We use the word to refer to a leave of absence, some change from a normal work routine. The word comes from the biblical word Sabbath. According to Leviticus 25, every seventh year was to be a “sabbath year” or “sabbatical year,” a year in which land was to lie fallow instead of being farmed. During the sabbatical year, whatever grew on the land was for the poor to glean. The Sabbath was so important in Israel’s life that the sabbatical year was a reminder that not just the people but the land was to “take time off ” from the usual routine.
