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Shabbat
How do you like to enter in the Shabbat?
Do you like to light candles?
Read a seder book?
Study Scripture?
Let’s discuss!
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12 Replies
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I think I may have the most unusual answer for the question ‘How do you like to enter in the Shabbat?’ My answer is asleep. The weekly Sabbath is so engrained now that my body begins to respond on Friday afternoons. I start to slow down and become drowsy. In the summer months when the days are longer sometimes I struggle to stay up for the sunset. On occasion there have been times when I am fast asleep a hour or more before sunset. For some it seems odd for an adult to be asleep at 5 O’clock for example but I still see it as a blessing.
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It makes sense:) It is neat your body is in tune to our Creator’s clock. I enjoy sleeping in as the weeks get long from work. I will have a tired (but not a bad kind) overhanging feeling on Shabbat. Like I wouldn’t have the energy to do much if I wanted to. I feel refreshed & ready to hit the week a bit after the sun sets on Saturday. It is amazing to feel that transition from the sacred to the common like that.
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I have practiced for at least 5 years now. With my job a lot of times though, going into shabbat is like a break check or even a crash 😂. Every once in a while it’s smooth sailing. I try to lite my home made lamps and I tend to read scriptures a lot but mostly sleep on shabbat.
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Right now, I live with my friend who is my roommate that keeps Shabbat too. But, we have different views & habits. We also have company over on some nights that don’t participate in that way. I like to set up an area on the table with the kiddush cup, menorah, wine, salt, & bread. I don’t light candles right now but it would be nice to enter into Shabbat in that traditional way. I think it is a beautiful way to set apart the day. Prayers & reading from the Siddur would be wonderful. Currently, I say the kiddush & hamotzi then take my wine & tablet to the couch. I usually go through some scriptural emails that have piled up from the week, Shabbat shalom on FB for a min, & check out some light/short teachings/music on youtube until I fall asleep. I love erev Shabbat & it would be really nice to share it with another one day:)
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How me and my family enter the shabbat…..we do light candles, and first my father will say a prayer over the family and to thank the Father for bringing the shabbat, then my mother prays over her children and grandchildren. I generally do a silent prayer with her, only because I am not big on praying out loud. Then we have our shabbat meal which is usually a big one, then after we do “thank you’s” we have a little book that we will write down the things we are thankful for from the week, and whoever goes first that night finds and shares a bible verse that speaks to them and is also written in the little book.
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Your Shabbat time sounds so lovely and I love the idea of the book too. DO your kids write in the book to? Is it a book everyone shares?
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It is a book everyone shares, 😀 occasionally my kids will write in the book but mostly my dad does all the writing of everyone’s thank you’s. 😊. We have already filled out e book and we are about halfway through the second book. It’s a great way, I think, to help reflect and concentrate on something good despite how bad a week may have gone.
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I am new to keeping Shabbat and we have construction going on, so our kitchen is always a mess, but I’ll make a tray or clear a place at the table, light two candles, have dinner and read from a prayer book I made by simplifying another one I saw not long ago. I’d like to make it more of an event, but what I am doing is pretty easy. I usally have to buy dinner out since I’m working so much up until Friday afternoon getting my house in order.
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It still sounds lovely and the constriction will only last a short time right?
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Yes, it’s almost over – just in time for Passover preparations!
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That is great.
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Right now I am retired so this is no longer hard for me to Shabbat. However, where I live the people do not observe the biblical Shabbat. They are Christian and Muslim communities. I am in the country of Jordan. To say that our community follows the Shabbat their first reaction is to say that we are Jews. We say no we are not we are following the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. We keep the whole bible. That is a hard concept and they constantly what to do their work on our property on Shabbat, I have to keep reminding them that we do not work from Friday sundown to Saturday sundown. I also tell them that we are closely related to 7 Day Advantest they understand that.
I tell you before I left the States to answer YHVH’s call to come here I found it very difficult to find work that did not break the Shabbat. Be of good cheer it can be done. I found that we work for the King of Kings and He will make a way. As He did me. It will require more work and often it requires that you make your own business and you make the hours and days that you work.
Blessing to you