Our lives are built around the seven days of the week. In Judaism, six of these days are known only by their relationship to Shabbat: “The first day toward Shabbat”, “the second day toward Shabbat”, etc. This is a daily reminder of the centrality of Shabbat and the power it has as the focal point in our lives. We celebrate this day with its rituals and traditions, which uplift it to become a day like no other.
Come join us as we learn some ideas about how to keep Shabbat together.
Ditch the car keys, give Uber a rest, skip the subway and take a stroll to nowhere in particular. We take the opportunity to explore our world and everything in it, without using any transport. On Shabbat, we are in harmony with G-d and His creation. We stop creating in order to appreciate the world around us for what it is. We wave to our neighbors and enjoy a rest from the daily frenzied rush. It’s refreshing how different things look when we’re ambling at a leisurely pace.
At its core, Shabbat is a day of rest – G-d ceased creating on the seventh day, and so do we. Our week days are spent mastering our worlds – building and shaping what we have been given. On Shabbat, we stop all work and take the time to just be. We sip our coffee, read a book, have long uninterrupted conversations, and we play. To play is to be free and on Shabbat we are truly free. With no external demands weighing on us, it’s amazing where the day takes us.
It’s time for a digital detox. We turn off the things that usually distract us: we shove our cellphones and devices in a drawer, and our TVs and music go off. This leaves us open to connect with the here and now, and the things that matter most to us. We attune ourselves to the beauty of the world around us – the stuff we tend to take for granted during the week. On Shabbat, the spiritual level of the world is magnified, and we unplug and immerse ourselves in it.
What would a Jewish experience be without food? The three meals of Shabbat are an integral part of the full Shabbat experience, and the Shabbat table is central to the day. It’s where we connect with family and friends, as well as with G-d, as we give thanks to Him for providing us with the food and the special time spent together. We can savor the magic of the day by preparing our much-loved traditional dishes and laying a beautiful Shabbat table. We are fully present and grateful for this time.
Shabbat or sometimes written Shabbat has united the Jewish people for thousands of years. Its rhythm unites Jewish life across the world and through the ages. No matter where we live, when we celebrate Shabbat – we all light candles, recite Kiddush, read the parsha for the week and we meet around the table with our families to honor and celebrate Shabbat … together.
In six days, G-d created the world. On the seventh day, He rested. And just like Him, we too dedicate a day to stop trying to control the world around us and just be there. It is Shabbat, without which the world cannot be.
Shabbat is a non-communicating day of rest that begins Friday at sunset and ends 25 hours later on Saturday evening, with the appearance of three stars.
In today’s society, where so many distractions seem to be pulling us apart, Shabbat provides a “glue” for holding us together. The lack of technology the day prescribes, coupled with a structure of family meals, gatherings and prayers, establishes the perfect environment for disconnecting from life’s many harried distractions and reconnecting with ourselves, our family and the people who are most important to us.
Shabbat is an ancient idea that is also a radical one. We appreciate its relevance in the world now, more than ever before. Shabbat comes as a solution to the strains of the world – it is an ancient solution to a modern problem.
“Remember it and keep it were said in one word
זָכוֹר וְשָׁמוֹר בְּדִבּוּר אֶחָד נֶאֶמְרוּ”
G-d spoke ‘remember’ and ‘keep’ in a single declaration to teach us that the ideas are inseparable. Knowing the spiritual message of Shabbat is inseparable from keeping its laws. “Shabbat is a unique formula that comes across as restrictive, but really, the restrictions create the space.”
