By Miriam Gibely,
Every week the tablecloth goes on the tableClean, new and decorative like the bride’s wedding gown.It signals Shabbot, a day of rest, reflection, and separation from the world.It marks the day as special,To be celebrated in style.It honors the QueenLike the long train of her royal attire.It beckons us to use our finest dishesAnd wear our best clothes.From sunset to sunsetThe tablecloth declares the dayIs holy and freeFrom worldly woes.
The sabbath or Shabbot is often compared to a bride or a queen in Rabbinic traditional writing.
As Jews living in rural Maine my husband and I find observance of the day of rest, shabbot, is the centerpiece of each week. Driving an hour each way to synagogue does not seem in harmony with the spirit of shabbot so we celebrate at home. Friday night at dusk we light two candles, say our Hebrew blessings with as much kavanah, true intention, as we can, then wash our hands for the shabbot meal. We make a Kiddush, sanctification of the shabbot, over a cup of kosher grape juice, bless the twin loaves of bread that recall the double portion of manna which fell on the 6th day so the people of Israel did not need to gather manna on shabbot in the wilderness between Egypt and the land of Canaan. We enjoy a special tasty meal at the shabbot table which symbolizes the mizbeach or alter, on which offerings were made to the Creator. Now our prayers are our offerings. We sing a grace after the meal in Hebrew. All these blessings are repeated on Saturday and we read a Torah portion every week so that each year we complete the five books of Moses. There is plenty of discussion and review of rabbinical commentary to spark our minds. The spreading of the table cloth on the table is part of what makes it clear that Shabbot is different than the other 6 days of the week.
Miriam Gibely is a recently retired nurse from Sweden, Maine. She is an observer of the day of rest in an effort to bring peace to the world.
Table photograph by Miriam Gibely.
