What is Shabbat? A plain English guide
By the My Daily Torah team · Updated
In short
Shabbat is the Jewish day of rest. It starts at sunset on Friday and ends at nightfall on Saturday, about 25 hours, every single week. People light candles, share a long Friday night dinner, and spend Saturday slowing down with family, friends and food instead of work. The word comes from a Hebrew root that means to stop.
What is Shabbat, really?
Picture a whole day with no work email, no errands and no to-do list. Just a long dinner, a nap, a walk and people you like. Jews have been doing that every week for thousands of years, and it has a name: Shabbat.
It runs from Friday at sunset to Saturday at nightfall, so about 25 hours. Some people keep every detail of it. Others just do Friday night dinner. Both are real versions of what people do.
You'll hear people say "Shabbat shalom" to each other. Shalom means peace, so it's basically "have a peaceful Shabbat."
Where does Shabbat come from?
״ויכל אלוקים ביום השביעי מלאכתו אשר עשה וישבת ביום השביעי מכל מלאכתו אשר עשה״
“By the seventh day God had finished the work, and on the seventh day God stopped all the work that had been done.”
It starts on the first page of the Bible. In Genesis, God creates the world over six days, and on the seventh day God stops.
Here's the part most people miss. The Hebrew word in that verse, vayishbot, comes from the same root as Shabbat, and it means "stopped" more than "rested." So Shabbat isn't only a day off. It's the day you stop.
The next verse says God blessed the seventh day and made it holy. It's the first time the word "holy" shows up in the Bible, and it's about a day, not a place.
Remember or keep? The Ten Commandments say it twice
״שמור את יום השבת לקדשו״
“Keep the Shabbat day, and make it holy.”
Shabbat is one of the Ten Commandments, and the Torah (the Five Books of Moses) records the Ten Commandments twice: once in Exodus, once in Deuteronomy.
The wording isn't identical. Exodus opens with "Remember the Shabbat day." Deuteronomy opens with "Keep the Shabbat day."
The reasons are different too. Exodus points back to creation: God made the world in six days and rested on the seventh. Deuteronomy points to Egypt: you were slaves there, and God brought you out.
So one version is about the world, and the other is about freedom. Slaves don't get a day off. Free people do.
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What actually happens on Shabbat?
Friday, before sunset: candles. Someone lights Shabbat candles, and that's the moment the day begins.
Friday night: dinner. It opens with kiddush, a blessing over a cup of wine, then a blessing over challah, the soft braided bread. Then everyone eats, usually for a long time.
Saturday morning: synagogue, for those who go. Others sleep in, take a walk or have people over for lunch.
Saturday afternoon: slow. Naps, books, board games, long conversations. No work and no rushing.
Saturday night: Havdalah. Once it's dark, a short ceremony with wine, a braided candle and spices closes Shabbat and starts the new week.
Why do people still love it?
״למען ינוח עבדך ואמתך כמוך״
“So your servants, men and women, can rest just like you.”
Because nothing else gives you permission to stop. Your phone won't. Your boss won't. Shabbat just shows up every Friday, whether you feel like you've earned it or not.
Both versions of the commandment extend the day off to the whole household: your kids, your servants, even your animals. Deuteronomy adds the reason: so your servants get the same rest you do.
That's a striking idea for an ancient text. Rest isn't a prize for the people at the top. Everyone in the house gets it.
People who keep a weekly Friday night dinner often say it's the one evening nobody is checking a phone. For them, it's mostly about getting their time back.
How can I try Shabbat with zero background?
Start with Friday night. Invite a couple of friends, light candles before sunset and put a challah on the table. Lots of bakeries sell one on Fridays.
Say kiddush if you want to (the words are easy to find online, in English too), or just raise a glass and say "Shabbat shalom." Then eat slowly.
Want one more step? Put your phone in a drawer until dinner's over. That's how a lot of people start.
Questions people ask
What does Shabbat shalom mean?
It's the standard Shabbat greeting. Shabbat is the day of rest and shalom means peace, so it's like saying "have a peaceful Shabbat." People say it from Friday afternoon through Saturday, in person, in texts and at synagogue. If someone says it to you, just say it back.
What is Shabbat dinner?
It's the Friday night meal that starts Shabbat. Candles are lit before sunset, then the meal opens with kiddush, a blessing over wine, and a blessing over challah, a braided bread. After that it's a long, unhurried dinner with family or friends. For many people it's the highlight of the week.
What does Shabbat mean in Hebrew?
Shabbat comes from a Hebrew root that means to stop or cease. Genesis uses the same root when God stops creating on the seventh day. The English word "Sabbath" comes from it, and in modern Hebrew Saturday is simply called Shabbat.
Is Shabbat related to the Arabic word for Saturday?
Yes. Hebrew and Arabic are sister languages, and the Arabic word for Saturday, sabt, comes from the same ancient root as Shabbat. Both trace back to the seventh day of the week.
Sources
Every Hebrew line on this page is copied word for word from the source and checked against Sefaria, the free online library of Jewish texts. The English is our own translation.