Holiday

Shabbat

Sabbath

Jewish Calendar

Recurring Observances

Shabbat

שבת

SHA-bat

“Sabbath (rest)”

A Shabbat Revolution has Begun

Charlie Kirk, one of America’s boldest defenders of Judeo-Christian values, discovered Shabbat through his mentor, Dennis Prager.

Every Friday night he shut off his phone.
He stepped away from the constant noise.
He entered God’s time with his family.

Before his tragic death, Charlie completed his final book: Stop, in the Name of God: Why Honoring the Sabbath Will Transform Your Life.

His witness lit a fire. A Christian voice declaring: Shabbat is for all of us.

Bringing Shabbat to the Nations

In Shabbat Revolution: A Practical Guide to Weekly Renewal, Rabbi Elie Mischel does something groundbreaking: a traditional Jewish rabbi showing gentiles how they, too, can enter into the power of Shabbat.

For thousands of years, Shabbat has been the heartbeat of Jewish survival. Now Rabbi Mischel makes its wisdom accessible to Christians — not to turn them into Jews, but to help them draw strength from the same gift God gave at creation.

Shabbat is not just Israel’s inheritance, it is God’s gift for all humanity — a key to renewing faith, family, and civilization.

What is Shabbat

Shabbat (שבת), the Sabbath, is the seventh day of the Hebrew week — beginning Friday evening and ending Saturday night. It recalls three central truths of the Bible:

Creation — God ceased from His work on the seventh day.
Exodus — God freed His people from slavery in Egypt.
Redemption — Shabbat is called “a taste of the world to come.”

The Hebrew word shavat means “to cease.” But Shabbat is not only about what stops. It is about what becomes possible: space for God, family, community, and soul.

Why Shabbat Matters

It restores faith. Shabbat reminds us that God is Creator, not man.
It rebuilds families. Phones off, tables full, conversations real.
It points to eternity. Each week we glimpse the world to come.

In an age of endless distraction, Shabbat is God’s gift of sacred time — the antidote to a restless world.

When is Shabbat

Every Saturday

Source and Origin of Shabbat

וַיְכֻלּוּ הַשָּׁמַיִם וְהָאָרֶץ וְכָל־צְבָאָם׃

The heaven and the earth were finished, and all their array.

Genesis 2:1

וַיְכַל אֱלֹהִים בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי מְלַאכְתּוֹ אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה וַיִּשְׁבֹּת בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי מִכָּל־מְלַאכְתּוֹ אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה׃

On the seventh day Hashem finished the work that He had been doing, and He ceased on the seventh day from all the work that He had done.

Genesis 2:2

Shabbat is commanded again at Sinai:

זָכוֹר אֶת־יוֹם הַשַּׁבָּת לְקַדְּשׁוֹ

Remember the Shabbat day and keep it holy.

Exodus 20:8

שֵׁשֶׁת יָמִים תַּעֲבֹד וְעָשִׂיתָ כָּל־מְלַאכְתֶּךָ

Six days you shall labor and do all your work,

Exodus 20:9

וְיוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי שַׁבָּת לַיהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ לֹא־תַעֲשֶׂה כָל־מְלָאכָה אַתָּה וּבִנְךָ־וּבִתֶּךָ עַבְדְּךָ וַאֲמָתְךָ וּבְהֶמְתֶּךָ וְגֵרְךָ אֲשֶׁר בִּשְׁעָרֶיךָ

but the seventh day is a Shabbat of Hashem your God: you shall not do any work—you, your son or daughter, your male or female slave, or your cattle, or the stranger who is within your settlements.

Exodus 20:10

Alternate Names for Shabbat

Shabbos
The Sabbath

Commandments (Mitzvot) of Shabbat

Resting from work – Just as G-d rested from work on Shabbat, the Jewish people are commanded to rest from work on Shabbat as well. The Talmud outlines 39 creative acts that are forbidden on Shabbat which can be organized into four main categories: acts involved in the process of making bread, from plowing and sowing to kneading and baking; acts involved in the process of making clothes, from shearing to tearing; acts involved in scribal arts using parchment, from trapping animals to writing and erasing; and acts involved in building, destroying, burning, extinguishing, finishing a product, and carrying things in the public domain. Almost all, if not all, of these creative acts have modern applications to actions that we do each and every day, and those things are forbidden on Shabbat.
Lighting Shabbat candles – Special candles are lit at least 18 minutes before sundown in order to create an atmosphere of peace and festivity in a home that would be otherwise dark because of the prohibition to light a fire on Shabbat. Whoever lights the candles recites a blessing over them. It is usually the woman of the house, but if she is not present, someone else must light instead. These candles have become a symbol of Jewish women all over the world throughout the generations.
Eating three meals – three festive meals are eaten throughout Shabbat: one on Friday night, another one on Saturday morning, and a third (smaller) one on Saturday afternoon.
Reciting kiddush – both the Friday night and the Saturday morning meal are preceded by the recitation of kiddush, or sanctification of the day over a cup of wine (or grape juice).
Having two loaves of bread at each meal – to remind everyone of the double portion of manna that the Jews received on Fridays in the desert in order that they not have to go out and collect manna on Shabbat, two full loaves of bread are served at the start of each meal. A blessing is recited aloud over the two loaves, and then pieces are handed out to everyone present.

Customs of Shabbat

Time with family and friends — With work and electronics set aside, relationships come to the forefront.
Singing Shabbat songs — Generations have filled the day with melodies of holiness.
Special foods — From challah to traditional dishes, meals honor the joy of the day.
Prayer and Torah study — Shabbat is a time for learning and worship, both in synagogue and at home.

Shabbat’s Enduring Power

For thousands of years, Shabbat has been the heartbeat of Jewish survival. As Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel wrote, it is “a palace in time.” Today, Christians are also rediscovering its wisdom — not to replace their own traditions, but to join in the biblical rhythm God gave to the world.

Shabbat is more than a tradition. It is the sacred time that binds creation, covenant, and redemption into one weekly gift.

Bring Shabbat Into Your Life

If you’re ready to move beyond inspiration and actually experience Shabbat, Shabbat Revolution: A Practical Guide to Weekly Renewal will show you how.

This isn’t theory. It’s practical guidance for Christians: how to prepare for Shabbat, welcome it into your home, share meals and prayers, and create space for God at the center of your week.

This book is a roadmap to reclaiming what our world has lost: time set apart, families gathered together, and lives ordered around God rather than noise.

Don’t just read about Shabbat. Live it.

Help Us Spread the Hebrew Bible's Teachings!

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Shabbat

Shabbat

A Shabbat Revolution has Begun

Bringing Shabbat to the Nations

What is Shabbat

Why Shabbat Matters

When is Shabbat

Every Saturday

Source and Origin of Shabbat

Genesis 2:1

Genesis 2:2

Exodus 20:8

Exodus 20:9

Exodus 20:10

Alternate Names for Shabbat

Commandments (Mitzvot) of Shabbat

Customs of Shabbat

Shabbat’s Enduring Power

Bring Shabbat Into Your Life

Help Us Spread the Hebrew Bible's Teachings!

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Shabbat

Shabbat

A Shabbat Revolution has Begun

Bringing Shabbat to the Nations

What is Shabbat

Why Shabbat Matters

When is Shabbat

Every Saturday

Source and Origin of Shabbat

Genesis 2:1

Genesis 2:2

Exodus 20:8

Exodus 20:9

Exodus 20:10

Alternate Names for Shabbat

Commandments (Mitzvot) of Shabbat

Customs of Shabbat

Shabbat’s Enduring Power

Bring Shabbat Into Your Life

Help Us Spread the Hebrew Bible's Teachings!

Related Articles

Join Bible Plus

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