Observing Shabbat | The Jewish Day of Rest in a Hurried World | Aleph Beta

Shabbat Videos

Shabbat will be observed on December 2, 2023.

Challah: What’s So Special About Making Dough?

Rabbi David Fohrman 8 min video


Eishet Chayil: What Does Feminine Valor Look Like?

Rabbi David Fohrman 2 hours, 4 min video

PODCAST

A Closer Look at Eshet Chayil

Rabbi David Fohrman 1 hour, 11 min video

PODCAST

The Deeper Meaning Of Shabbat Morning Kiddush

Rabbi David Fohrman 14 min video


The Importance Of Shabbat In All Jewish Holidays

Rabbi David Fohrman 9 min video


The Significance Of Keeping The Sabbath

Rabbi David Fohrman 12 min video


Why Are The 10 Commandments Important Today?

Rabbi David Fohrman 36 min video


The Meaning of Sabbath Prayers

Rabbi David Fohrman Part 1 of 3 1 hour, 6 min video

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About Shabbat

Stop, reflect and rest – the core values of Shabbat are even more crucial in today’s chaotic world. We rest on the seventh day to honor God’s rest after He created the Universe. Thousands of years later we still observe the Sabbath by refraining from work, alongside special meals and prayers with friends and family.

The Torah tells us that God created the world in six days. Light and darkness, sky and sea, plant life, marine life and terrestrial life – they were all completed by the end of the sixth day of creation. On the seventh day, after so much creating, God then rested – and enjoyed it so much, that He blessed the day and made it holy for eternity. In recognition of God’s rest, we, too, celebrate the seventh day as Shabbat through rest. For thousands of years, the Jewish people have been observing the Sabbath, and remembering and recreating, in our own way, God’s day of rest.

Observing the Sabbath was written into stone as one of the Ten Commandments. And, even before the Torah was even given at Mount Sinai, the Israelites were told not to collect manna on Shabbat. In Jewish law, the Sabbath is observed by refraining from work, sanctifying the day with the recitation of Kiddush, enjoying festive meals and saying special prayers. There are many other laws, practices and customs that are unique to the day as well.

But there are many mysteries to Shabbat. For instance: Why would God need to rest? Why should the fact that God rested still matter to us today? And what do all the practices and customs of Shabbat mean? What is the real purpose of this day? The videos and guides on this page address these big questions to help you unravel the true meaning of Shabbat.