Beth HaDerech; Messianic Jewish Congregation, Toronto, Canada

The Shabbat (Sabbath) Table – Video

Honoring the Sabbath day, known as Shabbat in Hebrew, is considered the most important observance in Judaism. The order to celebrate Shabbat originates in the ten commandments handed down to Moses by God on Mount Sinai. The fourth commandment (Exodus 20: 8-11; Deuteronomy 5: 14-15), translated from Hebrew, reads “Remember [observe] the Sabbath day and keep it holy”. For Jewish people, the celebration of Shabbat honors God for creating the world in six days and resting on the seventh day. Jews around the World celebrate the day of rest and relaxation in many ways, each according to how they interpret their religion. Shabbat commences at sunset on Friday evening and ends on Saturday at night (after 3 stars are visible with the naked eye). The duration of Shabbat should be around 25 hours, and according to the Torah, Motzeh – the end of Shabbat – begins when there are three stars in the sky. Much of the celebration around Shabbat involves dining. A lot of care and thought goes into planning and preparing not only the Shabbat meal but also the table that it will be served on. Since Shabbat is the day of rest, preparations for begin for it towards the middle of the week, with the mother of the home usually involved in planning the menu, and if there will be a large number of guests for...