Article courtesy of: http://www.buzztorah.com/
Have you ever been curious about why we give extra charity before Shabbat, the reason for eating gefilte fish, or just how cholent became so popular? Well, wonder no longer, for here are the answers to your burning questions.
1. Kindle Candles with Kindness
Shabbat is a special day that many reserve for spending time with family,and taking the time to appreciate the good in their lives. Of course, whenever celebrate our good fortune, it is always proper to remember those in need. Therefore, before lighting the Shabbat candles, many people have a custom to give a little extra money, even a few pennies, to charity.
2. United We… Braid
Much of Shabbat is focused on the idea of unity and togetherness. That is one of the reasons why challah, perhaps the most important Shabbat food, comes in the form of a braid, which represents the physical of three separate entities.
3. Fishy Facts
There are several reasons for eating fish on Shabbat. One explanation is in the Torah’s description of the 6 Days of Creation, the word blessing is used three times: at the creation of fish, at the creation of man, and when mentioning Shabbat. From this, we have the tradition that when man eats fish on Shabbat, he draws down a triple blessing.
4. Cholent Time!
Everyone knows it just wouldn’t be Shabbat without cholent, but not everyone knows why. The tradition of eating cholent dates way back in the Temple times, when there was a sect of Jews called the Sadducees who rejected the oral interpretation of the Torah. One of their deliberate misinterpretations of Jewish Law involved them taking the prohibition against cooking on Shabbat to extend to having any fire burning at all, even one set before Shabbat, causing them to spend Shabbat in the dark, eating cold food. Seeing this, the rest of the Jews decided to declare their allegiance to the oral interpretation of Torah by making it a point to eat something hot on Shabbat day… and so, cholent was born.
5. Shalom, Shabbat
Just as we light candles at the beginning of Shabbat to welcome in the special day, it is customary to light candles at the conclusion of Shabbat, during the Havdallah ceremony. When making the blessing over the candle, it is customary to look at one’s fingernails by the light of the candle. One reason for this is that nails are a sign of blessing, for unlike the rest of the body, they are constantly growing, and we would like to begin our week by looking at a good omen.
Article courtesy of: http://www.buzztorah.com/
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