Shabbat Informative Speech

Leo Marzwell

Ms. Cohen

Honors Jewish Law

10 May 2023 Shabbat is a weekly day of rest for the Jewish people and it is observed from sunset on friday to when there are three stars in the sky on saturday night. It is a time to rest, reflect and rejuvenate, spend time with family and friends, and focus on the community around us. Observing Shabbat is meaningful because it allows us to not just engage in prayer and services, but to disconnect from the stresses of everyday life. Shabbat is also a time to remember and honor God's work of creation and show gratitude for the community I have supporting me. This past Shabbat, I observed all of the four cornerstones. This experience showed me how many different ways there are to celebrate Shabbat and

I kept Shabbat by not driving, not writing and not purchasing food or clothes. The reason why I was not able to do these things is because they are melacha (work of creation). Exodus 35 says that you can't do any work of creation on Shabbat. By abstaining from these melachot I was able to focus on reflecting on my week and spending time with loved ones rather than doing homework, or stressing out about everything else going on in my life. Over my Shabbat, I broke the shvut law regarding swimming. Talmud beitzah explains how we are not allowed to swim on Shabbat because it will lead us to building a raft which is considered melacha. I broke this law because I felt like swimming did not take away from my Shabbat experience but more contributed to it and brought me more joy. Another way that I broke, or did not keep Shabbat was when my friends and I planned and talked about our plans to go out after Shabbat. When we were doing this, I had Rambam, Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Shabbat 24:1 says that we should focus on honoring Shabbat and the present day instead of talking about our plans or “business” for after Shabbat. I think that this law is helpful in order to keep people in the shabbat mindset and focused on their reflection and rest but I feel like there's a difference between discussing work and just thinking about future plans for

Maimonides talks about how in order to honor (kavod) Shabbat we must prepare for Shabbat in advance. Rambam, Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Shabbat 30:1-4, says that on Shabbat, we should wear clean clothes that aren't necessarily clothes we wear during the week. On Saturday morning, when my friends and I walked to shul I made sure to dress in nice clothes. To me, this didn't feel like something I was obligated to do by Rambam, but more something that enhanced my Shabbat experience. If I were to show up to shul in shorts and a t-shirt, it wouldn't feel like Shabbat services, where I am praying as well as reflecting on myself. Another example of how I honored Shabbat was by eating Shabbat dinner at a nicely set table with good food. This enhanced my Shabbat experience because on a normal night I would be eating dinner alone on the couch. One of my favorite things about Shabbat is how special the family dinners are every week. Oneg, which means joy, is something that I feel really contributed to my Shabbat experience this past week. On friday night I slept over at a friend's house after our Shabbat dinner together. That alone is something very fun and enjoyable but a sleepover isn't directly connected to Shabbat. Rambam, Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Shabbat 30:5-6 explains that we should eat good and special meals on Shabbat. On saturday, I enjoyed playing games with friends and family, walking around the neighborhood and