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.