A Weekly Holy Time?

Consider the creation and the beginning of everything. In all of His creation, what is the very first thing that God "made holy"?  Was it the earth?  Or maybe man?  Could it be the heavens? Genesis gives us the answer!

^{Genesis 2:1}Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array. ² By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. ³ Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done. [NIV]

God later presents Moses with the Ten Commandments in Exodus. In this verse He again highlights the holiness of this special day with a commandment.

^{Exodus 20:8}“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. ⁹ Six days you shall labor and do all your work, ¹⁰ but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. ¹¹ For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

What does "holy" mean?   

Man has LOTS of definitions, thoughts, books, and examples of "holy". Most of these definitions do not come from our Creator or match His definition.  Using the bible, God's Word, let's answer this question.

The word "qadosh" (קָדוֹשׁ) means to consecrate, sanctify, prepare, dedicate, be hallowed, be holy, be sanctified, or be separate. The exact opposite word for holy is something that is common, regular, or ordinary. The word holy is packed with the meaning and the feeling of something extremely special.  God's Holy things are something to be greatly desired, reverently respected, and passionately cherished. 

Which day is it? 

Does it really matter?  Some people like their sabbath to be Monday or Sunday. Some say it must be the 7th day in ANY series of days. Isn't "any" day okay and holy to God?  Read Genesis 2 again.    It is clear that God's Holy day is the seventh day, the last day of he week.  In subsequent chapters of the bible God reiterates and reemphasizes the holiness of this special day.  Here in Exodus, God tests the Israelites during the weekly mana harvest.   The Lord is very clear and explicit on which day to rest:

^{Exodus 16:27} Nevertheless, some of the people went out on the seventh day to gather it, but they found none. ²⁸ Then the Lord said to Moses, “How long will you[c] refuse to keep my commands and my instructions? ²⁹ Bear in mind that the Lord has given you the Sabbath; that is why on the sixth day he gives you bread for two days. Everyone is to stay where they are on the seventh day; no one is to go out.” ³⁰ So the people rested on the seventh day.

In this case, many Israelites failed the Sabbath test because they did not believe God's promise of no mana on the seventh day of the week.

For us today, when the sun is about to set on the sixth day (Friday night), we identify the beginning of a very special time, the beginning of the seventh day which is holy to our Creator.

Didn't Christ get rid of the Jewish Sabbath?

^{Matthew 12:1} At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick some heads of grain and eat them. ² When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, “Look! Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath.” ³ He answered, “Haven’t you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? ⁴ He entered the house of God, and he and his companions ate the consecrated bread—which was not lawful for them to do, but only for the priests. ⁵ Or haven’t you read in the Law that the priests on Sabbath duty in the temple desecrate the Sabbath and yet are innocent? ⁶ I tell you that something greater than the temple is here. ⁷ If you had known what these words mean, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’[a] you would not have condemned the innocent. ⁸ For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”

^{Matthew 5:17} “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. ¹⁹ Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. ²⁰ For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.

^{John 15:18} “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. ¹⁹ If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. ²⁰ Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’[b] If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. ²¹ They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the one who sent me.

^{Colossians 2:20} Since you died with Christ to the elemental spiritual forces of this world, why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its rules: ²¹ “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? ²² These rules, which have to do with things that are all destined to perish with use, are based on merely human commands and teachings. ²³ Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.

Are there Blessing for Keeping God's Holy Day?

The Sabbath blessing answers are in the book Isaiah.

^{Isaiah 58:13} “If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on my holy day, if you call the Sabbath a delight and the Lord’s holy day honorable, and if you honor it by not going your own way and not doing as you please or speaking idle words ¹⁴ then you will find your joy in the Lord, and I will cause you to ride in triumph on the heights of the land and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob.” For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

Here are some of the blessings for keeping God's Sabbath:

1. You will find joy in the Lord.
2. You will triumph on the heights of the land.
3. You will feast on your inheritance.

We stop our work week, and begin a wonderful time of rest. As we begin this new and special day, we pause, light candles and request a special blessing on what is to come over the next 24 hours.

Shabbat Prayers

Blessing over the Candles

The lighting of candles as sunset approaches on Friday is the traditional sign of the arrival of Shabbat. After lighting the candles, it is customary to cover the eyes and recite the following:

ברוך אתה יהוה אלהינו מלך העוךם
אשר קדשנו בדברן
ונתן לנו את ישוע משיחנו
וצונו להיות אור לעולם

Baruch Ata ADONAI, Eloheinu Melech ha-Olam Asher kidd'shanu bidvaro v'natan lanu et Yeshua M'schicheinu v'tzivanu li-h'yot or l'olam.

Blessed are You, ADONAI, our God, King of the Universe Who has made us holy through His Word and has given us Yeshua our Messiah, and commanded us to be light to the world.

Blessing over the Children

Many Sabbath keeping parents embrace the custom of blessing their children on Friday evening. This custom is a nice way of bringing gratitude and spirituality into your family. On Shabbat and at other special occasions, it can contribute to a special feeling of closeness between you and your children.

The words of the blessing are taken from the priestly blessing (Numbers 6:24-26) and the introduction is altered depending on whether the child being blessed is a boy or girl.

For boys

יְשִׂימְךָ אֱלהיִם כְּאֶפְרַיְם וְכִמְנַשֶּׁה

Y'sim-cha Eh-lo-him k'Ephra'im v'chi-M'nasheh.

May God make you like Ephraim and Menasheh.

For girls

יְשִׂימֵךְ אֱלהיִם כְּשָׂרָה רִבְקָה רָחֵל וְלֵאָה

Y'si-meich Eh-lo-him k'Sarah, Rivka, Rachel, v'Lei-ah.

May God make you like Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, and Leah.

For both boys and girls [Aaronic blessing]

יְבָרֶכְךָ יְהוָה וְיִשְׁמְרֶךָ יָאֵר יְהוָה פָּנָיו  אֵלֶיךָ וִיחֻנֶּךָּ יִשָּׂא יְהוָה פָּנָיו אֵלֶיךָ וְיָשֵׂם לְךָ שָׁלום

Y'va-reh-ch'cha Adonai v'yish-m'reh-cha. Ya-eir Adonai pa-nav ei-leh-cha vi-chu-neh-ka. Yisa Adonai pa-nav ei-leh-cha v'ya-seim l'cha sha-lom.

The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord turn His face to you and grant you peace.

Kiddush - Blessing over Wine

Some people recite just the regular blessing over wine before the Friday night meal.

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה אַדָנָי אֱלהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעולָם בּורֵא פְּרִי הַגָּפֶן

Baruch ata Adonai, Eloheynu Melech ha-olam, boreh p’ri ha-gafen

Blessed are You, O Lord our God, King of the universe, Who creates the fruit of the vine.

Ha-Motzi - Blessing over the Bread

After the washing of hands, some people have the custom of remaining silent until bread is eaten. Prior to eating the bread, the following blessing is recited.

בָּרוּך אַתָּה אַדָנָי אֱלהֵינוּ מֶלֶך הָעוֹלָם הָמוֹציא לֶחם מן הַארץ

Baruch ata Adonai, Eloheynu Melech ha-olam, ha-motzi lechem min ha-aretz.

Blessed are You, O Lord our God, King of the universe, Who brings forth bread from the earth.

Blessing over the Woman of Valor

As the Sabbath draws near, it is quite possible that the blessing of the evening cannot be possible without the nurturing and loving hand of a bride or mother. The Eishet Chayil is a prayer and devotion to such a woman of valor who is recognized as the matriarch of the family.

אֵֽשֶׁת‭ ‬חַֽיִל‭ ‬מִי‭ ‬יִמְצָא‭ ‬וְרָחֹק‭ ‬מִפְּנִינִים‭ ‬מִכְרָהּ‭. ‬בָּֽטַח‭ ‬בָּהּ‭ ‬לֵב‭ ‬בַּעְלָהּ‭ ‬וְשָׁלָל‭ ‬לֹא‭ ‬יֶחְסָר
פִּֽיהָ‭ ‬פָּתְחָה‭ ‬בְחָכְמָה‭ ‬וְתֽוֹרַת‭ ‬חֶֽסֶד‭ ‬עַל‭ ‬לְשׁוֹנָהּ‭. ‬קָֽמוּ‭ ‬בָנֶֽיהָ‭ ‬וַיְאַשְּׁרֽוּהָ‭ ‬בַּעְלָהּ‭ ‬וַיְהַלְלָהּ‭. ‬רַבּוֹת‭ ‬בָּנוֹת‭ ‬עָֽשׂוּ‭ ‬חָֽיִל‭ ‬וְאַתְּ‭ ‬עָלִית‭ ‬עַל‭ ‬כֻּלָּֽנָה

Eishet Chayil mi yimtza, v’rakhok mi’pninim michrah. Batakh bah lev ba’alah, v’shalal lo yekhsar. Piha pat’cha v’chochmah, v’torat chesed al l’shonah. Kamu vaneha v’ya’ashruhah, ba’alah vay’hal’lah. Rabot banot asu chayil, v’at alit al kulanah.
A woman of valor, who can find? Her worth is far beyond rubies. Her husband trusts in her, and lacks for nothing. Her lips are full of wisdom, her mouth with loving-kindness. Her children rise and bless her, her husband sings her praises: “Many women have done well, but you surpass them all!” (Proverbs 31)

Sanctification of Shabbat

Adonai made this day, the seventh day, Holy and very special. As a family, it is important to reflect on His special day by sanctifying it (set it apart) as a wonderful day of rest and remembrance of His amazing creation.

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְרַָצָה בָנוּ, וְשַׁבָּת קָדְשׁוֹ בְּאַהֲבָה וּבְרָצוֹן הִנְחִילָנוּ, זִכָּרוֹן לְמַעֲשֵׂה בְרֵאשִׁית. כִּי הוּא יוֹם תְּחִלָּה לְמִקְרָאֵי קֹדֶשׁ זֵכֶר לִיצִיאַת מִצְרָיִם. כִּי בָנוּ בָחַרְתָּ וְאוֹתָנוּ קִדַּשְׁתָּ מִכָּל הָעַמִּים וְשַׁבָּת קָדְשְׁךָ בְּאַהֲבָה וּבְרָצוֹן הִנְחַלְתָּנוּ. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ מְקַדֵּשׁ הַשַׁבָּת.‬

Baruch atah, Adonai Eloheinu, Melech haolam, asher kid'shanu b'mitzvotav v'ratzah vanu, v'Shabbat kodsho b'ahavah uv'ratzon hinchilanu, zikaron l'maaseih v'reishit. Ki hu yom t'chilah l'mikra-ei kodesh, zecher litziat Mitzrayim. Ki vanu vacharta, v'otanu kidashta, mikol haamim. V'Shabbat kodsh'cha b'ahavah uv'ratzon hinchaltanu. Baruch atah, Adonai, m'kadeish HaShabbat.

Blessed are You, O Lord our God, King of the universe.  Who has sanctified us through Your commandments. In love and favor, You have given us Your holy Shabbat as a heritage, a reminder of Your work of Creation, first of our sacred days, recalling us the Exodus from Egypt. You chose us and set us apart from the peoples. In love and favor You have given us Your holy Shabbat as an inheritance. Praise to You, Adonai, who sanctifies Shabbat.

Torah Portion

During the Babylonian captivity, Ezra and Nehemiah, wanted to ensure that the people would not slip into idolatry again. They created a system of weekly Torah (first five books of bible) readings to ensure that the people heard portions of the Torah read every week. The readings start with Genesis 1 on Shemini Atzeret (Eighth Day of Assembly or Last Great Day at end of Feast of Tabernacles).

Since the days of the Apostles, Torah portions were read every week in the same manner.

Examine this weeks reading here at Torah Club

Or get this handy Torah Portion download.

Havdalah

Havdalah Prayers

Blessing over the wine

 בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יי אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הַגָּפֶן

Barukh ata Adonai, Eloheinu Melekh ha-olam, borei p-ri ha-gafen.

Blessed are You, O Lord our God, King of the universe, Creator of the fruit of the vine.

Blessing over the spices

 בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יי אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, בּוֹרֵא מִינֵי בְשָׂמִים

Barukh ata Adonai, Eloheinu Melekh ha-olam, borei minei v’samim.

Blessed are You, O Lord our God, King of the universe, Creator of many kinds of spices.

Blessing over the flames of the Havdalah candle

 בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יי אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, בּוֹרֵא מְאוֹרֵי הָאֵשׁ

Barukh ata Adonai, Eloheinu Melekh ha-olam, borei m’orei ha-eish.

Blessed are You, O Lord our God, King of the universe, Creator of the fire’s light.

Concluding blessing

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יי אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, הַמַּבְדִּיל בֵּין קֹדֶשׁ לְחוֹל, בֵּין אוֹר לְחֹשֶׁךְ, בֵּין יִשְׂרָאֵל לָעַמִּים, בֵּין יוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי לְשֵׁשֶׁת יְמֵי הַמַּעֲשֶׂה, בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יי, הַמַּבְדִּיל בֵּין קֹדֶשׁ לְחוֹל

Barukh ata Adonai, Eloheynu Melech ha-olam. Ha-mavdil beyn kodesh l’chol, beyn or le’choshech, beyn Yisrael la-amim, beyn yom ha-shevi’i l’sheyshet y’mey ha-ma’aseh. Baruch ata Adonai, ha-mavdil beyn kodesh l’chol.

Blessed are You, O Lord our God, King of the universe, Who distinguishes between the holy and the profane, between light and darkness, between Israel and heathen nations, between the seventh day and the six working days. Blessed are You, Who distinguishes between the holy and the profane.