Shabbat or the Sabbath, also called Shabbos by Ashkenazim, is Judaism's day of rest on the seventh day of the week—i.e., Saturday.

What does the word Sabbath literally mean?

We trace the origins of both sabbatical and Sabbath to the Greek word sabbaton. Sabbaton itself traces to the Hebrew word shabbāth, meaning “rest.” The Old Testament refers to God's “day of rest” most famously in Genesis, but Sabbath referring to an entire year of rest is mentioned in Leviticus (25:3-5):

What does the Sabbath mean to us today?

It's essentially about being restfully present. God sets up shabbat and nuakh right around the same time. In the Bible's account of creation, God works for six days creating the world and rests on the seventh day (Genesis 2:2-3. close.