The Importance Of The Sabbath Day In Judaism

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The Torah provides a calendar of festivals that have an important role in Judaism. At the heart of these festivals is the Sabbath Day that Jewish individuals engage in. The Sabbath is a weekly reminder of God’s work throughout the nation of Israel. The Sabbath is considered a day of “compassion” and “remembrance” of deliverance shown to God’s people. The Sabbath is exercised during a 25 hour period starting Friday at sundown. Smith compares the experience of the Sabbath which is considered a “day of rest”, as being “greeted as a guest” in one’s home. Jewish families light the Sabbath candles and say blessings over their meals which consist of bread and wine. The meal consists of two loaves of bread that are served as symbols of “manna”. Once the 25 hour period transpires, they conclude with a “havdalah” ceremony as a means to “bid farewell” to the holy day. This part of the practice serves to exclude this day from the rest of the week, creating a form of (“separation”). …show more content…

Some individuals take part in this holy day by visiting a synagogue where they listen to the Torah while it is read aloud. Others choose to abstain from all forms of labor. Some withdraw from not only physical activities but some also abstain from driving automobiles or even something as simple as carrying money. There are many ways that individuals choose to celebrate the Sabbath day but one thing that remains the same is the commonality among all those who celebrate it. The commonality that all Jewish individuals share is the Torah is “God’s gift to the Jewish

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