Shabbat — The Seventh Day
Hebrew: שַׁבָּת | When: Weekly, from Friday sunset to Saturday night
The Soul of Shabbat in Chassidus
Shabbat is not merely a day of rest from work — it is the window through which the entire week receives its spiritual sustenance. The Zohar calls Shabbat “the head of all days” and describes it as the time when the higher worlds are fully revealed.
Neshamah Yeteirah — The Extra Soul
On Shabbat, every Jew receives an additional soul (neshamah yeteirah). In Chabad thought, this is not a separate soul that arrives and departs, but rather the higher levels of one’s existing soul (chayah and yechidah) that become accessible only on Shabbat.
This is why Shabbat enables a level of perception, joy, and spiritual connection normally beyond reach.
Shabbat and Atzilut
The six days of the week correspond to the six lower sefirot of Zeir Anpin (the emotional attributes). Shabbat corresponds to the Binah — the level of pure Divine understanding (Imma). On Shabbat, the higher light (corresponding to Binah) descends to illuminate the week’s activities.
Oneg Shabbat — Delight in Shabbat
The commandment to delight in Shabbat (oneg Shabbat) is uniquely phrased. Chabad: Shabbat delight is not about food or rest per se — it’s about the quality of presence available only when the weekday mind quiets. True Shabbat delight is the taste of the World to Come.
Shnayim Mikra and Chabad Practice
The Shabbat table with zemiros (songs), divrei Torah, and leisurely meals is a primary vehicle for Chassidic teaching and community formation. The Alter Rebbe’s Shulchan Aruch details specific Shabbat practices that create the proper keli (vessel) for Shabbat’s spiritual influx.
Sources
- Tanya, Iggeret HaKodesh, Epistle 20
- Alter Rebbe, Likkutei Torah — Shabbat discourses
- The Rebbe, numerous Shabbat discourses