Shomer Shabbat
Encyclopedia
A shomer Shabbat or shomer Shabbos (plural shomré Shabbat or shomrei Shabbos; ) is a person who observes the mitzvot (commandments) associated with Judaism
's Shabbat
("Sabbath", dusk on Friday until sunset, Saturday.)
In particular, under Jewish law (halakhah), the person who is Shomer Shabbat is expected to conform to the prohibitions against certain forms of melacha - creative acts. The observant Jew does not cook, spend money, write, operate electrical devices, or do other activities prohibited on Shabbat. In addition, a variety of positive Sabbath commandments are expected to be fulfilled, such as Sabbath meals, rituals, prayers, kindness, benignity and rest.
In contemporary Orthodox Judaism
, the shomer Shabbat would typically strive to follow all the rules associated with the Sabbath. Within the liberal movements of Judaism, the phrase may signify a person who takes seriously the observance of the core mitzvot.
The shomer Shabbat is an archetype
mentioned in Jewish songs (e.g., Baruch El Elyon) and the intended audience for various treatises on Jewish law and practice for the Sabbath day (e.g., Shmirat Shabbat ke-Hilkhata). In 2000, the media took note that the candidate for U.S. Vice President, Senator Joseph Lieberman, is a shomer shabbat.
The term shomer Shabbat is derived from the wording of one of the Ten Commandments
in Deuteronomy (5:14-15), which instructs the Hebrews
to "observe" the Sabbath day and sanctify it. One must eat without cooking it on the Sabbath and get to shul
without turning the car on. (In Exodus, the Decalogue
states that they should "remember" the Sabbath.) The term appears in the Hebrew Bible
only in Isaiah
56:2,6. Shomer Shabbat is not used in the Mishnah
or Talmud
, it occurs a handful of times in the midrash
ic literature. Similarly, the term is used infrequently in medieval and early modern rabbinic literature
: for example, once in Maimonides, never in the Shulchan Aruch
and rarely in responsa
prior to the 20th century. The term has been used frequently, though, during the last 100 years. It is also used to name shuls, such as a predecessor to Machzike Hadath
in London, a Gateshead synagogue
(founded in 1897), and one in Boro Park.
Over the years, shomer Shabbat readers have been offered specialized manuals on halakhah, including a popular book by Rabbi Yehoshua Neuwirth
and Sefer Shomer Shabbat by David ben Aryeh Leib
of Lida
(ca. 1650-1696), pictured.
A shomer Shabbat may be contrasted with the person who desecrates the Shabbat (mekhallel shabbat
), a status of serious deviance when done in public.
, even among the Orthodox. Emanuel Feldman
writes that it was a “rarity” in the American Orthodoxy of the 1950’s. Overall, political scientist Charles Liebman
estimated that about 4% of American Jews were shomer shabbos in the 1960s. Among other factors, Saturday had not yet been established as a day off from work, and many American Jews found that insistence on Shabbat observance would cost them their livelihood. During this period, to improve observance, Flatbush
rabbis operated a Shomer Shabbat council and ran a Shomer Shabbat parade.
According to the National Jewish Population Survey (2000–2001), about 50% of affiliated Jews (versus 8% of unaffiliated) light Sabbath candles. The first mitzvah
in shomer Shabbat home each Friday evening, candle-lighting is performed by 85% of Orthodox, 50% of Conservative
and 25% of Reform Jews (Ament 2005:31). In total, Sabbath candle-lighting is practiced by 28% of NJPS survey respondents representative of 4.3 million Jews (United Jewish Communities 2003:7).
With the increasing observance among Orthodox Jews, the status of shomer Shabbat has become more important. For example, one of the key questions asked about Orthodox Jewish day school
s is whether it allows children who are not shomer Shabbat. The shomer shabbat distinction has been found to be a factor in the social integration
of children and families. Sabbath observance is a major priority among Orthodox Jewish families and one scholar contends that shomer Shabbat status is the “functional equivalent” of Orthodox Jewish identity
.
Various organizations have accommodated the religious observance requirements of shomer Shabbat Jews. For example, after extensive appeals on their behalf, the U.S. National High School Mock Trial Championship
made adjustments for observant Jews from the Torah Academy of Bergen County
who were the 2005 state champions representing New Jersey
. Similarly, hospitals may allow a shomer Shabbat program for residents in medical training, in which the shomer Shabbat resident works a similar amount of hours as other residents, but not on Shabbat or major Jewish holidays. Many municipalities have cooperated with observant Jews in creating a symbolic boundary for a neighborhood (eruv
), in which a shomer Shabbat is permitted to carry or move items that would otherwise be prohibited, such as a baby stroller
. In sports, observant Jews may be accommodated along with Seventh Day Adventists. Alternatively, groups like Tzivos Hashem
has set up its own shomer Shabbat baseball Little League
.
, Jewish dietary laws, depends strongly nowadays on people who are shomer Shabbat. The mashgiach
or supervisor of kashrut must be shomer Shabbat. In addition, it may be helpful if the owner is also shomer Shabbat, although this status does not necessarily mean they may be trusted with the oversight of their own establishment (Ament 2007). Conversely, a person who is not shomer Shabbat is not trusted for kashrut supervision, according to the Orthodox Union
, based on a responsum of Rabbi Moshe Feinstein
(Ament 2007). However, such rules do not impinge on employees or customers who may not be shomer shabbat.
As a consumer
, the shomer Shabbat helps create a market demand for a range of specialty products. These products include electric timers, the blech
(to keep food warm), clocks (such as "KosherClock: The Shomer Shabbat Alarm Clock with 5 Alarms"), and a Dutch oven
or slow cooking pots for cholent
. To avoid turning electricity on or off, the shomer Shabbat may utilize a Sabbath lamp
that remains lit, yet may be covered to darken a room during Shabbat.
, Walter Sobchak, played by John Goodman
, the main character's best friend claims to be Shomer Shabbos and refuses to bowl on Shabbos.
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
's Shabbat
Shabbat
Shabbat is the seventh day of the Jewish week and a day of rest in Judaism. Shabbat is observed from a few minutes before sunset on Friday evening until a few minutes after when one would expect to be able to see three stars in the sky on Saturday night. The exact times, therefore, differ from...
("Sabbath", dusk on Friday until sunset, Saturday.)
In particular, under Jewish law (halakhah), the person who is Shomer Shabbat is expected to conform to the prohibitions against certain forms of melacha - creative acts. The observant Jew does not cook, spend money, write, operate electrical devices, or do other activities prohibited on Shabbat. In addition, a variety of positive Sabbath commandments are expected to be fulfilled, such as Sabbath meals, rituals, prayers, kindness, benignity and rest.
In contemporary Orthodox Judaism
Orthodox Judaism
Orthodox Judaism , is the approach to Judaism which adheres to the traditional interpretation and application of the laws and ethics of the Torah as legislated in the Talmudic texts by the Sanhedrin and subsequently developed and applied by the later authorities known as the Gaonim, Rishonim, and...
, the shomer Shabbat would typically strive to follow all the rules associated with the Sabbath. Within the liberal movements of Judaism, the phrase may signify a person who takes seriously the observance of the core mitzvot.
The shomer Shabbat is an archetype
Archetype
An archetype is a universally understood symbol or term or pattern of behavior, a prototype upon which others are copied, patterned, or emulated...
mentioned in Jewish songs (e.g., Baruch El Elyon) and the intended audience for various treatises on Jewish law and practice for the Sabbath day (e.g., Shmirat Shabbat ke-Hilkhata). In 2000, the media took note that the candidate for U.S. Vice President, Senator Joseph Lieberman, is a shomer shabbat.
Origin and Usage
Ten Commandments
The Ten Commandments, also known as the Decalogue , are a set of biblical principles relating to ethics and worship, which play a fundamental role in Judaism and most forms of Christianity. They include instructions to worship only God and to keep the Sabbath, and prohibitions against idolatry,...
in Deuteronomy (5:14-15), which instructs the Hebrews
Hebrews
Hebrews is an ethnonym used in the Hebrew Bible...
to "observe" the Sabbath day and sanctify it. One must eat without cooking it on the Sabbath and get to shul
Synagogue
A synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...
without turning the car on. (In Exodus, the Decalogue
Ten Commandments
The Ten Commandments, also known as the Decalogue , are a set of biblical principles relating to ethics and worship, which play a fundamental role in Judaism and most forms of Christianity. They include instructions to worship only God and to keep the Sabbath, and prohibitions against idolatry,...
states that they should "remember" the Sabbath.) The term appears in the Hebrew Bible
Hebrew Bible
The Hebrew Bible is a term used by biblical scholars outside of Judaism to refer to the Tanakh , a canonical collection of Jewish texts, and the common textual antecedent of the several canonical editions of the Christian Old Testament...
only in Isaiah
Isaiah
Isaiah ; Greek: ', Ēsaïās ; "Yahu is salvation") was a prophet in the 8th-century BC Kingdom of Judah.Jews and Christians consider the Book of Isaiah a part of their Biblical canon; he is the first listed of the neviim akharonim, the later prophets. Many of the New Testament teachings of Jesus...
56:2,6. Shomer Shabbat is not used in the Mishnah
Mishnah
The Mishnah or Mishna is the first major written redaction of the Jewish oral traditions called the "Oral Torah". It is also the first major work of Rabbinic Judaism. It was redacted c...
or Talmud
Talmud
The Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history....
, it occurs a handful of times in the midrash
Midrash
The Hebrew term Midrash is a homiletic method of biblical exegesis. The term also refers to the whole compilation of homiletic teachings on the Bible....
ic literature. Similarly, the term is used infrequently in medieval and early modern rabbinic literature
Rabbinic literature
Rabbinic literature, in its broadest sense, can mean the entire spectrum of rabbinic writings throughout Jewish history. However, the term often refers specifically to literature from the Talmudic era, as opposed to medieval and modern rabbinic writing, and thus corresponds with the Hebrew term...
: for example, once in Maimonides, never in the Shulchan Aruch
Shulchan Aruch
The Shulchan Aruch also known as the Code of Jewish Law, is the most authoritative legal code of Judaism. It was authored in Safed, Israel, by Yosef Karo in 1563 and published in Venice two years later...
and rarely in responsa
Responsa
Responsa comprise a body of written decisions and rulings given by legal scholars in response to questions addressed to them.-In the Roman Empire:Roman law recognised responsa prudentium, i.e...
prior to the 20th century. The term has been used frequently, though, during the last 100 years. It is also used to name shuls, such as a predecessor to Machzike Hadath
Machzike Hadath
The Machzike Hadath community synagogue is a Lithuanian, Ashkenazi synagogue founded in 1891.The synagogue, also known as the Spitalfields Great Synagogue, was founded in 1891 in the East End of London, England. In 1893, it merged with the Machzike Shomrei Shabbat Synagogue of Booth Street...
in London, a Gateshead synagogue
Eliezer Adler
Eliezer Adler, born in 1866, was the founder of the Jewish Community in Gateshead, England. In honor of his historical importance, his seat in the Gateshead synagogue remains vacant....
(founded in 1897), and one in Boro Park.
Over the years, shomer Shabbat readers have been offered specialized manuals on halakhah, including a popular book by Rabbi Yehoshua Neuwirth
Yehoshua Neuwirth
Yehoshua Yeshaya Neuwirth is an eminent Orthodox Jewish rabbi and posek in Jerusalem, Israel. He is one of the primary and most renowned students of Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach and the author of a two-volume Hebrew language treatise, Shemirat Shabbat Kehilchatah — translated into English...
and Sefer Shomer Shabbat by David ben Aryeh Leib
David ben Aryeh Leib
Rabbi David ben Aryeh Leib of Lida wrote works of rabbinic literature, including Sefer Shomer Shabbat and books on the 613 Mitzvot, bris milah, the Shulchan Aruch, the Book of Ruth, and Jewish ethics ....
of Lida
Lida
Lida is a city in western Belarus in Hrodna Voblast, situated 160 km west of Minsk. It is the fourteenth largest city in Belarus.- Etymology :...
(ca. 1650-1696), pictured.
A shomer Shabbat may be contrasted with the person who desecrates the Shabbat (mekhallel shabbat
Heresy in Orthodox Judaism
Heresy in Orthodox Judaism is principally defined as departure from the traditional Jewish principles of faith. Mainstream Orthodox Judaism holds that rejection of the simple meaning of Maimonides' 13 principles of Jewish faith involves heresy, although the status of creed in Medieval Jewish...
), a status of serious deviance when done in public.
Social dimensions
In the past, it was relatively uncommon to be shomer Shabbat in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, even among the Orthodox. Emanuel Feldman
Emanuel Feldman
Emanuel Feldman is an Orthodox Jewish rabbi and rabbi emeritus of Congregation Beth Jacob of Atlanta, Georgia. During his nearly 40 years as a congregational rabbi, he nurtured the growth of the Orthodox community in Atlanta from a community small enough to support two small synagogues to a...
writes that it was a “rarity” in the American Orthodoxy of the 1950’s. Overall, political scientist Charles Liebman
Charles Liebman
Charles S. Liebman was a political scientist and prolific author on Jewish life and Israel. A professor at Bar-Ilan University, he previously served on university faculties in the United States....
estimated that about 4% of American Jews were shomer shabbos in the 1960s. Among other factors, Saturday had not yet been established as a day off from work, and many American Jews found that insistence on Shabbat observance would cost them their livelihood. During this period, to improve observance, Flatbush
Flatbush, Brooklyn
Flatbush is a community of the Borough of Brooklyn, a part of New York City, consisting of several neighborhoods.The name Flatbush is an Anglicization of the Dutch language Vlacke bos ....
rabbis operated a Shomer Shabbat council and ran a Shomer Shabbat parade.
According to the National Jewish Population Survey (2000–2001), about 50% of affiliated Jews (versus 8% of unaffiliated) light Sabbath candles. The first mitzvah
Mitzvah
The primary meaning of the Hebrew word refers to precepts and commandments as commanded by God...
in shomer Shabbat home each Friday evening, candle-lighting is performed by 85% of Orthodox, 50% of Conservative
Conservative Judaism
Conservative Judaism is a modern stream of Judaism that arose out of intellectual currents in Germany in the mid-19th century and took institutional form in the United States in the early 1900s.Conservative Judaism has its roots in the school of thought known as Positive-Historical Judaism,...
and 25% of Reform Jews (Ament 2005:31). In total, Sabbath candle-lighting is practiced by 28% of NJPS survey respondents representative of 4.3 million Jews (United Jewish Communities 2003:7).
With the increasing observance among Orthodox Jews, the status of shomer Shabbat has become more important. For example, one of the key questions asked about Orthodox Jewish day school
Jewish day school
A Jewish day school is a modern Jewish educational institution that is designed to provide Jewish children with both a Jewish and a secular education in one school on a full time basis, hence its name of "day school" meaning a school that the students attend for an entire day and not on a part time...
s is whether it allows children who are not shomer Shabbat. The shomer shabbat distinction has been found to be a factor in the social integration
Social integration
Social integration, in sociology and other social sciences, is the movement of minority groups such as ethnic minorities, refugees and underprivileged sections of a society into the mainstream of societies...
of children and families. Sabbath observance is a major priority among Orthodox Jewish families and one scholar contends that shomer Shabbat status is the “functional equivalent” of Orthodox Jewish identity
Jewish identity
Jewish identity is the objective or subjective state of perceiving oneself as a Jew and as relating to being Jewish. Under the broader definition, the Jewish identity does not depend on whether or not a person is regarded as a Jew by others, or by an external set of religious, or legal, or...
.
Various organizations have accommodated the religious observance requirements of shomer Shabbat Jews. For example, after extensive appeals on their behalf, the U.S. National High School Mock Trial Championship
National High School Mock Trial Championship
The National High School Mock Trial Championship is an American nationwide competition of high school mock trial teams. The competition debuted in 1984 in Des Moines, Iowa, with teams representing Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska and Wisconsin....
made adjustments for observant Jews from the Torah Academy of Bergen County
Torah Academy of Bergen County
Torah Academy of Bergen County is a four-year yeshiva high school located in Teaneck, in Bergen County, New Jersey. It utilizes a split-schedule day offering both Jewish studies and college preparatory courses...
who were the 2005 state champions representing New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
. Similarly, hospitals may allow a shomer Shabbat program for residents in medical training, in which the shomer Shabbat resident works a similar amount of hours as other residents, but not on Shabbat or major Jewish holidays. Many municipalities have cooperated with observant Jews in creating a symbolic boundary for a neighborhood (eruv
Eruv
An Eruv is a ritual enclosure around most Orthodox Jewish and Conservative Jewish homes or communities. In such communities, an Eruv is seen to enable the carrying of objects out of doors on the Jewish Sabbath that would otherwise be forbidden by Torah law...
), in which a shomer Shabbat is permitted to carry or move items that would otherwise be prohibited, such as a baby stroller
Baby transport
Baby transport consists of devices for transporting and carrying infants. A "child carrier" or "baby carrier" is a device used to carry an infant or small child on the body of an adult...
. In sports, observant Jews may be accommodated along with Seventh Day Adventists. Alternatively, groups like Tzivos Hashem
Tzivos Hashem
Tzivos Hashem, is a Brooklyn, New York based organization that was founded in 1980 by the Lubavitcher Rebbe as a youth group to serve both the physical and spiritual needs of Jewish children.-Participants:...
has set up its own shomer Shabbat baseball Little League
Little League
Little League Baseball and Softball is a non-profit organization in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania, United States which organizes local youth baseball and softball leagues throughout the U.S...
.
Business implications
Sabbath observance is also important for Jewish businesses. For example, a paper factory in Kiryat Gat was publicized in 2000 as a shomer Shabbat factory. More critically, the observance of kashrutKashrut
Kashrut is the set of Jewish dietary laws. Food in accord with halakha is termed kosher in English, from the Ashkenazi pronunciation of the Hebrew term kashér , meaning "fit" Kashrut (also kashruth or kashrus) is the set of Jewish dietary laws. Food in accord with halakha (Jewish law) is termed...
, Jewish dietary laws, depends strongly nowadays on people who are shomer Shabbat. The mashgiach
Mashgiach
In Judaism, a Mashgiach is a person who supervises the kashrut status of a kosher establishment.A mashgiah may supervise any type of food service establishment, including slaughterhouses, food manufacturers, hotels, caterers, nursing homes, restaurants, butchers, groceries, or cooperatives...
or supervisor of kashrut must be shomer Shabbat. In addition, it may be helpful if the owner is also shomer Shabbat, although this status does not necessarily mean they may be trusted with the oversight of their own establishment (Ament 2007). Conversely, a person who is not shomer Shabbat is not trusted for kashrut supervision, according to the Orthodox Union
Orthodox Union
The Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America , more popularly known as the Orthodox Union , is one of the oldest Orthodox Jewish organizations in the United States. It is best known for its kosher food preparation supervision service...
, based on a responsum of Rabbi Moshe Feinstein
Moshe Feinstein
Moshe Feinstein was a Lithuanian Orthodox rabbi, scholar and posek , who was world-renowned for his expertise in Halakha and was regarded by many as the de facto supreme halakhic authority for Orthodox Jewry of North America during his lifetime...
(Ament 2007). However, such rules do not impinge on employees or customers who may not be shomer shabbat.
As a consumer
Consumer
Consumer is a broad label for any individuals or households that use goods generated within the economy. The concept of a consumer occurs in different contexts, so that the usage and significance of the term may vary.-Economics and marketing:...
, the shomer Shabbat helps create a market demand for a range of specialty products. These products include electric timers, the blech
Blech
A blech is a metal sheet used by many observant Jews to cover stovetop burners on Shabbat , as part of the precautions taken to avoid violating the halachic prohibition against cooking on the Sabbath.- Common use : A blech (from the German by way of Yiddish word for tin or sheet metal) is a metal...
(to keep food warm), clocks (such as "KosherClock: The Shomer Shabbat Alarm Clock with 5 Alarms"), and a Dutch oven
Dutch oven
A Dutch oven is a thick-walled cooking pot with a tight-fitting lid. Dutch ovens have been used as cooking vessels for hundreds of years....
or slow cooking pots for cholent
Cholent
Cholent or Hamin is a traditional Jewish stew. It is usually simmered overnight for 12 hours or more, and eaten for lunch on Shabbat . Cholent was developed over the centuries to conform with Jewish religious laws that prohibit cooking on the Sabbath...
. To avoid turning electricity on or off, the shomer Shabbat may utilize a Sabbath lamp
Shabbat lamp
A Shabbat lamp is a special lamp that has movable parts to expose or block out its light so it can be turned "on" or "off" while its power physically remains on...
that remains lit, yet may be covered to darken a room during Shabbat.
Cultural references
In the movie The Big LebowskiThe Big Lebowski
The Big Lebowski is a 1998 comedy film written and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen. Jeff Bridges stars as Jeff Lebowski, an unemployed Los Angeles slacker and avid bowler, who is referred to as "The Dude". After a case of mistaken identity, The Dude is introduced to a millionaire also named...
, Walter Sobchak, played by John Goodman
John Goodman
John Stephen Goodman is an American film, television, and stage actor. He is best known for his role as Dan Conner on the television series Roseanne for which he won a Best Actor Golden Globe Award in 1993, and for appearances in the films of the Coen brothers, with prominent roles in Raising...
, the main character's best friend claims to be Shomer Shabbos and refuses to bowl on Shabbos.
See also
- Driving during Shabbat
- Traditional Sphardi Shabbat Music