To Rest and Rejuvenate

Shabbat is one of those celebrations that just makes you feel whole inside. This world is so fast paced and always on the go, that taking a moment to slow down, give thanks for your life and your family, and spend time in God's presence, is completely rejuvenating and spiritually fulfilling. There are special blessings that are said upon the children and the wife as the spirit of God is welcomed into the home and rekindled in the hearts of all present. Traditional Jewish observance of this holiday falls on Friday evening and for Christians, it would fall on Saturday evenings.     

Holiday: Shabbat- celebrated weekly from sundown on Friday to sundown on Saturday

Celebration: Shabbat is the observance of the Sabbath day and is considered the most important of the Jewish holidays and is marked by three qualities- rest, holiness, and joy. It is traditional to spend time with family and friends and engage in activities like praying, reading, and anything that can be rejuvenating. Candles are lit symbolizing the driving away of darkness and the welcoming of the "light" of the Messiah into our hearts and lives.    

Historical background: The first communication of Shabbat to human beings is placed by the Torah in the midst of one of the tales of the rebellious generation in the wilderness (Ex. 16). God sent manna to feed the Israelites. On the sixth day, twice as much manna as usual appeared, and unlike the manna that the Israelites had earlier tried to hoard overnight, this twofold portion did not rot on the seventh day. Even so, some Israelites went out on the seventh day to look for more manna—but none had fallen. Not until then did Moses explain these unusual happenings as the consequence of God's giving the people a shabbat. "Let no one leave his place on the seventh day," says Moses; so the people learned to "rest," or "pause," or "remain inactive" (Ex. 16:29-30). The shabbat portrayed here follows directly from God's creation of reality—from, one might say, the nourishing breast of reality, which feeds and pauses, gives and withholds. Only afterward is this reality put in explicit words of command.

It is only after the direct experience of the shabbat reality that the people learn of shabbat as a central and crucial element in their lives, as one of the ten formal proclamations that come from God at Sinai. Of the ten commandments, the shabbat is the longest and most detailed. "Remember" the day of shabbat, says the version preserved in Exodus 20. It proclaims six days of work and prescribes rest on the seventh day for adults, children, slaves, cattle, and strangers "within your gates"—all this because God had rested after working to create the world.

Thus Exodus sees the seventh-day shabbat as a cosmic event, .placed by God within the rhythms of the universe, allowed to emerge from within those rhythms themselves in order to impinge upon the human consciousness, and then to be carried out as a symbol and an enactment of that cosmic and creative rhythm.

Biblical basis:
Genesis 2:3
3 So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.

Deuteronomy 5:12
12 “‘Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, as the Lord your God commanded you.

Leviticus 23:1-3
23 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, These are the appointed feasts of the Lord that you shall proclaim as holy convocations; they are my appointed feasts.
The Sabbath

3 “Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation. You shall do no work. It is a Sabbath to the Lord in all your dwelling places.

Exodus 20:8
8 “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, 10 but theseventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. 11 For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

Exodus 35
35 Moses assembled all the congregation of the people of Israel and said to them, “These are the things that the Lord has commanded you to do. 2 Six days work shall be done, but on the seventh day you shall have a Sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the Lord. Whoever does any work on it shall be put to death. 3 You shall kindle no fire in all your dwelling places on the Sabbath day.”

Ways to Celebrate:

-Craft ideas for kids and youth:
**Make Shabbat placemats with the special blessings on them
**Make a challah cover if you choose to do the blessings over the wine and the bread

-Fun family ideas:
**Pick out a fun family game to play together for a night in!
**It has become more traditional to add a candle to the standard two candles for each child born and light them for each child when the other two are lit.
**The father says a blessing over his sons and daughters...

Ephraim and Menashe were the first brothers among our forefathers to live without rivalry. Before them came Isaac and Ishmael, Jacob and Esau, and, of course, Joseph's brothers who sold him as a slave ― all relationships fraught with conflict and competition.

Ephraim and Menashe were brothers who lived in harmony, for their life focus was the highest example of working for good for their community and people. Decisions were not based on, What is good for me? but on, What is good for the Jewish people? Concerns of ego were cast aside in favor of something greater. The words of King David ring true: "How good and pleasant is it for brothers to sit peacefully together" (Psalms 133:1). This is the hope that God holds for all the Jewish people.

In addition, of the 12 sons and their families, these two were the only ones to grow to maturity outside of the Land of Israel. Yet despite great odds, they still remained steadfast in their commitment to Judaism. We cannot always guarantee that our children will not be exposed to a negative environment. We therefore give them the blessing to be like those who were not tempted by their immoral surroundings and maintained their ethical and righteous behavior.

Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, and Leah... the mothers of the Jewish people. Each one possessed unique qualities that played essential roles in the strength and future of the nation. Yet there was something they all shared, something that Jewish women for all time would strive to emulate.

Each one lived in recognition that the ultimate in fulfillment is enabling others to realize their potentials as individuals and as members of the Jewish people. The Torah is filled with accounts of these women, recording their insight, their giving nature, and their sensitivity, leadership, and special ability to inspire others. Beyond this, all of the matriarchs were great, righteous women, who hailed from the homes of wicked people ― what we call today " a bad environment."

These women all shared a special relationship with the Almighty, and used the gifts He gave them for the good of others and for the Jewish people. When we bless our daughters on Friday night, we are asking God to endow them with the qualities of their foremothers, and we remind ourselves what real giving is all about.

**The husband says a blessing over his wife that is taken from the concluding section of the book of Proverbs...

-Religious traditions:
**Hold a candle lighting with two candles symbolizing the two-fold commandment to remember and sanctify. The woman of the house lights the candles and says the blessings over the candles and for her family.
**Bless the wine and the bread using traditional blessings led by the father.
**Example of a Messianic Shabbat service-

Mother lights the candles and says:

Baruch ahtaw adonoi, elohaynu melech holum,
asher kiddishawnu bamitzvosuv, vitsivawnu lichadlich nehr, shabbat kadosh

Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the Universe,
who has sanctified us by thy commandments and has commanded us to kindle the holy Sabbath lights.

Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the Universe,
who has given us thy only begotten Son, Yeshua, the light of the world.

(Mother prays silently for her family)

Father lifts up cup of wine and says:

Baruch ahtaw adonoi, elohaynu melech holum, boray p-ree haguffin

Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, who createst the fruit of the vine.

Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the Universe,
who has given us the blood of thy Son, Yeshua, which sanctifies and redeems us.

Father takes a moment to share something of the week's happenings for which he is thankful, sips the wine and passes the cup. The ritual continues around the table until the cup returns to the father.

Father holds up the loaf of bread and says:

Baruch ahtaw adonoi, elohaynu melech holum, hamotzi lechem min haw oretz

Blessed art thou, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, who gives us the fruits of the earth.

Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the Universe,
who has given us thy Son, Yeshua, the Bread of Life.
May we partake of this bread with thanksgiving and an awareness of our part in the Body of Christ.

The bread is broken and passed around.

All: Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, who has given us this Sabbath of rest and joy.

Father: Grant that we may one day celebrate the eternal Sabbath with Thee in Heaven. And may all the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace.

All: Amen.

Father: We ask this in the Name of Thy Son, Yeshua, who lives and reigns with Thee and Ruach haKodesh, one God, for ever and ever.

All: Amen.

Blessing for Shabbat Candles:

This would be an appropriate version for a Christian wife to say...

Jesus and Shabbat:
Jesus spent His life observing Shabbat and following the rituals that come along with it. It is true that Christians believe that Jesus fulfilled all of the laws of the Torah and set us free from its judgement and binding laws and that He Himself became the new sabbath rest and the ultimate giver of peace. So, while Christians do not feel a sense of commandment for lighting the Shabbat candles, doing so is just another opportunity to focus on what is important in life and take a break from the hustle and bustle of this world. It is a gift from God, a time of rest and reflection, a time of joy and peace. We are not obligated to celebrate, but invited to set apart a special time to usher in Jesus as the Prince of Peace.

Top 10 Reasons to Celebrate Shabbat:

How we celebrated:

One of our favorite ideas for celebrating is to have a weekly Shabbat happy hour at home! We want to prepare a small appetizer like food with wine and enjoy it together in the late afternoon as we usher in the Sabbath, light the candles, and say the prayers. We then love spending the night relaxing together and cooking a long drawn out dinner and listening to music and talking with each other. It is a beautiful way to rest in each other and our Lord and the perfect way to start a wknd focused on the peace that our Lord brings.

Some of our favorite Shabbat dinners...see the pretty Shabbat candles!