Shabbat is a day of rest on the 7th day of the week and is the hightlight of Jewish life. Shabbos takes a special place in our lives.
At exactly 18 minutes before sunset we light the candles and say the bracha, for 25 hours till nightfall on saturday we are celebrating Shabbos we the much needed Shabbos Kodesh. Like with all celebrations we need to prepare, our home, our food, ourselves. As there are restrictions on many houshold activities, we must do all before Shabbos, many Jews even start with the preparations straight after Shabbos on a sunday, when the new week begins.
We have some do's and a lot dont's, here are some them, we are not allowed to use electricity, no phones, no work, no driving, on household chores.
Basically no work that we do on normal days, as its a day of rest that should avoid from labour.
Keeping Shabbos is a Mitzvah and although it doesn't seems a lot of fun with all these restrictions, it is celebrations and we are not sitting in the dark, being cold, without any food or anything to do.
Shabbos is the perfect time to read the Torah as there are no distractions from everyday lif, HaShem want us to keep Shabbos, not because we need it, but because He want us to celebrate it with Him and as we love serving HaShem and enjoy Shabbos!
This wonderful Mitzvah is given to us by HaShem and should be treasured and expressed with gratitude.
Keeping the Shabbat
Most of us are observing the Shabbos, its special and a holy day. A day of rest given to us by HaShem.
But why do we observe Shabbos? According to Halacha, with observing Shabbos we commit ourselves to HaShem and to His Torah.
And as this day, is a day of rest, the Torah forbids activities, which is more than not using electricity and the use of modern technology, many still think this is enough to observe Shabbos.
In reality The Torah forbids 39 Melachot in 6 categories which built the Mishkan.
What also is very important is the Parsha being read on the Shabbos.
Lighting the candles and saying the Bracha for Shabbos and the Challah and before our meal recite the Kiddush, with this its Shabbos and also the restrictions of 39 kinds of labour/ activities.
Rabbi Manis Friedman explaines this in his very own unique way, keeping the Shabbos.
The Sages outline a number of Aliyot for basic Torah reading, three in total, which are given to the Kohen, the Levi and the Yisrael, this on a regular monday and thursday, as well Mincha and Shabbos, there are three Aliyot as not to burden the community as people has to go to work. On Rosh Chodesh and Chol Hamoed which are holier in the sense of musaf offering was brought to the Holy Temple, we add a Aliyah, as four people are called up to the Torah.
Friday night we sanctify Shabbat with Kiddush, after 25 hours we take leave of Shabbat with Havdalah. Havdalah which means separation is a ceremony of rituals, of blessings, just like with Shabbos. We make rituals over speech, smells, sight, hearing and also taste to separate the Holy and the mundane.
Havdalah is performed after nightfall on saturday evening, when it is dark enough to see the 3 stars become visible, also important not to do Havdalah earlier as it is forbidden lighting and putting out flames untill after Shabbos.