Advanced Search

Shabbat Atmosphere - “Out of this World”


Question:

What is meant by the “atmosphere” of Shabbat? I’ve heard it used in terms of preparing for the “atmosphere” of Shabbat and refraining from doing certain things that are not in the “atmosphere” of the day.



AskTheRabbi.org answered:

Jewish law recognizes that physical environment has a powerful impact on a person’s psychological state. Therefore, we go to great effort to create a special atmosphere in the home on Shabbat. On Friday, we honor the upcoming Shabbat by cleaning the house, and grooming ourselves. We prepare special clothing and set the table for a formal dinner. We usher in the Shabbat by lighting candles, which enhance the enjoyment of the meal, and we do our best to create a festive atmosphere appropriate for the visit of a royal guest. Before the advent of electric lights, the candles also prevented stumbling around in the dark.

Even a person who is unfamiliar with Shabbat and with its philosophy cannot help but be drawn into the beautiful, dignified and enjoyable atmosphere that comes from adherence to these Jewish laws.

In 1815 an American sailor, Captain James Rily, was shipwrecked near the coast of Morocco. Members of the Jewish community there invited the captain to spend Shabbat with them. He was surprised by the sumptuousness of the Shabbat feast and presumed that he had stumbled upon a community of noblemen. He describes the Shabbat meal in detail:

“… their [the Jews’] prinicipal and standing Sunday [Sabbath] dinner, is called skanah or s’hina. It is made of [chick] peas baked in an oven for nearly twenty-four hours, with a quantity of Beeves [oxen’s] marrow-bones broken to pieces over them; it is a very luscious and fattening dish, and by no means a bad one: this, with a few vegetables, and sometimes a plumpudding, a good bread, and Jews’ brandy distilled from figs and aniseed …”


 
Gateways - Your Key to Jewish Continuity

AskTheRabbi.org is a service of the Gateways Organization © 2024
Technical problems? Please contact the AskTheRabbi Support team