A sabbatical year is a period during which people take a break from their normal routine of work.
Sometimes, there is a sign hung outside the door of a professor saying that he or she is on sabbatical leave. A sabbatical year is a period during which people take a break from their normal routine of work.
In the Old Testament times, God asked the Israelites to give the agricultural land a year of rest after six years of sowing. After the seventh year, i.e. the sabbatical year, farmers can plough the field again. Today, many churches send their preachers to rest after six consecutive years of ministry. When on sabbatical, they either take a rest or embark on studies or research before going to work again. Inacademia, sabbatical leave can mean a break between terms during which professors stop teaching in order to focus on academic research.
Sabbatical comes from the word “Sabbath”, meaning rest in Hebrew. In the order of creation, God created the world in six days, and the last day is reserved for rest where no work should be done. Jews termed this day as Sabbath Day and have been observing this tradition to the present. In Israel, Sabbath Day takes place from the sunset of Friday to the sunset of Saturday where all public traffic are stopped, except taxis run by Arabs, who are under no religious obligations to observe this tradition. Hence tourists are often reminded not to arrive Israel on Sabbath Day to avoid the hours of waiting for a taxi.
Professor Smith is on sabbatical this semester.
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Chinese Bible (???)
A lot of phrases, such as "two-edged sword" and " an eye for an eye", are taken from the English Bible. Learning the stories behind these idioms is fun, and can help boost your vocabulary. Click here to find out now!