{"id":85,"date":"2026-09-22T08:18:21","date_gmt":"2026-09-22T08:18:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/spiritualhumanisticjudaism.org\/?page_id=85"},"modified":"2026-09-22T08:24:13","modified_gmt":"2026-09-22T08:24:13","slug":"shabbat","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/spiritualhumanisticjudaism.org\/?page_id=85","title":{"rendered":"Shabbat"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\n<\/span>\n\"\"\n
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Shabbat<\/h1>\n\n\n

Sacred time, without supernaturalism.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Every Friday at sundown, wherever in the world this community gathers \u2014 London, New York, Chicago, Jerusalem, Perth, Sydney \u2014 an ordinary week stops. Two candles are lit, and a day begins that is different from the other six. Nothing supernatural needs to happen for that difference to be real. We do not believe a deity descends to sanctify the evening. We believe holiness is something a people makes, not something it receives \u2014 and that a stretch of time, set apart on purpose and kept in company, is holy because we have agreed, together, to treat it that way.<\/p>\n\n

The philosopher Mordecai Kaplan called such things a people\u2019s sancta<\/em> \u2014 the days, objects and deeds through which it carries its highest values from one generation to the next. Abraham Joshua Heschel gave the same idea a different picture: Judaism, he wrote, builds its great cathedral not in space but in time. Shabbat is a palace in time<\/em> \u2014 a structure raised not from stone but from hours, entered not by walking but by ceasing.<\/p>\n\n

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A palace in time cannot be conquered or burned.
It goes with you.<\/em><\/p>\n\n

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Tradition roots the seventh day in two stories, and it is worth noticing that they do not quite agree \u2014 which is a gift, because between them they hold the whole meaning. In Genesis, the reason for rest is creation<\/em>: having made a world, its maker stops, and rest is woven into the order of things. In Deuteronomy, the reason is liberation<\/em>: remember that you were slaves, and now you are free \u2014 so you shall not make slaves of anyone in your household, not even the ox. One story says rest belongs to the dignity of a finished world; the other says rest is the very shape of freedom. A spiritual humanist can hear both as profound human truths rather than as literal reports. We do not need a week of creation to feel the first: that a life made only of making, with no day to stand back and call it good, never gets to be enjoyed. And we do not need to have stood at the Red Sea to feel the second: that a person who can never stop is not yet fully free, whatever their circumstances.<\/p>\n\n

We keep the day\u2019s inherited choreography as a folkway<\/em>, not a command \u2014 a living custom this people uses to keep itself a people, free to be understood anew in every generation. Two candles are lit before sunset, at the threshold between the week and the day apart. A cup is blessed \u2014 Kiddush<\/a><\/em> \u2014 and the ordinary is named aloud as holy. Bread is broken at an unhurried table, with whoever is there. And when three stars appear on Saturday night, Havdalah<\/em> marks the return: a last cup of wine, the fragrance of spices carried back into the week, a candle\u2019s light caught on outstretched fingertips. The words we say over these things are drawn from Tefilotenu<\/em>, this community\u2019s own siddur, written so that no one needs to affirm a commanding God to mean every word.<\/p>\n\n

Strip away the candles and the customs, and one claim remains underneath them all: that a person\u2019s worth is not measured by what they produce. Six days a week the world tells us otherwise \u2014 that we are our output, our inbox, our usefulness. On the seventh, Shabbat says: stop, and be worth exactly as much when you make nothing at all.<\/p>\n\n

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Stop \u2014 and be worth exactly as much
when you make nothing at all.<\/em><\/p>\n\n

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That is not a day off. It is a small, weekly act of liberation \u2014 practised at a table, extended to everyone who sits at it, and, in time, felt less as a belief than as a change in how the whole week feels. Menuchah<\/em>, rest, and oneg<\/em>, delight: the tradition names both moods it hopes the day will carry. A Shabbat kept only as a list of things given up has missed the point. The ceasing exists to make room for the delight.<\/p>\n\n

Kiddush<\/h2>\n\n

The blessing over the wine that opens the Shabbat table, from Tefilotenu<\/em>, this community\u2019s own siddur \u2014 in Hebrew, transliteration, and English.<\/p>\n\n

\u05d5\u05b7\u05d9\u05b0\u05d4\u05b4\u05d9 \u05e2\u05b6\u05e8\u05b6\u05d1 \u05d5\u05b7\u05d9\u05b0\u05d4\u05b4\u05d9 \u05d1\u05b9\u05e7\u05b6\u05e8: \u05d9\u05d5\u05b9\u05dd \u05d4\u05b7\u05e9\u05c1\u05b4\u05c1\u05e9\u05c1\u05b4\u05d9: \u05d5\u05b7\u05ea\u05b0\u05db\u05b7\u05dc \u05d1\u05b7\u05d9\u05b8\u05dd \u05d4\u05b7\u05e9\u05c1\u05b0\u05d1\u05b4\u05d9\u05e2\u05b4\u05d9 \u05d4\u05b7\u05de\u05b0\u05dc\u05b7\u05d0\u05db\u05b8\u05d4 \u05d0\u05b2\u05e9\u05c1\u05b6\u05e8 \u05e0\u05b6\u05e2\u05b1\u05e9\u05c2\u05b9\u05ea\u05b8\u05d4 \u05d5\u05b7\u05ea\u05b4\u05c1\u05e9\u05c0\u05b0\u05d1\u05b9\u05ea \u05d1\u05b7\u05d9\u05b8\u05dd \u05d4\u05b7\u05e9\u05c1\u05b0\u05d1\u05b4\u05d9\u05e2\u05b4\u05d9 \u05db\u05b8\u05dc \u05d4\u05b7\u05de\u05b0\u05dc\u05b7\u05d0\u05db\u05b8\u05d4 \u05d0\u05b2\u05e9\u05c1\u05b6\u05e8 \u05e0\u05b6\u05e2\u05b1\u05e9\u05c2\u05b9\u05ea\u05b8\u05d4 \u05e0\u05b0\u05d1\u05b8\u05e8\u05b5\u05da\u05b0 \u05d0\u05b6\u05ea \u05d9\u05d5\u05b9\u05dd \u05d4\u05b7\u05e9\u05c1\u05b0\u05d1\u05b4\u05d9\u05e2\u05b4\u05d9 \u05d5\u05b0\u05e0\u05b0\u05e7\u05b7\u05d3\u05b5\u05e9\u05c1 \u05d0\u05d5\u05b9\u05ea\u05d5\u05b9 \u05db\u05b4\u05d9 \u05d1\u05d5\u05b9 \u05e9\u05c1\u05b8\u05d1\u05b7\u05ea\u05b0\u05e0\u05d5\u05b9 \u05de\u05b4\u05db\u05b8\u05dc\u05f7\u05d4\u05b7\u05de\u05b0\u05dc\u05b7\u05d0\u05db\u05b8\u05d4 \u05d0\u05b2\u05e9\u05c1\u05b6\u05e8 \u05d1\u05b8\u05d7\u05b7\u05e8\u05b0\u05e0\u05d5\u05b9 \u05dc\u05b7\u05e2\u05b2\u05e9\u05c2\u05d5\u05b9\u05ea:<\/p>\n\n

\u05e1\u05b7\u05d1\u05b0\u05e8\u05b4\u05d9 \u05d7\u05b2\u05d1\u05b5\u05e8\u05b7\u05d9! \u05d1\u05b8\u05e8\u05d5\u05bc\u05da\u05b0 \u05d4\u05b8\u05d0\u05d5\u05b9\u05e8 \u05d1\u05b7\u05d7\u05b7\u05d9\u05b4\u05d9\u05dd \u05d5\u05bc\u05d1\u05b8\u05e8\u05d5\u05bc\u05da\u05b0 \u05e4\u05b0\u05e8\u05b4\u05d9 \u05d4\u05b7\u05d2\u05b6\u05e4\u05b6\u05df: \u05d0\u05b8\u05de\u05b5\u05df.<\/p>\n\n

\u05d1\u05b0\u05e8\u05d5\u05bc\u05db\u05b4\u05d9\u05dd \u05d0\u05b7\u05ea\u05b6\u05dd \u05d0\u05d5\u05b9\u05e8\u05b5\u05d9\u05e0\u05d5\u05bc \u05d5\u05b0\u05d4\u05d5\u05b9\u05e8\u05b5\u05d9\u05e0\u05d5\u05bc \u05de\u05b0\u05e7\u05b7\u05d9\u05b0\u05de\u05b5\u05d9 \u05e2\u05b7\u05de\u05b5\u05e0\u05d5\u05bc \u05d0\u05b2\u05e9\u05c1\u05b6\u05e8 \u05e7\u05b4\u05d3\u05b0\u05e9\u05c1\u05d5\u05bc\u05e0\u05d5\u05bc \u05d1\u05b4\u05de\u05b0\u05e1\u05d5\u05b9\u05e8\u05d5\u05b9\u05ea\u05b5\u05d9\u05d4\u05b6\u05dd \u05d5\u05b0\u05e8\u05b8\u05e6\u05d5\u05bc \u05d1\u05b8\u05e0\u05d5\u05bc, \u05d5\u05b0\u05e9\u05c1\u05b7\u05d1\u05b8\u05ea \u05e9\u05c1\u05b8\u05dc\u05d5\u05b9\u05dd \u05d1\u05b0\u05d0\u05b7\u05d4\u05b2\u05d1\u05b8\u05d4 \u05d5\u05bc\u05d1\u05b0\u05e8\u05b8\u05e6\u05d5\u05b9\u05df \u05e0\u05b8\u05d7\u05b7\u05dc\u05b0\u05e0\u05d5\u05bc \u05d6\u05b5\u05db\u05b6\u05e8 \u05dc\u05b4\u05d9\u05e6\u05b4\u05d9\u05d0\u05b7\u05ea \u05de\u05b4\u05e6\u05b0\u05e8\u05b8\u05d9\u05b4\u05dd: \u05db\u05b4\u05d9 \u05d4\u05d5\u05bc\u05d0 \u05e2\u05b5\u05ea \u05ea\u05b0\u05d7\u05b4\u05dc\u05b8\u05d4 \u05dc\u05b0\u05de\u05b4\u05e7\u05b0\u05e8\u05b8\u05d0\u05b5\u05d9 \u05e7\u05b9\u05d3\u05b6\u05e9\u05c1, \u05d6\u05b5\u05db\u05b6\u05e8 \u05dc\u05b4\u05d9\u05e9\u05c1\u05d5\u05bc\u05e2\u05b7\u05ea \u05e2\u05b7\u05de\u05b5\u05e0\u05d5\u05bc.<\/p>\n\n

\u05db\u05b4\u05d9 \u05e9\u05c1\u05b8\u05dc\u05d5\u05b9\u05dd \u05d1\u05b8\u05d7\u05b7\u05e8\u05b0\u05e0\u05d5\u05bc \u05d5\u05b0\u05d0\u05d5\u05b9\u05ea\u05d5\u05b9 \u05e7\u05b4\u05d3\u05b7\u05e9\u05c1\u05b0\u05e0\u05d5\u05bc\u05d4\u05d5\u05bc \u05de\u05b4\u05db\u05b8\u05dc \u05d4\u05b7\u05d9\u05b8\u05de\u05b4\u05d9\u05dd, \u05d5\u05b0\u05e9\u05c1\u05b7\u05d1\u05b8\u05ea \u05e7\u05b4\u05d3\u05b7\u05e9\u05c1\u05b0\u05e0\u05d5\u05bc \u05d1\u05b0\u05d0\u05b7\u05d4\u05b2\u05d1\u05b8\u05d4, \u05d5\u05bc\u05d1\u05b0\u05e8\u05b8\u05e6\u05d5\u05b9\u05df \u05e0\u05b8\u05d7\u05b7\u05dc\u05b0\u05e0\u05d5\u05bc\u05d4\u05d5\u05bc.<\/p>\n\n

\u05d1\u05b0\u05e8\u05d5\u05bc\u05db\u05b4\u05d9\u05dd \u05d0\u05b7\u05ea\u05b6\u05dd \u05d7\u05b2\u05d1\u05b5\u05e8\u05b7\u05d9 \u05de\u05b0\u05e7\u05b7\u05d3\u05b0\u05e9\u05c1\u05b5\u05d9 \u05d4\u05b7\u05e9\u05c1\u05b7\u05d1\u05b8\u05ea! \u05d0\u05b8\u05de\u05b5\u05df.<\/p>\n\n

Vayeh\u00ed \u00e9rev vayeh\u00ed v\u00f3ker. Yom Hashish\u00ed: Vatch\u00e1l bay\u00f3m hashevi\u2019\u00ed hamelach\u00e1 ash\u00e9r ne\u2019est\u00e1. Vatishb\u00f3t bay\u00f3m hashevi\u2019\u00ed kol hamelach\u00e1 ash\u00e9r ne\u2019est\u00e1. Nevar\u00e9ch et yom hashevi\u2019\u00ed unekad\u00e9sh ot\u00f3 ki vo shav\u00e1tnu mik\u00f3l-hamelach\u00e1 ash\u00e9r ba\u1e25\u00e1rnu la\u2019as\u00f3t. Savr\u00ed \u1e25aver\u00e1i! Bar\u00fach ha\u2019\u00f3r ba\u1e25ay\u00edm uvar\u00fach per\u00ed hag\u00e9fen. Am\u00e9n. Beruch\u00edm at\u00e9m or\u00e9nu vehor\u00e9nu mekaym\u00e9 am\u00e9nu, ash\u00e9r kidsh\u00fanu bimsorotehe\u0301m verats\u00fa v\u00e1nu, veshabb\u00e1t shal\u00f3m be\u2019ahav\u00e1 uverats\u00f3n na\u1e25\u00e1lnu, z\u00e9cher litsi\u2019\u00e1t mitsr\u00e1yim. Ki hu et te\u1e25il\u00e1 lemikra\u2019\u00e9 k\u00f3desh, z\u00e9cher lishu\u2019\u00e1t am\u00e9nu. Ki shal\u00f3m ba\u1e25\u00e1rnu ve\u2019ot\u00f3 kidashnuh\u00fa mik\u00f3l-hayam\u00edm. Veshabb\u00e1t kid\u00e1shnu be\u2019ahav\u00e1, uverats\u00f3n na\u1e25alnuh\u00fa. Beruch\u00edm at\u00e9m \u1e25aver\u00e1i mekadsh\u00e9 hashabb\u00e1t! Am\u00e9n.<\/em><\/p>\n\n

There was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.<\/strong> And on the seventh day we complete the labour we perform, and we refrain on the seventh day from all the labour which we perform. And we bless the seventh day and sanctify it, for we then refrain from all our labour which we have chosen to do.

Attention, friends!<\/strong> Blessed is the light in life, and blessed is the fruit of the vine. Amen.

Blessed are you, our teachers and our ancestors, who ensured the continuity of our people, who blessed us with their traditions and took pleasure in us; and a peaceful Shabbat, in love and favour, we have inherited, a remembrance of the exodus from the narrow places. For that day is the first among special occasions, a memorial of the deliverance of our people. For we have chosen peace and distinguished it above all other days, and so we have distinguished the Shabbat with love, and in favour we have inherited it. Blessed are you, my friends, who distinguish the Shabbat! Amen.<\/p>\n\n

\u2191 Back to the top<\/a><\/p>\n\n

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Shabbat shalom \u2014 from all of us at Spiritual Humanistic Judaism.<\/em><\/p>\n\n

See this week\u2019s Shabbat times \u2192<\/a><\/p>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Every Friday at sundown, wherever in the world this community gathers \u2014 London, New York, Chicago, Jerusalem, Perth, Sydney \u2014 an ordinary week stops. Two candles are lit, and a day begins that is different from the other six. Nothing supernatural needs to happen for that difference to be real. We do not believe a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-85","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/spiritualhumanisticjudaism.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/85","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/spiritualhumanisticjudaism.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/spiritualhumanisticjudaism.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spiritualhumanisticjudaism.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spiritualhumanisticjudaism.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=85"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/spiritualhumanisticjudaism.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/85\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":88,"href":"https:\/\/spiritualhumanisticjudaism.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/85\/revisions\/88"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/spiritualhumanisticjudaism.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=85"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}