Sabbath

In Candide, the Sabbath is a precise marker in the night when Don Issachar comes to Candide and Cunegonde, and its transition into Sunday sets the timing of the Grand Inquisitor’s arrival. The brief calendar references organize a chain of visits and make the change of day consequential to the scene.

The Sabbath Visit

After supper, Candide and Cunegonde sit together again on a sofa. The narrative identifies the day as the Jewish Sabbath, when Don Issachar arrives to enjoy his rights and explain his tender love. The Sabbath therefore marks not an abstract discussion of religious observance but the occasion for his return to Cunegonde’s room.

The Transition to Sunday

An hour after midnight, the narrative marks the beginning of Sunday. This day, it says, belongs to the Grand Inquisitor, who enters and finds Candide with a sword, a dead man on the floor, Cunegonde aghast, and the Old Woman giving counsel. The shift from Sabbath to Sunday thus divides the two arrivals: Don Issachar’s visit is followed by the Inquisitor’s, whose entrance changes the immediate danger in the room.