What Does ‘Shabbat Shalom’ Mean?

One of the most common Jewish greetings explained.

chalkboard that says "shabbat shalom" with challah
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Shabbat shalom is a common Hebrew greeting used on Shabbat, the Jewish sabbath. It is pronounced shah-BAHT shah-LOME.

The word Shabbat (שַׁבָּת) refers to the seventh day of the week, a day of rest that begins at sundown on Friday and ends at nightfall on Saturday. In imitation of God, who in the biblical account created the world in six days and rested on the seventh, Jews mark every seventh day as a day of rest.

Learn more about Shabbat.

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The word shalom (שָׁלוֹם) is a Hebrew word most commonly translated as “peace,” but its meaning is broader, connoting wholeness and well-being. It is also used as a greeting in Hebrew, meaning both hello and goodbye.

A closer look at the meaning of “shalom.”

According to the rabbis, the experience of Shabbat is supposed to be one-sixtieth of the World to Come — a taste of true wholeness and well-being. When Jews wish one another Shabbat shalom, they are extending the wish that the other person will experience that well-being on the Jewish day of rest.

When to Say Shabbat Shalom

Jews wish one another Shabbat shalom on the day of rest, which begins at sundown on Friday and ends after dark on Saturday. The location does not matter: One can say it at a Shabbat meal, when meeting in synagogue or when running into one another in the street. It is also customary to wish another person Shabbat shalom in the days and hours leading up to Shabbat, acknowledging that the day of rest is on the horizon. In Israel, it is used frequently in secular as well as religious contexts to acknowledge that the weekend is around the corner.

As soon as Shabbat ends on Saturday night, Shabbat shalom is dropped in favor of a different greeting, shavua tov, which means “good week.”

Other Shabbat Greetings

Among some Ashkenazi communities, the greeting “Gut Shabbos” (literally “Good Sabbath”) is common, as is the mixed Yiddish-English version “Good Shabbos.” 

Learn more Shabbat greetings.

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