Shabbat: Not Just a Day Off

The Commandment and Its Meaning

There are four obligations we are asked to do on Shabbat: two are from the Torah — "Zachor" (Remember) and "Shamor" (Observe) — and two are from the rabbis: honoring and enjoying Shabbat. The prophets explain this beautifully: "Call Shabbat a delight, honor Hashem, and do not follow your own ways." Some sages believe that both honoring and enjoying Shabbat are also from the Torah. Honoring Shabbat means taking care in how we dress, keeping our bodies clean, preparing our homes, and making sure everything reflects the specialness of Shabbat. Enjoying Shabbat, on the other hand, is about enjoying good food, rest, and spending time with family.

Honoring Shabbat with Our Clothing

One of the easiest ways to honor Shabbat is by wearing clean, nice clothes. Ezra the Scribe once instructed the Jewish people to wash their clothes on Thursday so they would have something special to wear for Shabbat. Many people choose to wear white or their best clothing to show the holiness of the day. In Tiberias, there was a custom of using spices to make the clothes smell nice for Shabbat. If you don’t have extra clothes for Shabbat, you can still make your clothes look nice by letting them hang longer, just like the wealthier people used to do. And of course, it’s important to put on your Shabbat clothes before Shabbat begins and only take them off after it ends, to help keep the special feeling of the day.

Honoring Shabbat with Food and Meals

When it comes to Shabbat meals, there are different ways to show honor. Rabbi Meir suggested that the Shabbat meal should start earlier than a regular weekday meal, while Rabbi Shmuel thought it should be delayed a little to build up an appetite and enjoy the meal more. The main point is to make the Shabbat meal different from your weekday meals. Enjoy special foods like meat, fish, stews, fruits, sweet treats, and wine. These little changes show the beauty of Shabbat and help create a feeling of celebration.

Honoring Shabbat with Preparing Your Home and Table

A beautiful, welcoming home is a big part of honoring Shabbat. Before Shabbat begins, make sure your house is ready: light the candles, set a nicely arranged table, and make your bed. Even if you’re not eating (like when Yom Kippur falls on Shabbat), lighting the Shabbat candles is still a way to honor the day. The table should be covered with a tablecloth for the entire Shabbat. The verse from Isaiah teaches us to treat Shabbat differently from regular days: "Honor it by your actions, by refraining from your usual activities, and by speaking in a way that shows respect." This means that how we act, speak, and even walk on Shabbat should feel different, marking it as a special time.