Beth HaDerech; Messianic Jewish Teachings Online

Come and Celebrate Shabbat!

Shabbat (sabbath) is the only ritual observance instituted in the Ten Commandments. Primarily a day of rest and spiritual enrichment, the word ‘Shabbat’ comes from the root Shin-Bet-Tav, meaning ‘to cease, to end, or to rest’. The injunction to “Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy” is the fourth of the Ten Commandments recorded in the Torah (Shemot / Exodus 20:8; Devarim / Deuteronomy 5:12). The commandment continues: “Six days you shall work but the seventh day is a Sabbath unto HaShem.” The Hebrew word for ‘holy’ implies ‘separate’. Shabbat is a day set apart. In Jewish literature it is often called ‘a taste of the world to come’. Shabbat is seen as a gift from G-d to the Jewish people; as a sign of the eternal bond between them. Shabbat is to be a time for peace, harmony, tranquility, community and spirituality that is unmatched by [...]