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With the morning, the focus shifts from family to community, from home to synagogue or possibly a home Bible study. I would normally say "church" but few if any Christian Churches remember or keep or observe Shabbat. If they do sadly they are Messianic Churches that adhere to idolatrous dogmas concerning "the Christ" and "Jesus" and worship the Godman. For some, Saturday morning services at a synagogue are a weekly event, whereas others attend only rarely or, on special occasions, such as a bar or bat mitzvah, which means, literally, "son or daughter of the commandment," and is a rite of passage for 13-year-old boys and girls.
For those unfamiliar with Hebrew and synagogue customs, Shabbat morning services can seem dismaying. They were for me at least in the beginning. The best way to explore and enjoy them is to try and relax. No one is there to judge you. No one will know that this is either your first time ever inside a temple or your first time in decades. Some of the most important elements of Shabbat are available for newcomers as well as regulars; the sight of a community of people gathered together, the music and voices, the absence of anything to do, and the opportunity to sit still and simply be. Following in the Hebrew/English Siddur will be difficult at first but not impossilbe over time in fact I bought one in order to familiarize myself with the Siddur (prayer book) used in the synagogue and read it at home until I became more comfortable with its use. Now I have come to love the Siddur (the prayerbook) and cannot part with it as it has become my very good "friend".
On days when we would not go to synagogue then we at Bet Emet would gather for a Bible Study and over time this grew into a full-fledged congregation whereby we evolved into a synagogue for Gentile Godfearers which met on Shabbat. We adopted and adapted the "Pattern of Worship" we saw in the synagogue for the outline of our Shabbat services and these services would last into the early afternoon.
After your visit to the synagogue or your home Bible study (service) then it is time to return home and share your experiences with your family if they did not accompany you. For people who do not wish to or cannot attend Shabbat services, ways to continue Sabbath observance through the morning include reading the Torah portion at home, singing favorite songs from the service, praying on their own, going for a walk, reading spiritual books, meditating, or any other essentially restful, Sabbath-like activity.
The first order of business after services is lunch, the second meal for Shabbat. Traditionally, breakfast does not count as one of the three Sabbath meals. The kiddush over wine at this meal is called "the great kiddush" (kiddush rabbah). According to legend, the fancy name was supposed to compensate for the more impressive Friday night kiddush. The second loaf of challah from the Friday night meal is often eaten at lunch. The "great kiddush" and the blessing for bread (motzi) are often said in the synagogue after services, with everyone gathered around a table of wine (or spirits) and challah. In general, however, most people have lunch at home, which is where they spend the remainder of Shabbat. It is always a mitzvah to invite guests home on Shabbat, especially those who might not otherwise have a warm, friendly place to eat. Encouraging children to invite friends over to eat and play helps make Shabbat special, and gives them the chance to extend their own hospitality. This mid-day meal provided an opportunity for the family to come together to fellowship and share their love and their time with each other.
Although lunch is seldom as elaborate as Friday night's meal, the noon meal is often festive or in some way different from weekday lunches. The whole notion of Shabbat rest discourages fancy cooking in favor of leftovers, casseroles prepared in advance, or a selection of salads and sandwich fixings. But in some families, Saturday means lunch rabbah (the great lunch) because it always features chocolate pudding. Shabbat can be a day of rest from saying "no" to children's insatiable passion for junk food. In some households, Shabbat is reserved for otherwise forbidden treats.
After lunch, the afternoon stretches lazily on. The goal for Shabbat afternoon is to achieve the same level of relaxation one feels on the last afternoon of a two-week vacation: sad to leave but also refreshed. However, because many people find it difficult to face hours of uninterrupted leisure-especially at a time when the rest of the world is busy doing errands and cleaning out the garage-it can be helpful to make specific plans.
Important to remember is that after lunch the time is spend in whatever "renews" you body, soul, and spirit. Traditional Shabbat afternoon activities include napping, visiting the sick, and walking without a particular destination in mind. Some people reserve these hours for activities and pastimes such as bicycle riding, swimming, writing letters, baking cookies, puttering in the garden, reading poetry, sitting still and really listening to music, and going on nature walks. Shabbat is a wonderful time for spouses to talk, and for parents and children to play. And the more an activity is saved only for Shabbat, the more Shabbat-like it becomes. Many might recreate, some might go fishing, some just relax and listen to music or read a good book. Other might just "piddle" around the home with the family and just enjoy the sound of "peace" generated by this time whereby you "slow down" and smell the beauty of "life" which only the Shabbat can create. Some might wash their favorite car or visit with family or neighbors. It is really up to you for you know what brings you "peace" and enlivens you as God's child.
Perhaps the most-time honored Shabbat afternoon activity is Torah study. Some people meet weekly with family members or a group of friends to discuss the week's Torah section, a project that requires no knowledge of Hebrew or academic background in Judaism. The first five books of the Bible have been studied for more than 2,000 years, in part for the sheer pleasure of trying to comprehend its meanings. There are no correct or ultimate answers; there are simply new levels of understanding.
One way to proceed is by reading the week's portion out loud. This not only lifts the activity out of the weekday practice of reading for information, it also means that no one will have failed to do the "homework."
Nor does a Shabbat study circle have to be limited to the Bible. Indeed, the phrase "studying Torah" is traditionally applied to all Jewish learning, which, includes the Hebrew language, a Jewish novel, a book of history or commentary, or even last Sunday's editorial about Israeli politics. The traditional caveat is that sad topics are avoided to preserve the joy of Shabbat.
Especially insightful for we non-Jews is the study into the Jewish Roots of our Christian Faith. Over time you will come to see and value this "Jewishness" and the wisdom contained within the sages of the Israel of God and then these various types of "Jewish Learning" will have a much higher value to you than they might at the present.
According to the Talmud, Shabbat ends when three stars are visible in the sky. On overcast evenings, Shabbat is over when a blue thread is indistinguishable from a white thread held at arm's length. In other words, it should be dark.
Yet, there is almost no limit to how late havdalah can begin. The ritual that ends the Sabbath, havdaIah, (which means "separation" or "division") dates back to Talmudic times. It is a brief, enchanting ceremony that recalls the intimate power of the Friday night home ritual, though far more melancholy because it marks Shabbat's passing. Some congregations hold havdalah services, but this is, by and large, a home celebration. It consists of four blessings: over wine, over fragrant spices, over fire, and over distinctions. I direct you attention to the "Bet Emet Home Havdalah Service" elsewhere on this website.
Shabbat Shalom
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