Shabbat Sounds.
The sounds of Shabbat are as evocative as the rituals and foods. The strike of a match to light the candles, the splash of wine or juice into a glass, the sounds of appreciation when the challah is revealed, plus the blessings, songs, and soundtracks that carry the night.
The Spotify Playlists
The Blessings
Candle Lighting (Hadlakat Nerot)
In Jewish tradition, lighting candles at sundown on Friday is the last act of the workweek, the literal spark that carries us into the weekend. While you will find no verse in the Torah instructing you to light two candles at dusk, the rabbinic sages over the centuries linked the practice to the concept of shamor Shabbat and zachor Shabbat, the commandments to keep and remember Shabbat.
Wine Blessing (Kiddush)
Pretty much all Jewish ceremonies and celebrations involve wine, and Shabbat dinner is no exception. But ritual doesn’t exist for the sake of itself, it exists to accomplish something, almost like an ancient form of technology.
Hand Washing Blessing (Netilat Yadayim)
The practice of hand washing dates all the way back to the time of the first and second Temple period when the Israelites made special offerings on Shabbat. In order to make these offerings, they needed to cleanse their hands with fresh water then raise up their hands and recite a blessing.
Blessing Over Bread (Motzi)
In the ancient near east, if there wasn’t bread on the table it wasn’t a meal, and as a result the Jewish sages viewed bread as the primary source of nourishment, both literally and spiritually.
Meditations & Tutorials
Shabbat Guided Meditations
Finding presence, quieting the thoughts in our minds, and transitioning seamlessly into Shabbat — these things are hard. But what can help us shift from constantly doing to simply being are Shabbat rituals infused with mindfulness-based meditations.
Tune Into Shabbat
It’s Friday and you’ve just finished your last task before heading into the weekend. While we may not be able to use physical space to move from the week into Shabbat right now, we can always use music. Check out Miami Field Manager Tori’s Tutorial to learn how to play songs that transition us into Shabbat.