Shabbat. A cornerstone of Judaism and a delicious commandment: Everywhere, every week, take 25 hours to chill. A magical opportunity to enjoy some blessed rest and re-soul-ification!

Rabbi ‘Yitz’ Greenberg breaks it down: “Rest is more than leisure from work, it is a state of inner discovery, tranquility and unfolding...On this day humans are freed and commanded to explore themselves and their relationships until they attain the fullness of being.”

“Rest is more than leisure from work, it is a state of inner discovery, tranquility and unfolding”

— Rabbi ‘Yitz’ Greenberg

Re: “The fullness of being” — the rabbis of old (and some of their wives) have concrete suggestions for ways we can attain this fullness. One important way? Making sure Jews do one thing on Shabbat... Get. It. On!

So, let’s talk about Shabbat sex!

The Mishnah Torah - a collection of religious Jewish law, compiled by Maimonides in the 12th Century - calls out sex as an integral part of Shabbat practice:

“Sexual relations are considered a dimension of Sabbath pleasure.”

— Mishnah Torah, Shabbat 30:14

See? BOOM!

The aforementioned rabbis were in fact talking about sex within marriage. They were old school like that. For the rabbis, as it still is by us today, marriage is considered a “consecrated” relationship — one that has been made holy (traditionally, by the marriage vows and blessings). But there are many ways to be in a holy relationship with another person that don’t require putting a ring on it... more on that later.

In the meantime, we’re curious about what it looks like, today and now, and for us, to engage in some sexy re-soulification on the Day of Rest. How can we become refreshed, reconnected, and re-enlivened through the myriad joys of sex on Shabbat?

Join us on this four-week exploration of all things sexy for Shabbos. Together we’ll work it out.

Works Cited: The Jewish Way: Living the Holidays by Irving Greenberg.

This article is part I of our Sexy Shabbat Series, celebrating gettin’ busy on the day of rest.

New posts every Friday during the whole Hebrew month of Av!