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Special Shabbatot areJewishShabbat (Hebrew, שבתshabbath) days on which special events are commemorated.[1] Variations in theliturgy and special customs differentiate them from the other Shabbats (Hebrew, שבתותShabbatot) and each one is referred to by a special name. Many communities also addpiyyutim on many of these special Shabbatot. Two such Shabbats,Shabbat Mevarchim—the Shabbat preceding a new Hebrew month—andShabbatRosh Chodesh (which coincides with the new month/moon) can occur on several occasions throughout the year. The other special Shabbats occur on specific sabbaths before or coinciding with certainJewish holidays during the year according to a fixed pattern.
Shabbat Shuvah orShabbat Shubah orShabbat Teshuvah ("Sabbath [of] Return" שבת שובה or "Sabbath [of] Repentance" שבת תשובה) is the Shabbat that occurs during theTen Days of Repentance, but is between (i.e. not including) the two consecutive Days ofRosh Hashanah, and the Day ofYom Kippur. The name Shabbat Shuvah comes from the first word of theHaftarah that is read on that day; the main haftarah consists ofHosea 14:2–10 and this is all that is read in Yemenite communities; other communities addJoel 2:11–27 and/orMicah 7:18–20, and literally means "Return!" It is alternately known as Shabbat Shuvah owing to its being one of the Aseret Yemei Teshuvah (Ten Days of Repentance).
Shabbat Shirah (Hebrew:שבת שירה,lit. 'Shabbat of Song') is the name given to the Shabbat that includesparashatBeshalach. TheTorah reading of the week contains theSong of the Sea (Book of Exodus 15:1–18). This was the song by theIsraelites aftercrossing the Red Sea. There is no specialTorah reading. The haftarah includes theSong of Deborah. There is an Ashkenazi custom to feed wild birds on this Shabbat, in recognition of their help to Moses in the Desert. Some communities recite the piyyut "Yom le-yabbashah".
These are four special Sabbaths, each of which derives its name from the additionalTorah portion that is read that day. Two of the Sabbaths occur in the weeks leading up toPurim and two in the weeks then leading up toPassover.
Shabbat Shekalim ("Sabbath [of]shekels" שבת שקלים) requests each male adult Jew to contribute half of a Biblicalshekel for the upkeep of theTabernacle, ormishkan (משכן). The Torah portion Exodus 30:11-16 (the beginning of ParashahKi Tisa) is read. This Shabbat takes place on the Shabbat before or on 1Adar. Inleap years of the Hebrew calendar, when there are two months of Adar, Shabbat Shekalim is on the Shabbat before or on 1 Adar II.
Shabbat Zachor ("Sabbath [of] remembrance שבת זכור) is the Shabbat immediately precedingPurim.Deuteronomy 25:17-19 (at the end of ParashaKi Teitzei), describing the attack on the weakest byAmalek, is recounted. There is a tradition from theTalmud (understood to be implied in the Megillah itself) thatHaman, the antagonist of the Purim story, was descended from Amalek. The portion that is read includes a commandment to remember the attack by Amalek, and therefore at this public reading both men and women make a special effort to hear the reading.
Shabbat Parah ("Sabbath [of the]red heifer" שבת פרה) takes place on the Shabbat preceding Shabbat HaChodesh, in preparation forPassover.Numbers 19:1-22 (the beginning of ParashaChukat) describes theparah adumah ("red heifer") in the Jewish Temple as part of the manner in which thekohanim and the Jews purified themselves so that they would be ready ("pure") to sacrifice thePassover sacrifice.
Shabbat HaChodesh ("Sabbath [of the] month" שבת החודש) takes place on the Shabbat preceding the first of the Hebrew month ofNisan (or on the 1st of Nisan itself if it falls on Shabbat), during whichPassover is celebrated. A special maftir,Exodus 12:1-20 (from ParashahBo) is read, in which the laws of Passover are defined. On the first day of Nisan, God presented the first commandment of how to "sanctify the new moon" (kiddush hachodesh) for the onset ofRosh Chodesh and thus Nisan becomes the first month of the Jewish year (counting by months).
Shabbat HaGadol ("Great Shabbat" שבת הגדול) is the Shabbat immediately before Passover. The first Shabbat HaGadol took place in Egypt on 10 Nisan five days before the Israelite Exodus. On that day, the Israelites were given their first commandment which applied only to that Shabbat, "On the tenth day of this month (Nisan)... each man should take a lamb for the household, a lamb for each home (Exodus 12:3).[2] There is a special Haftarah reading on this Shabbat of the book ofMalachi. Traditionally a lengthy and expansive sermon is given to the general community in the afternoon.
Various reasons are given for the name of this Shabbat:
Shabbat Chazon ("Sabbath [of] vision" שבת חזון, alsoShabbat Hazon[3]) is named for the "Vision of Isaiah over Judah and Jerusalem" (Book of Isaiah 1:1-27) that is read as the Haftarah on this Shabbat at the end ofthe three weeks between dire straits, which precede the mournful fast ofTisha B'Av. It is also calledblack sabbath due toIsaiah's prophecy of rebuke predicting the destruction ofthe first temple in thesiege of Jerusalem and its status as the saddest shabbat of the year (as opposed to the white sabbath, Shabbat Shuvah, immediately preceding Yom Kippur).[4]
Shabbat Nachamu ("Sabbath [of] comfort/ing) takes its name from the haftarah fromIsaiah in theBook of Isaiah 40:1-26 that speaks of "comforting" the Jewish people for their suffering. It is the first of seven haftarot of consolation leading up to the holiday ofRosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year.It occurs on the Shabbat following Tisha B'Av. Shabbat Nachamu is traditionally celebrated with singing, dancing, eating, and musical performances that extend into the early hours of the following morning. Many customs ordain that the celebration should last until the earliest time forShacharit(morning prayer services). It is also customary to lead into Shabbat Nachamu on Erev Shabbat/Friday with lively musical performance and dance, as well as to resume musical performances after Shacharit on Sunday until Mincha/evening prayer services.
In addition, there are Shabbat Nachamu is connected to Tu B'av according to some sources.[5]
Any Shabbat that precedes and begins the week during which there will be a day or days of a newHebrew month (Rosh Chodesh) is known asShabbat Mevarchim (mevarchim means "they [the congregation] bless" [the forthcoming new month].")
This prayer is recited after theTorah reading before theTorah scroll is carried back to theTorah ark, where it is stored in thesynagogue.
Ashkenazi Jews refer to a Shabbos (Shabbat) like this as havingRosh Chodesh bentschen orbentschen Rosh Chodesh. (InYiddish,bentschen means "(the act of) blessing". derived from Latinbenedictio[6].) It is a custom that women make an extra effort to attend synagogue to hear and recite this prayer.
There areHasidic communities, such as theChabad community, who wake early in the morning on Shabbat to recite the entireTehillim inshul, and who hold a gathering of extra rejoicing (known as afarbrengen), in honor ofShabbat Mevarchim.[7]
If the day following Shabbat is Rosh Chodesh, a special haftarah ("Machar Chodesh" - I Samuel 20:18-42) is generally read; if Shabbat itself falls on Rosh Chodesh, both a specialmaftir and haftarah (Isaiah 66) are generally read, along withHallel and a specialMussaf. These haftarot may be overridden by another special Shabbat, such as Shabbat Shekalim or Shabbat HaChodesh. Even so, in some communities the haftarah is concluded with the first and last lines of the haftarah of Machar Chodesh or Rosh Chodesh.
Each Shabbat duringChol HaMoed, the "intermediate days" ofPassover andSukkot, is known asShabbat Chol HaMoed ("[the] Shabbat [of the] intermediate days" שבת חול המועד) which occurs up to twice a year during the week-long festivals. It can occur once during Passover and once during Sukkot ("Tabernacles") or in both.
The regular weeklyTorah portion is not read on these Sabbaths and instead there are special Torah readings based on the uniqueness of each holiday and theThree Pilgrim Festivals. There are also special maftirs ("additional Torah readings") andHaftarot (readings from the prophets.) SeeHaftarot for special Sabbaths, Festivals, and Fast Days.
The Shabbat during Chol HaMoed on Passover is known asShabbat Chol Hamoed Pesach and in addition to the designated Torah reading, maftir, and haftarah readings for that day, theSong of Songs (Shir HaShirim) is read aloud in synagogue in its entirety with specialcantillation prior to theTorah reading during services.
The Shabbat during Chol HaMoed on Sukkot is known asShabbat Chol Hamoed Sukkot and in addition to the designated Torah reading, maftir, and haftarah readings for that day,Ecclesiastes (Kohelet) is read aloud in synagogue in its entirety with specialcantillation prior to theTorah reading during services.
The wordShovavim is a Hebrew acronym for the Torah portions:
The wordShovavim also means "mischief-makers".
One of each of the first sixparashot of theBook of Exodus are read in the synagogue onShabbat, typically during the Hebrew months ofTevet andShevat (around January to February in the civil calendar).Kabbalah teaches that it is auspicious to repent of sins. Some people have the custom of fasting (ta'anit) and giving extratzedakah during this time, and of recitingSelichot and other Kabbalistic prayers andtikkunim.
When it is a leap-year, two more weeks are added: