Friday 12 November 2010

Yom Shalom Shabbat

On Shabbat each person experiences a special holiness of G-d and realizes the greatness of the creator. Through this peace and love is created, because only through true humility and smallness in the eyes of ones creator can love and peace co-exist! Shabbat Shalom!

Rabbi Nachman



I find that most my friends who don't keep Shabbat, really don't know what Shabbat means. That's isn't a put down to anyone, but there are major mis understanding about the day.
First Shabbat is not just a good idea or an after thought. It is a commandment.  In Torah G-d tells us (one of the Commandmends) to keep Shabbat.
Shabbat is from Friday evening just before sundown to sundown Saturday. This day has never changed. Even Yeshua, His family and His followers observed Shabbat from Friday to Saturday. It was changed to Sunday 300 years after the death of Yeshua by those who wished to cut the church from its Jewish roots.
Today, many Christians who are learning about the Jewishness of their faith have begun to keep Shabbat.
Friday night is turned into Shabbat by the lighting of the candles, the lifting of a cup of wine to welcome the holy day.
We enjoy special foods, many of us have special clothes we wear. We go to Shabbat service as a family or have one in the home. The next day, we go to worship, have a special meal, study Torah, visit friends and/or spend time with our spouses and children. Children have special toys and games they play on this day. Family stories are told. If the weather permits, you shall see families, couples walking together. Some take their siddur (prayer book) to pray, some take books to catch up on reading.
Supper is a special time, for again there is a special meal that has been kept warm through-out the day.
It is a day we do something.
We rest. We spend time with G-d, family and friends.
In this hurried world of work, bills, grades, politices, on Friday afternoon, we turn off the tv and radio, turn off the phones (both land line and cells) and computers and tune into the Creator and our loved ones.
And yes, it takes work to create this time of peace. But it is well worth it.
So it is time for me to dress, go to PT and then prepare our home for Shabbat. It is our first one without David.
Let the Peace begin.

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