Shabbat In Judaism

The average American who works full-time puts in about 2,080 hours a year into their job (Stat.oecd.org 2015). With that being said, there are only 8,760 hours within a year. If you take a step back, you will realize that the average American dedicates a little over a quarter of their life to their jobs. While a quarter of an American’s life is consumed by their jobs, you have to also take into account all the time that goes into the tedious errands and chores that we all have to complete in order to live such as shopping or cleaning. With no moments of peace in between work and daily life, it is so simple to quickly feel enervated. This paper will bring you enlightenment about a day celebrated within Judaism called “Shabbat” or “Sabbath” which …show more content…
The Shabbat is mentioned in the creation story in the bible and is also the only holiday mentioned in the ten commandments. This day is for people of Judaism to appreciate time as a gift given from God and rest their bodies/mind. There have been many interpretations of the true meaning behind Shabbat, but the majority of them focus on being your own person in the world that God has made for you (Falcon 208). The celebration starts on Friday at sunset and ends Saturday at nightfall. Sabbath is welcomed by the lighting of a candle (traditional Jews mostly use a menorah, but any two candles will do) mostly by a woman since men in traditional households normally have work or temple until after sundown , wine or juices for underage children, and two loaves of a special bread in Jewish tradition called “Challah” which is simply braided egg bread. All of these items hold a special meaning in the celebration of Shabbat. The candle that is lit eighteen minutes before sundown on Friday represents the love that opens up your mind, the wine represents the love that opens your heart, and the bread represents the love that opens up your body. While all of these items are prepared for Sabbath there are a few blessings that take place before everyone can proceed to eat. It is very important that after the candle is lit you cover your hands with your eyes and recite the blessing from the Torah, which follows as: “ Blessed are You, Eternal One our God, Universal Ruling Presence, Who keeps us in Life always, Who supports the unfolding of our uniqueness, and Who brings us to this very moment for blessing (Falcon 212).” This blessing can be compared to the basic Christian prayer that is taught early in life that goes “God is good, God is great…” and so on. It’s a part of speech that shows your gratitude and thankfulness towards God for all that he does. The day