Some say that the word “Sabbath” (שבת) is an acrostic of “sleep (שנה) on Sabbath (בשבת) is a delight (תענג).”
It is a weekly holiday that we celebrate. It is a day of rest and honoring Adonai.
G-d tells us why we are to observe Shabbat. In Shemot (Exodus) 20.8-10 we are to keep it as a reminder of creation and to follow the example of G-d who rested on the seventh day. In Devarim (Deuteronomy) 5.12-15 we are told that we are to observe it as a reminder that G-d brought us out of Egypt. Of all the feasts listed in VaYikra (Leviticus) 23, Shabbat is the first feast mentioned. We could find that odd because it’s a weekly event. But we, as Jewish people, treat Shabbat as a special day and it is worthy of being celebrated every 7 days. It is more important than all other holidays except Yom Kippur. And it is a day that should be special. It is considered the “Queen of Creation.”
One rabbi said, “In a way, Shabbat is like (being in) love. You can talk about love for the rest of your life, but if you have never experienced it, you will never understand it. Once you have been in love though, no further discussion is necessary.” “Shabbat is a bond of love between ourselves and G-d.” “To understand it, you must experience it.”
“If the Children of Israel would observe one Shabbat properly, the Mashiach would immediately come” (Yerushalmi Taanit 1,1)
R. Simeon ben Yohai taught: The Sabbath spoke right up to the Holy One: Master of the universe, each one of the days has a mate, but I have no mate. The Holy One replied: The congregation of Israel will be your mate. And when Israel stood before Mount Sinai, the Holy One said to them: Remember the special thing I told the Sabbath, that “the congregation of Israel is to be your mate.” It is this that is implied in the verse “Remember the Sabbath day to hallow it” (Shemot (Exodus). 20:8) [by uniting with it in holy wedlock].(Sefer HaAggadah, Shabbat, Section 4)
If we understand the Scriptural perspective on Shabbat, observing Shabbat will not be a burden.
What is Shabbat?
It is a day of rest.
Shemot (Exodus) 20:8-11 says:
“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work.But the seventh day is the Sabbath of Adonai your God. You shall not do any work, you, nor your son, nor your daughter, your manservant, nor your maidservant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger within your gates.For in six days Adonai made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore Adonai blessed the Sabbath day, and sanctified it.”
It is a day of worship.
VaYikra (Leviticus) 23:2 -3 “Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, The feasts of Adonai, which you shall proclaim, holy convocations, even these are My appointed feasts. Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of rest, a holy convocation. You shall not do any work. It is a Sabbath to Adonai in all your dwellings.”
Yeshayahu (Isaiah) 66:23 “And it will be, from one new moon to another, and from one Sabbath to another, all flesh will come to worship before Me, says Adonai.”
What does Shabbat teach us?
Shabbat teaches us to have restful trust in Adonai
When we keep Shabbat and refrain from working and making money, it says we trust that G-d will meet our needs. By our actions we are saying that G-d keeps His promises and He promises to provide for all of our needs as we walk obey His word.
Shemot (Exodus) 16:24-30
“And they laid it up until the morning, as Moses said. And it did not stink, neither was there any worm in it. And Moses said, Eat that today. For today is a Sabbath to Adonai. Today you shall not find it in the field.
Six days you shall gather it, but on the seventh day, the Sabbath, in it there shall be none. And it happened some of the people went out on the seventh day in order to gather. And they did not find any.
And Adonai said to Moses, How long do you refuse to keep My commandments and My Laws?
See, because Adonai has given you the Sabbath, therefore He gives you the bread of two days on the sixth day. Each one stay in his place. Let not any one go out of his place on the seventh day.
So the people rested on the seventh day.”
Shabbat speaks to us of a personal relationship with G-d. It is a sign of His covenant.
Covenant relationship is all about trust. Adonai has given us the Shabbat as a sign of the covenant He has made with us. The covenant is about relationship. G-d made a covenant that He would be our G-d and that we would come to know Him in a personal and intimate way. Shabbat is symbolic of that intimate relationship.
Shemot (Exodus) 31:13 Speak also to the sons of Israel, saying, Truly you shall keep My Sabbaths. For it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, to know that I am Adonai who sanctifies you.
What are the Benefits of Observing Shabbat?
We will delight in G-d and He will exalt us.
Yeshayahu (Isaiah) 58:13 If you turn your foot because of the Sabbath, from doing what you please on My holy days, and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of Adonai, honorable; and shall honor Him, not doing your own ways, nor finding your own pleasure, nor speaking your own words,
Yeshayahu (Isaiah) 58:14 then you shall delight yourself in Adonai; and I will cause you to ride on the high places of the earth, and feed yourself with the inheritance of Jacob your father. For the mouth of Adonai has spoken.
Blessings shall follow us and we will have a personal relationship with G-d.
You shall keep My Sabbaths and revere My sanctuary. I am Adonai.
If you walk in My statutes and keep My commandments and do them,
then I will give you rain in due season, and the land shall yield her increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit.
And your threshing shall reach to the vintage, and the vintage shall reach to the sowing time. And you shall eat your bread to the full, and dwell in your land safely.
And I will give peace in the land, and you shall lie down and none shall make you afraid. And I will cause evil beasts to cease out of the land, neither shall the sword go through your land.
And you shall chase your enemies, and they shall fall before you by the sword.
And five of you shall chase a hundred, and a hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight. And your enemies shall fall by the sword in front of you.
For I will have respect to you, and make you fruitful, and multiply you, and establish My covenant with you.
And you shall eat of the old provision, and clear away the old because of the new.
And I will set My tabernacle among you. And My soul shall not abhor you.
And I will walk among you and will be your God, and you shall be My people. VaYikra (Leviticus) 26:2 -12
C. We will be established by G-d.
And it shall be, if you carefully listen to Me, says Adonai, to bring in no burden through the gates of this city on the Shabbat day, but keep the Shabbat day holy, to do no work in it;
then kings and rulers sitting on the throne of David shall enter into the gates of this city, riding in chariots and on horses, they, and their rulers, the men of Judah, and the people of Jerusalem. And this city shall remain forever. Yirmiyahu (Jeremiah 17:24-25
Yeshua and Shabbat
Yeshua always attended synagogue
Mark 1:21 Then they entered Capernaum. When the Sabbath arrived, Yeshua lost no time in getting to the meeting place. He spent the day there teaching.
Mark 6:2 And when the Sabbath day had come, He began to teach in the synagogue. And many hearing Him, were astonished, saying, Where does this one get these things? And what wisdom is this which is given to him, that even such mighty works are done by his hands?
Luke 4:16 And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And, as His custom was, He went in to the synagogue on the Sabbath day and stood up to read.
Luke 4:31 And He came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and taught them on the Sabbath days.
Luke 4:32 And they were astonished at His doctrine, for His word was with authority.
Luke 13:10 And He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath.
Yeshua declared that He was the Lord of the Sabbath.
At that time Yeshua went through the grain fields on the Sabbath day. And His disciples were hungry, and began to pluck the heads of grain and to eat.
But when the Pharisees saw, they said to Him, Behold, your disciples do that which it is not lawful to do on the Sabbath day.
But He said to them, Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, and those who were with him,
how he entered into the house of God and ate the showbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests?
Or have you not read in the Law that on the Sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath and are blameless?
But I say to you that One greater than the temple is in this place.
But if you had known what this is, “I desire mercy and not sacrifice,” you would not have condemned those who are not guilty.
For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath. Mattityahu (Matthew) 12:1-8
Yeshua healed and did good on the Shabbat.
And when He had departed from there, He went into their synagogue.
And behold, a man having a withered hand. And they asked Him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbaths? This so that they might accuse Him. Mattityahu (Matthew) 12:9-10
And He said to them, Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath days, or to do evil? To save life, or to kill? But they were silent. Mark 3:4
And He said to them, What man among you will be, who will have one sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbaths, will he not lay hold on it and lift it out?
How much better is a man then than a sheep? Therefore it is lawful to do well on the Sabbath days.
Then He said to the man, Stretch out your hand. And he stretched it out, and it was restored whole like the other Mattityahu (Matthew) 12:11-13
Below is an outline of the different elements that can be a part of an Erev Shabbat celebration. You can do as much or as little as you want. The important thing to do is to set aside the day and to somehow make it different from the other six days.
Likrat Shabbat – Greeting the Sabbath. We need to prepare to celebrate this day. “It was preparation day, and a Shabbat was about to begin.” Luke 23.54
Shabbat is likened to a Queen or a Bride. The Talmud discusses the Friday evening habits of two rabbis. The text says that Rabbi Chanina ZT”L would dress in fine clothes, stand at sunset on Friday evening and call out, “Come let us go forth to welcome the Sabbath queen.” While Rabbi Yannai ZT”L would dress in fine garments and exclaim, “Come, O bride! Come, O bride.” (Talmud, Shabbat 119a)
Preparation for Shabbat should begin early in the day. In fact the rabbis say that all week long we should be preparing for Shabbat in our minds and hearts. The days of the week do not really have names in Hebrew. They are simply called day one, day two, etc. All of this points to day seven which is Shabbat. So each day anticipation should be building up as Shabbat draws nearer.
Hell will do everything it can to keep you from celebrating Shabbat. It is really a spiritual battle. That is why you need to make plans in order to succeed. You cannot wait until 5:00 Friday evening and start preparation. You will never fully experience Shabbat. Prayer is important. Read and reflect on Scriptures about Shabbat. Yeshayahu (Isaiah) 58.13-14, Yirmiyahu (Jeremiah) 17.24,25, Hebrews 4.9-1.
It requires discipline. We must plan all of our family’s activities between Sunday and Thursday so that Friday is not crowded with to much work to finish before Shabbat. When we do this the focus of Friday is really preparation for Shabbat.
Practical preparations include setting a festive table usually with a white tablecloth, flowers, etc. Each person dresses in nice clothes. Friends and family are often invited because Shabbat is a community celebration.
V’Shamru – Exodus 31.16-17 This is usually the opening Scripture because it gives us the reason we are celebrating Shabbat. It can be sung, chanted or simply read in either or both Hebrew and English.
L’Cha Dodi/Lechu Neranena
L’Cha Dodi is a prayer that was written by Rabbi Solomon Halevi Alkabetz in 1540. Even though this was written after the Scriptures, he paraphrases different passages of Scriptures throughout the poem. He wrote the poem as an acrostic that actually spells his name. Its purpose is to impress that Shabbat is G-d’s own gift to us. The first two verses of the poem talk of Shabbat. Verses 3 through 10 speak of Israel’s redemption and the coming of the Messiah. Below is an English translation of the poem.
“Keep” and “Remember,” a single word the Only God caused us to hear. The Lord is One, and his Name is One, in renown and glory and praise.
Come, let us go to meet Shabbat, for she is the fountain of blessing, poured from the beginning, from of old, the last deed, [but] first in intention.
Royal sanctuary, kingly city, arise, leave the ruins. Long enough have you sat in a valley of tears — for with compassion He will pity you.
Shake yourself free! Rise from the dust! O my people, be clothed in garments of splendor! Nearby, the son of Jesse, the Bethlehem-ite, my soul’s redemption, has approached her.
Awake, awake, for your light has come! Arise and shine, rise, awake, sing; the glory of the Lord has revealed itself over you.
Be not ashamed; feel no disgrace. Why are you cast down? Why do you groan? In you the afflicted of my people will seek refuge. The city will be [re]built on its mound of ruins.
Your plunderers will be plundered, and those who devoured you will be gone; your God will rejoice over you, as a bridegroom exults over a bride.
You will overflow north and south, and you will fear the Lord. Nearby, the promised one! Let us rejoice and exult!
Enter in peace, O crown of your husband, with gladness and rejoicing, among the faithful of [God’s] treasured people! Draw near, O bride; approach, O bride!
L’chu N’ranena is a song from Tehillim 95.1-2. Sometime during the 17th century six psalms were chosen to be the opening for the Erev Shabbat service. They were Psalms 95-99 and Psalm 29. The theme of these psalms is joy, exalting G-d, release, etc. By reciting and reflecting on these, it helps us let go of the burden of the week and give ourselves to celebrating Shabbat and experiencing G-d.
Nerot — Candlelighting
Two candles are normally lit. Some families add one candle for each child. It is tradition that a woman lights Shabbat candles. This tradition is never mentioned in the Scriptures. So why do we do it as Messianic Jews? When it comes to traditions of men, we need to examine them and see if they contradict the Scriptures. If they do, then we cannot embrace them. However, for those traditions that do not contradict G-d or His word, we are at liberty to embrace and practice them and use them to draw us closer to G-d. So, we encourage the lighting of the Shabbat candles. We know this practice was well in place by the second century of the common era.
One reason given for the lighting the Shabbat candles is that they officially begin the Shabbat just as the words, “Let there be light” began the creation of the world. As Messianic believers we know that Yeshua declared He is the light of the world. As we light the candles we reflect on this truth. He brings light into our lives and dispels the darkness.
We recite a Messianic blessing instead of the traditional blessing because the traditional blessing does mention that the reason for doing this is because G-d commanded us to do so. However, no where in Scriptures does G-d command us to do so. Below is the English text of the Messianic blessing we use in the home.
Blessed are you, L-rd our G-d, king of the Universe, who sanctifies us by you word and commands us to be a light unto the nations and has given us Yeshua the Messiah, light of the world.
Eshet Chayil/Song of Songs –
This is a time to praise the woman of the house. Eshet Chayil is from Mishlei (Proverbs) 31.10-31. This passage describes the woman as one who is kind, gentle, dignified and a source of family unity. This passage is also done in an acrostic fashion. It uses 22 of the letters of the Hebrew alphabet. This woman is one who is strong, competent and wise. She is loyal to her husband and family. She is to be praised because she fears Adonai.
A Messianic blessing such as follows can also be said: Lord, I thank you for blessing me with this woman. May your blessing rest upon her. May your peace and joy be abundant in her life. May all fear, doubt, and unbelief be removed from her spirit. I ask you to continue to speak to her each day. Guide her and show her the steps she is to take. Keep the evil one from her. May she know that I am committed both to you and to her. In the name of Yeshua the Messiah.
Psalm 112 – blessing over the man
Part or all of this psalm can be recited by the wife to honor her husband. It speaks of the man who also fears Adonai and delights in His word. It goes on to state that this man will not be moved because his trust is in Adonai.
A personal Messianic blessing such as follows can also be said: Adonai, I thank you for my husband. I bless him as the priest of our home. May you continue to give him wisdom and understanding as he delights himself in you. May you encourage him as he follows after you. Help him to stand against the tactics of Satan and to provide protection for our family. May he know that I am committed to both you and him. In the name of Yeshua the Messiah.
Birkat Banim –– Blessing our children and one another
This tradition is demonstrates the priestly role of the father as the head of the home. Traditionally the father would place both hands on the head of each child and bless them. With multiple children, both parents can place a hand on the child’s (drens’) head or a tallit can be held over a group of children.
There is such power in the blessing of the father. It gives security and assurance of love to the children even long before they can understand the meaning of the blessing.
The blessing over the son is:
May G-d make you like Ephraim and Manasseh. (Genesis 48.20)
Then over the daughters.
May you be like Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel and Leah.
A messianic blessing as follows could also be said: Lord, I thank you for this child (children) that you have blessed us with. May they grow in favor with you and with man. May he/she/they continue to grow in the likeness of his/her/their Messiah Yeshua. Remove fear from this child(ren). Fill him/her/them with your peace and with your Ruach. Guard his/her/their paths. Lead him/her/them in paths of righteousness. In Yeshua’s name. Amen.
The Aaronic Benediction is then recited over all present. This is taken from BaMidbar (Numbers) 6.24-26.
Harachaman
This is an opportunity for the children to bless their parents. The English text of this simple and short blessings says, “ The Compassionate One, may He bless my father, my teacher, the man of the home, and my mother, my teacher the woman of the home.
Erev Shabbat Kiddush — sanctifying the day of Shabbat over wine
The Kiddush has been recited for over 2,000 years. It is recited both at home and at the end of the Erev Shabbat service in the synagogue. The Kiddush serves to remind us of the two reasons given in the Torah for observing Shabbat. First, because G-d rested on this day. The second reason was that we were brought out of slavery in Egypt. As slaves we had no choice. We had to work seven days. Now we can choose to rest on Shabbat.
The initials of the first four Hebrew words of the Kiddush form the personal name of G-d
יום השישי ויכלו השמים
Rachatz – the washing of hands
This tradition is symbolic of the priest washing their hands before they entered the Temple to serve before the L-rd.
R. Zerika said in the name of R. Eleazar: He who belittles the washing of hands [before a meal] will be rooted out of the world.” (B. Sot 4b.)
This simple ceremony, just like during the Passover, reminds us to come before G-d with cleans hands and a pure heart. In fact, it would be appropriate to recite Psalm 24.1-6 after washing the hands.
HaMotzi – the blessing over the bread.
Usually there are two loaves of challah, braided egg bread. Some say they represent the double portion of manna the children of Israel received on Friday so they would not have to gather any on Shabbat. Another interpretation is that they represent the two tablets of the Ten Commandments.
The blessing reminds us that all we have comes from G-d. He is the source of our provision. He provides our daily bread and meets every other need we have.
The motzi is the blessing that is said right before the Shabbat meal.
Meal
Birkat HaMazon — blessings after eating
This prayer is said to remind us that we should be thankful to G-d at all times, even after we have eaten and are no longer hungry.
The rabbis developed this prayer in response to the command given in Devarim (Deuteronomy) 8.10 which states, “When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the L-rd your God for the good land He has given you.”
This prayer was probably established by the Great Assembly, the Jewish Legislative body that ruled from 500 to 300 BCE. We know from sources such as Josephus, that this prayer was well established before the second temple time. This means that in all likelihood Yeshua would have used this prayer in his observance.
There were originally three benedictions to this prayer. The first was on food. The second was on the land of Israel and the third was on the rebuilding of the temple. After the failure of the revolt led by Bar Kochba against Rome in 137 CE a benediction on G-d’s great goodness was added. This was to demonstrate that we would never lose faith in G-d’s goodness no matter what happened to us. These four are the “required” parts of this prayer.
Over the years many other sections were added to this prayer. One section begins with the phrase, “May the Merciful One” and one version lists nine petitions to Adonai. These petitions seek his blessing in various aspects of our daily lives. They vary in number and content. Following these petitions is a section entitled, “May He magnify…”
The last section are from the Psalms and are often said silently out of respect for the poor among us. These verses are taken from passages like Tehillim (Psalm) 37.25.
The prayer ends with a plea to Adonai for peace. Rashi explains the reason for this, “So you have eaten a very tasty and delicious meal, but can you really feel satisfied if there is no shalom?”
Devar Torah/Zemirot (Songs)
After the meal it is good to take time to talk briefly about the Torah portion for the week. It can also be a time where the family and friends sing songs together. The whole atmosphere is one of turning away from the normal things of daily life and slowing down to enjoy Adonai, family and friends.
Coloring Sheet for Shabbat
