder of the Works of CreationZikaronl’maaseiv’reishit • Zikaronl’maaseiv’reishit – Prayer Book, Kiddush, page 123 • God ‘created the world in six days’ – and rested on the seventh. Genesis 2:1-3 (this need not be understood literally – see top poem, MishkanT’filah prayer book page 163) • Rabbinic principle ‘Al ahatkamav’kama’ – how much more so for us! • Remember the Sabbath day (Exodus 20:8) • Observe the Sabbath day (Exodus 31:16 and Deuteronomy 5:12)

  4. Reminder of the Exodus from EgyptZeicherlitziatMitzrayim • ZeicherlitziatMitzrayim– it recalls the Exodus from Egypt (MishkanT’filah Prayer Book page 123) • We were slaves in Egypt – slaves have no rest. • Now we are free, and free people may rest when they choose. • Both reasons are mentioned in the shabbatkiddush (sanctification, page 123).

  5. Observe and Remember • The Ten Commandments are in the Torah twice. Once they say ‘Shamor’ – observe the Sabbath Day (Deuteronomy 5:12). The other time they say ‘Zachor’ – remember the Sabbath Day (Ex 20:8). • This difference is noted in the first verse of the Shabbat song ‘L’chaDodi’ where it says ‘Shamorv’zachorb’diburechad – keep and remember, a single command’ (MishkanT’filah prayer book, page 138). • The Rabbis interpreted the difference to mean ‘observe’ the positive commandments and ‘remember’ the prohibitions of Shabbat.

  6. A special day in the week • In fact, even though it comes each week – or perhaps because of this - Shabbat is considered the most special of festivals… • Except Yom Kippur – but even this is called shabbatshabbaton – the sabbath of sabbaths. • Shabbat is a time for joy and celebration (oneg), study and reflection, family and friends.

  7. Prohibited work • Torah itself prohibited ‘work’ but only lists a few specifics, eg lighting a fire and collecting Manna (the food that is said to have appeared every day except Shabbat in the 40 years of wandering in the desert). • The Rabbis of the Mishna derived a list of 39 headings – and many more sub-headings – to define what ‘work’ meant! They did this by deciding what sort of tasks were required to construct the biblical Tabernacle – which was not done on Shabbat.

  8. Services • KabbalatPanim (welcoming) with candles and kiddush (MishkanT’filah prayer book page 118, usually done in a home setting) • Kabbalat Shabbat (receiving Shabbat), the preparatory section of the Evening service (prayer book, page 129) • Shabbat evening (prayer book page 144/263) • Shabbat morning – with Torah reading (prayer book page 184/287) • Havdalah at end of Shabbat

  9. Shabbat at Home • At least two candles • Tablecloth • Kiddush cup and wine or grape juice • Challah or two challot – with challah cloth • Special meal • Discussion – best thing about the week, Torah portion, politics, where you were last week for shabbat or Havdalah etc • Songs-z’mirot (Prayer book page 634-640) • Grace after meals (Prayer book page 604-609) • Havdalah (Prayer book, page 610-616)

  10. Four blessings of Kiddush • We light the candles – then say the blessing. • Then we say the blessing for the wine. • Then we say the blessing for the Sabbath (this is actually the kiddush, sanctifying shabbat) • Finally we say the blessing for the Challah. • We wish each other ‘Shabbat Shalom’, have a good (peaceful) sabbath. • We may sing shabbat songs (z’mirot) during the meal. • We conclude the meal with BirkatHamazon

  11. The Shabbat Synagogue Services • There is an evening service (Ma’ariv) • There is a morning service (Shacharit) • Traditionally there is an additional service (Musaf) immediately after the morning service, which we do not observe. • There is traditionally also an afternoon service (Minchah) which we do not observe. • So we usually have evening and morning, but traditional communities have four services.

  12. The Shabbat Synagogue Liturgy • The main differences are that at Shacharit the Torah is read (it is only read on Mondays and Thursdays where there are weekday services). • If there is a Shabbat afternoon service, the first part of next week’s Torah portion is read • The ‘T’filah’ (central prayer) is shorter – instead of the nineteen blessings of the weekdays, we have only seven, the thirteen ‘petitionary’ ones being replaced by one for Shabbat. The three opening and three closing blessings remain the same.

  13. Shabbat has kept the Jews • More than Jews have kept the sabbath, the sabbath has kept the Jews (Israel’s National Poet, AchadHa’am). • (not necessarily related to the previous!) According to the Rabbis, sex is a special mitzvah on Friday night (if you are married!)

  14. A taste of the world to come • Adam and Eve were evicted from the Garden of Eden – Paradise. • We wish to return. It is the place where we can live and eat without effort and labour, a place of peace and harmony and perfection. • The ‘Messianic Times’ for which we hope – and work – are a return to Paradise • Each shabbat should offer us a taste, a reminder, of the restful Paradise of Eden.

  15. Holy day • This is our holy day every week. We all need holy days. • Having two days off in a week is a challenge. In Israel, even today, the weekend is really Friday afternoon and Saturday. Sunday is a school day and a work day. • Where we have two day weekends, making shabbat special takes more effort. • It is no coincidence that we call a longer period of ‘days of rest’ a ‘holiday’! Treat a holiday as an extended shabbat, a longer taste of the world to come!

  16. Special - Holy • What is holiness? • Zachor et yomhashabbatl’kadsho– remember the sabbath day – to make it something special in each week. • So think about what you can do to make it special each week. • Examples: Invite people for Dinner. Go to shul. Make a special breakfast. Go for walks. Don’t do your regular work. Don’t go shopping. Don’t fill the car with petrol.

  17. Havdalah

  18. Havdalah - Difference • The short ceremony of Havdalah to conclude shabbat mirrors the short ceremony of Kiddush that commences it (MT p.610). • Its purpose is summarised in the final blessing – l’havdilbenkodeshl’chol – to make a distinction between holy and everyday.

  19. Four blessings of Havdalah • We light the candle – then say blessing for the wine. • Then we say the blessing for the spices. • Then we say the blessing for the candle • Finally we say the Havdalah blessing, and put the candle out. • We may sing about Elijah the Prophet and Miriam the Prophetess. • We wish each other ‘ShavuaTov’, have a good week.

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