Shabbat Atmosphere: Out of This World!

Question

Hi Rabbi,

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. Thanks for this wonderful service and for your answer in advance.

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Answers

  1. The Just Ask! - AskTheRabbi.org Team

    Judaism recognizes that one’s 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 to wear for Shabbat and set the table for a formal dinner.

    We usher in the Shabbat by lighting candles, which enhances 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 its philosophy cannot help but be drawn into the beautiful, dignified and enjoyable atmosphere that comes from adherence to these Jewish practices.

    In 1815, an American sailor named 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’] main and standing Sabbath dinner is called skanah or s’hina. It is made of chickpeas 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 plum pudding, a good bread, and Jews’ brandy distilled from figs and aniseed ….”

    Best wishes from the AskTheRabbi.org Team