Set 8

Question 1

What is the prayer service through which we welcome the Shabbat called?

Answer 1

Kabbalat Shabbat.

Question 2

What is Lecha Dodi?

Answer 2

A liturgical song sung during the Kabbalat Shabbat to greet the Sabbath Bride.

Question 3

What is Kiddush, and why do we recite it?

Answer 3

A blessing recited over wine or grape juice to sanctify the Shabbat and Jewish holidays.

Question 4

Why do we light candles at the onset of the Sabbath?

Answer 4

To honor and welcome the Shabbat, symbolizing the light and holiness of the day.

Question 5

What prayer do we recite when we light candles?

Answer 5

The blessing recited when lighting candles for Shabbat in Hebrew is:

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ, אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּנוּ לְהַדְלִיק נֵר שֶׁל שַׁבָּת.

Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech Haolam, asher kid’shanu b’mitzvotav v’tzivanu l’hadlik ner shel Shabbat.

This translates to English as:

“Blessed are You, Lord our G-d, King of the Universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to light the Shabbat candles.”

For holidays, the ending changes slightly to:

לְהַדְלִיק נֵר שֶׁל [שַׁבָּת וְשֶׁל] יוֹם טוֹב

…l’hadlik ner shel [Shabbat v’shel] Yom Tov

…to light the candles of [Shabbat and of] the holiday.

Question 6

Where does the prohibition against lighting fire on Shabbat come from?

Answer 6

From the Torah, Exodus 35:3: ‘Do not kindle a fire in any of your dwellings on the Sabbath day.’

Question 7

There are two versions of the Ten Commandments in the Torah. What is different in each of them in the way in which they mention Shabbat?

Answer 7

The Ten Commandments are listed in two places in the Torah: Exodus 20:8-11 and Deuteronomy 5:12-15. Both passages command the observance of the Sabbath day, but they provide different reasons for doing so:
1. In Exodus 20:8-11, the commandment to keep the Sabbath is tied to the act of Creation:

Hebrew (Transliterated):
“Zachor et-yom haShabbat lekadsho. … Ki sheishet-yamim asah Adonai et-haShamayim ve’et-ha’aretz et-hayam ve’et-kol-asher-bahem vayanach bayom ha’shevi’i; al-ken berach Adonai et-yom haShabbat vayekaddesh oto.”

English Translation:
“Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy. … For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.”

2. In Deuteronomy 5:12-15, the commandment focuses on the deliverance of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt:Hebrew (Transliterated):
   “Shamor et-yom haShabbat lekadsho … Ve’zacharta ki-eved hayita be’eretz Mitzrayim ve’yotzi’acha Adonai Eloheicha misham be’yad chazakah u’bizro’a netuyah; al-ken tzivcha Adonai Eloheicha la’asot et-yom haShabbat.”English Translation:
   “Observe the Sabbath day and keep it holy … Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your G-d brought you out from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm; therefore the Lord your G-d commanded you to keep the Sabbath day.”

The difference lies in the rationale for the commandment: “Exodus” connects the Sabbath to G-d’s rest after creation, while “Deuteronomy” links it to the Israelites’ freedom from bondage, serving as a reminder of G-d’s salvation and their own need for rest and freedom.

Question 8

Why is Shabbat observed on Saturday?

Answer 8

According to the biblical creation story in Genesis, G-d rested on the seventh day, which corresponds to Saturday.