Shabbat

==Status as a Jewish holy day==
[[File:Покривка за хала (леб) - כיסוי החלות - Challah cover.JPG|thumb|A challah cover with [[Biblical Hebrew|Hebrew inscription]]]]

The Tanakh and [[siddur]] describe Shabbat as having three purposes:{{cn|date=June 2021}}
# To commemorate [[Names of God in Judaism|God's]] creation of the universe, on the seventh day of which God rested from (or ceased) his work;
# To commemorate the Israelites' Exodus and redemption from slavery in [[ancient Egypt]];
#As a "taste" of [[Olam Haba]] (the [[Messianic Age]]).

Judaism accords Shabbat the status of a joyous holy day. In many ways, [[Halakah|Jewish law]] gives Shabbat the status of being the most important holy day in the [[Hebrew calendar]]:<ref>One measure is the number of people called up to Torah readings at the Shachrit/morning service. Three is the smallest number, e.g. Mondays and Thursdays. Five on the Holy days of Passover, Shavuoth, Succoth. Yom Kippur: Six. Shabbat: Seven.</ref>
* It is the first holy day mentioned in the Bible, and God was the first to observe it with the cessation of creation (Genesis 2:1–3).
* [[Jewish services|Jewish liturgy]] treats Shabbat as a "bride" and "queen" (see [[Shekhinah]]); some sources described it as a "king".<ref>The [[Talmud]] (Shabbat 119a) describes rabbis going out to greet the Shabbat Queen, and the [[Lekhah Dodi]] poem describes Shabbat as a "bride" and "queen". However, [[Maimonides]] ([[Mishneh Torah]] Hilchot Shabbat 30:2) speaks of greeting the "Shabbat King", and two independent commentaries on Mishneh Torah (Maggid Mishneh and R' Zechariah haRofeh) quote the Talmud as speaking of the "Shabbat King". The words "King" and "Queen" in Aramaic differ by just one letter, and it seems that these understandings result from different traditions regarding spelling the Talmudic word. See [https://www.maharitz.co.il/?CategoryID=174&ArticleID=672 full discussion].</ref>
* The [[Sefer Torah]] is read during the [[Torah reading]] which is part of the Shabbat morning services, with a longer reading than during the week. The Torah is read over a yearly cycle of 54 ''[[parashioth]]'', one for each Shabbat (sometimes they are doubled). On Shabbat, the reading is divided into seven sections, more than on any other holy day, including [[Yom Kippur]]. Then, the [[Haftarah]] reading from the Hebrew prophets is read.
* A tradition states that the [[Jewish Messiah]] will come if every Jew properly observes two consecutive Shabbatoth.<ref>[[Shabbat (Talmud)|Shabbat]] 118</ref>
* The punishment in ancient times for desecrating Shabbat ([[stoning]]) is the most severe punishment in Jewish law.<ref>See e.g. Numbers 15:32–36.</ref> In addition, the divine punishment for desecrating Shabbat, ''kareth (''spiritual excommunication), is the most severe of divine punishments in Judaism.<ref>[https://he.m.wikisource.org/wiki/%D7%A8%D7%9E%D7%91%22%D7%9D_%D7%A2%D7%9C_%D7%90%D7%91%D7%95%D7%AA_%D7%91#%D7%9E%D7%A9%D7%A0%D7%94_%D7%90 Rambam's commentary on the Mishna, tractate of Avot, Chapter 2 a]. (he)</ref>
* On Shabbat an offering of two lambs was brought in the temple in Jerusalem.<ref>Numbers 28:9.</ref>