Search results for: ""Shabat""

Shabbat: Dog-Walking inside Eruv
You may walk a dog or other animal on a leash on Shabbat within an eruv or inside an enclosed property.
Shabbat: Permitted Acquisitions
You may not acquire items (kinyan) on Shabbat unless they are needed for that Shabbat or for doing a mitzva. The classic example of doing something for Shabbat is bringing food or drink to a house for Shabbat lunch, which the house owner acquires on Shabbat for Shabbat. Other permissible kinyan on Shabbat:
  •  Giving a siddur or chumash to use on that Shabbat.
  •  Giving permissible medicine for use on that Shabbat.
Note For limitations on bringing a newspaper into your house on Shabbat, see Shabbat: Mail and Periodicals.
Shabbat Ends at Dark
You may not end Shabbat before dark (appearance of three medium-size stars--tzeit ha'kochavim).
When Is Dark
Shabbat (and Jewish festivals) ends at “dark”: when three medium-sized stars are visible overhead.
Note To find medium-sized stars, look for stars to appear in the west—those will be large stars. When large stars appear in the west, medium-sized stars should be visible overhead.
If you are in a place where the sun sets but the sky will not get dark any time that evening, ask a rabbi what to do.
Shabbat: Two Loaves: What HaMotzi Covers
Shabbat: Two Loaves: Double Portion
The two loaves of bread on Shabbat reminds us of the double portion of mun we received in the desert. Even though one portion would have been eaten by Shabbat morning, we still use two loaves in the morning and two for se'uda shlishit as a reminder of the miracle.
Shabbat: Kiddush: Standing or Sitting
Various customs apply to whether to stand or sit during kiddush (or havdala). Follow your tradition.
Shabbat: Pouring Back Wine
You may pour excess wine from kiddush back into the bottle as long as there is more wine already in the bottle than what you are pouring back and as long as the bottle has been toveled.
If there is less wine in the bottle than in your glass, you must pour at least one drop of wine from the bottle into your wine glass or cup before you pour it back into the bottle.
 
Shabbat: Washing Wine Glass
There is no need to wash a wine glass before using it if it is already clean.  
Shabbat: Uncovered Wine Bottles/Cups
You do not need to close the wine bottle or cover the other wine cups while the first of several people says kiddush, whether on Shabbat or Jewish festivals.
Shabbat: Kos Pagum
Do not use a kos pagum for kiddush. Kos pagum means either:
  • “Physically damaged or broken drinking utensil":   (You may not use such a cup for kiddush l'chatchila), OR
  • Cup of wine, grape juice, or any beverage that has been drunk from. 
This beverage may not be used for a kos shel bracha until at least a small amount more of some beverage has been added to the existing beverage.
Shabbat: Your Own Kiddush Cup
As on Jewish festivals, if you want to drink kiddush wine, you may hold your own cup of wine (or grape juice) during kiddush or receive wine or grape juice from the kiddush leader's cup, but neither is required.
Shabbat: Kiddush: Requirements
To do Shabbat kiddush,
  • Say, or hear, the Shabbat kiddush blessings/segments, and
  • “Establish a meal” (kovei'a se'uda).
For details, see How To Do Shabbat Evening Kiddush  or How To Do Shabbat Daytime Kiddush.
NoteThere is never any requirement on an indvidual to drink kiddush wine (except at the Passover seder), but the kiddush wine must be drunk by one or more persons.
Shabbat: Ideal Time for Ma'ariv
The ideal time for ma'ariv on Friday night is whenever will make everyone (or most people!) happy. It can be any time from plag ha'mincha (1 1/4 halachic hours before sunset), until 72 minutes before sunrise, but should properly be said before midnight.
Shabbat: Candles: Lighting with Wrong Blessing
If you said the blessing for Jewish festival candles instead of for Shabbat candles:
  • Women may not correct themselves, but
  • Men may say the correct blessing and light the candles.
Note If the man has already lit the candles before realizing that he had said the incorrect blessing, he should:
  • Extinguish the candles,
  • Say the correct blessing, and then
  • Light again (assuming he has not yet started Shabbat and that it is not yet sunset).

Shabbat: Candles: How To Do Blessing: Men
Here is the order for blessing over the Shabbat candles by men:
  • Say the blessing, and then
  • Light candles.
Note If a man accepts/starts Shabbat when he lights Shabbat candles, he should cover his eyes and say the blessing AFTER lighting, as women do. Otherwise, he does not need to cover his eyes when saying the blessing.