Professional Documents
Culture Documents
The Sabbath
A Day of
Gratefulness
In grateful
memory
Abraham
Joshua
Heschel
A REBBE
for all time
A Personal Preface:
Prologue:
14
16
22
30
Part 2 : Be Blessed
32
38
41
48
52
Shabbes in Becket
55
60
60
66
84
86
How to begin?
89
Epilogue:
90
Personal gratitude
66
Introduction
Why another book on the Sabbath? The subject of the Sabbath has
received the fullest attention from countless scholars, philosophers
and rabbis as well as thinkers of all religious persuasions. Beginning
with its first references in the Bible the Sabbath has expanded into a
complex institution as a result of extensive commentary in the
literature of the Rabbis -the Talmud, Midrash, legal codes,
philosophical treatises and mystical documents. Over the centuries,
the Sabbath has emerged as a pivotal institution in the life of the
Jewish people and indeed in the experience of all humanity.
Like the Torah whose meanings are indeterminate, the Sabbath, as a
vital piece of Torahs mosaic of wisdom, likewise holds out multilayered
strata of possible interpretation and meaning.
For many, the Sabbath is seen either as a day guided by strict and
unyielding religious behavior often impeding the embrace of the
Sabbaths inner light, or is experienced as a day of leisure devoted
exclusively to recreational, familial and ethnic experiences, leaving
little room for the exploration of the days spiritual richness.
My intention in presenting this book is to extract from the radiant crown
of the Sabbath one gem that needs, I believe, further polishing to
release its brilliance and beauty. The Sabbath invites us all to lend our
hearts and minds to the task of renewed discovery within its limitless
layers of holiness and blessing.
For me, a jewel on the tiara of the Sabbath is that of gratefulness.
Sabbath is many things -a day of rest, a holy day, a day of leisure,
a day of prayer and study, a day of family bonding, a day of
delight. What infuses the many facets of the Sabbath is the
underlying opportunity it offers to rediscover life as a gift,
experience gratitude for being alive, and articulate this
gratefulness in many traditionally Jewish ways that are expressive
and heartfelt
As the Sabbath summons us to cultivate a heart of gratitude it
likewise holds out the invitation to respond with generosity and
compassion each day of the entire week.Not only does a day of
physical rest rejuvenate the body, but the Sabbath replenishes
and restores the soul with its vital essence so that the weekdays
may be approached with the sanctified aura of each Sabbath day.
5
A Personal Preface:
In my early twenties I read Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschels The Sabbath
more than once as part of my seminary education. Sadly for me, its poetry and
emotional depth collided with a closed heart. Thankfully, as I grew to understand
the place of the heart in ones spiritual life, I have re-read this masterpiece many
times as one would read inspirational poetry or a sacred text, and today, with
each reading, I rejoice like one who has found great treasure. In his brief
treatise on the Sabbath, Heschel succeeded in releasing the brilliance of
Sabbaths crown of glory to the great blessing of us all.
I write this essay on the Sabbath as a humble midrash, a commentary, on a sacred
text, Heschels The Sabbath, and as a belated response of a grateful heart to a poet
who has enlightened not only the hearts of Jews but the soul of all humanity as well.
As a confused adolescent seeking a sense of specialness, a feeling of stabitlity and
uniqueness in an emotionally turbulent world, I cloaked myself in the mantle of strict
Orthodoxy, which included a rigid form of Sabbath observance.This immutable
structure gave me a framework which would help, so I thought, in creating some
coherence to the many disparate fragments of my emerging identity and sense of
self.
The Sabbath became a day of legalistic obsessiveness accompanied by the dread of
the most minute of technical violations. It was my immature way of showing God and
others my extraordinary piety .While others of my family and friends enjoyed the
secular pleasures of a day free from work and school -matinee movies, Friday night
television,Saturday morning sports - I attendied Sabbath services, read and passed
the time in psychological isolation. Self- restriction and sacrifice further served the
function of atoning for a range of unacceptable adolescent feelings touching on erotic
stirrings and inclinations of violent rivalry with siblings and friends.Thus my Sabbath
experiences were joyless, devoid of inner peacefulness and delight. I was locked into
a web of regulation and restriction rather than freely embraced by the warmth of
Sabbaths sacred stirrings.
This relationship to the Sabbath continued for many years. My decision to enter the
Rabbinate only exacerbated the difficulty of my relationship to the Sabbath; Shabbes
became a day of demands for excellence in the pulpit and the excessive need for
public approval. The day which proclaims freedom from the need for success,
6
Prologue:
heaven
and
earth
were
c
o
m
p
l
e
t
e
10
God
r
e
s
t
e
d
In the popular mind, Sabbath means rest. Resting means more than
relaxing the body or not being engaged in any strenuous physical
activity. In fact the Hebrew word for rest is incorporated in the term
Shabbat. And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy
because on it He rested-shavat-- from all the work of creation
He had done.8
Only from the perspective of gratefulness for what is on this day of
non-doing can we understand the rationale of Jewish laws
insistence that down to the tiniest and most elementary of activities,
one needs to be attentive to the possibility of crossing the line
between impacting our world in a direct way and allowing the world
to be, without the slightest interference. Nevertheless, exclusive
preoccupation with prohibitions, without an internal mindfulness of
this systems rationale in cultivating gratefulness on this day, is to
betray the soulfulness of the day for the arid and lifeless mechanics
of disembodied behavior. Such a view makes Shabbat a burden, not
a blessing.
Why Shabbat? From a religious point of view a satisfying answer
could be to emulate God by resting; as He rested so do we have the
obligation to rest. Another response could be understood in terms of
obeying all of Gods laws pertaining to this day and as such we
make this day one of dedication to divine authority and to the will of
God.
For the traditionalist, the above can be fully satisfactory. My
understanding doesnt preclude the nature of this kind of relationship
to the Sabbath. I prefer however, to expand the context of Sabbath
celebration to embrace those who may not share the formal
conventional connection that is rooted in a more conventional belief
in God. I believe that all human beings have the capacity and
spiritual need to consecrate one day a week during which to pay full
attentiveness, in mind, body and heart, to the giftedness of life and
the world, and then begin to convert time from a context of petition
to one of praise, from a setting of dissatisfaction to one of utter
gratefulness.
I pray the following pages will help serve that purpose.
11
12
13
Sabbath
And as we look
clear and deep
into every nook
a treasure keep
our heart fills up
hardly catching a breath
overflowing our cup
even ready for death
I finally see
Sabbaths great mystery
Not the hands heavy labor
But the hearts love to savor.
sabbath
peace
pax
salam
la paix
la paz
sabbath
15
Blessing - beracha
How do we bless?
And God blessed-- the seventh
day and blessed it (Genesis 2:3)
Why do we praise?
16
It has been said that the Sabbath is an incubator for wisdom. Like
an incubator that provides the warmth and moisture necessary for a
babys physical growth, so too can Shabbat be seen as a setting in
time that offers us a way of being, thinking and feeling for one day, a
way of listening that nurtures our hearts, bodies and souls. Six days a
week we are tempted and trapped by the seductions of the market
place. The world of commerce conquers our souls with the message
that the more we have, the happier and more blessed we become. If
we only buy what the purveyors of merchandise have to sell, our
troubles will dissolve, our lives will be sweet and happiness will be
achieved. The unmistakable American message is: We are blessed
only if we are wealthy. This message propels our efforts, sacrifices,
energies and commitments throughout the six days of the work week.
The headlines of a recent New York Times article pierces the
heavens with the cry of ingratitude in todays contemporary world.
The Millionaires Who Dont Feel Rich, it announced. The front page
item proceeded to describe a community of working-class millionaires
in Silicon Valley, California, accomplished and ambitious members of
the digital elite (who) still do not think of themselves as particularly
fortunate, in part because they are surrounded by people with more
wealth-often a lot more you look around, Mr. Barbagallo said, and
the pressures to spend are everywhere. Children want the latest
fashions their peers are wearing and the most popular high-ticket
17
I Have a
precious
gift
among
My
treasures-
the
Sabbath
It
was
G
o
o
d
toys. Spouses talk, and now that resort in Mexico the family
enjoyed so much last winter is not good enough when looking
ahead to next year
To Mr. Milletti, it all looks like a marathon with no finish line.
Here the top one percent chases the top one-tenth of one
percent, and the top one-tenth of one percent chases the top
one-one-hundreth of one percent, he said.11
The Sabbath teaches us a
totally different lesson. On
the Sabbath, free of the
distractions and busyness of
everyday life, we are able
to listen to another voice,
our own godly voice, the still,
small voice that utters a different
message from that of the weekday.
We are wealthy because we are blessed and we take time
to bless. We listen-, to the reality of blessing-,
and we take time to bless, to articulate praise and
thanks, . The awareness of the richness in
our lives, however diversified
and heterogeneous, is a
fundamental source of feeling
blessed, given to, honored,
singled out for care and love, worthwhile and dignified. The
Sabbath allows us to take the time to
18
19
Wendell Berry
Sabbath is essential for the connection to our humanity and for the
natural preservation of our planet. While recognizing the human need
and ability to control and improve upon nature in order to civilize life,
many scientists, and theologians alike, bemoan the increasing
blindness of humanity to the vulnerability of Nature and to its
pauperization.We ignore our natural origins and instead set our sights
on the syntheticizing of life and the world through techno-scientific
revolution.
If ever there was an institution or pattern of living that insisted on the
sacred stewardship of our world, it is the Sabbath. One day a week,
without exception, our compulsion to control and conquer nature is
constrained. In place of the triumph of technology, the Sabbath is
transformed into a time of grateful trust. Great are the laws that
govern the processes of nature. Yet without holiness there would be
neither greatness nor nature.14
O.E.Wilson, the distinguished sociobiologist and Pulitzer Prize winner,
passionately reminds us of our need for greater humility, in spite of his
utter dependence on science. Homo Sapiens is a species confined to
an extremely small niche. True, our minds soar out to the edges of the
universe, and contract inward to the subatomic particlesin this
respect our intellects are godlike. But lets face it; our bodies stay
trapped inside a proportionately microscopic bubble of physical
constraintsThis protective shield is the biosphere, the totality of all
life, creator of all air,cleanser of all water, manager of all soil, but itself
20
21
22
23
R
e
m
e
m
b
e
r
the
Sabbath
Day
24
25
Listen
Take
Notice
Be
Mindful
Holy
Holy
Holy
His Glory fills the universe
27
Shabbat is the time to take notice of the treasures of the world and
rediscover thankfulness in our hearts. Shabbat is story-telling time.
Nature is a narrative without words, full of drama, excitement and joy.
On Shabbes, we enjoy the privilege of hearing this tale of times
movement through space and at the same moment catch a glimpse
of time standing still. The universe in all its silent glory utters a
moment of eternity on this day of gratefulness. Like children
enchanted by the unfolding of some fairy-tale, each of us is invited on
Shabbat to listen to the magical mystery of lifes mesmerizing miracle.
28
the
heavens
tell the
story
The sun..
like a lover
from his
canopy
29
30
31
Part 2 : Be Blessed
Fulfill-shamor--Refrain:
A second prominent reference to the Sabbath day is the second
version of the Ten Commandments in the book of Deuteronomy.
Observe, fulfill, (keep) the Sabbath day to make it holy...the seventh
day is holy to the Lord your God, do not do any work on it. (Deut.
5:12) Inseparable from the experience of the Sabbath is the
necessity to refrain from work. Knowing the adverse reaction many
have to living under a veil of restriction, especially when the purpose
of the Sabbath institution is freedom, how do we reconcile this
apparent contradiction? The following citation provides us with an
illuminating insight.
The Sabbath is a patch of ground secured by a tiny fence; when we
withdraw from the endless choices afforded us and listen, uncover
what is ultimately important, remember what is quietly sacred,
Sabbath restrictions on work and activity actually create a space of
great freedom; without these self-imposed restrictions, we may
never truly be free.21
While the risk remains of being overwhelmed and suffocated by the
mountains of Sabbath prohibitions, nonetheless these restrictions
create a reality in which one can release oneself from the tyranny of
doing, of making, of creating, of acting in order to feel one's sense of
self-worth and value. Shabbat celebrates one's being, our capacity
to witness the wonder of the world and draw forth a deep sigh of
satisfaction and gratefulness.To work, to re-fashion and re-shape our
world is an expression of dissatisfaction, an impulse to improve upon
the creation as we have it. Prohibited activity suggests any action
that interferes with the prospect of acquiring a deeper sense of
gratitude for our lives.
Kabbalistic thinking understands the word for remember--from
its translation as zacharmasculine.To engage in remembrance
and sanctification requires a creative
act.The second equally important
32
...
Praised are
You,Lord our
God...
And
He
Blessed
Serve the
divine
with
grateful
joy
33
forbidden-
whether
34
35
36
A
Sabbath
Snooze
is
a
delight
37
wine
makes
the
heart
glad
Taste
38
We wish you peace, angels of
peace, Angels of the most
sublime-the Holy
One Blessed be He.
May
God
bless
and
protect
you
40
A
A
H!
41
Make us
grateful
for Your
Goodness
42
hon
or
it
43
44
word, shamor) the Sabbath and call it a delight-Oneg- ;the people who sanctify
the seventh day will be satisfied and delighted (yitangu--from the
word-oneg-delight) because of Your goodness (bounty or gifts).
The prayer brings to our conscious awareness the spiritual imperative of experiencing
physical pleasure and delight on the Sabbath as a means of fulfilling Gods wishes.
Blessing is embedded in the day, readily available, inviting us to open our hearts and
receive it. At the core of this expectation is the realization that the Sabbaths greatness
and joy pulsate and come alive when the Sabbath observer is able to deeply recognize
the source of lifes delights with an inner perception of gratefulness. To deprive the
individual of lifes basic pleasures on the Sabbath would be entirely inimical to
Sabbaths purpose.
The centrality of oneg-- of delight on the Sabbath originates in an early Biblical
passage- Thou shall call the Sabbath a
delight.(Isaiah 58:13) The Rabbis expand on
the notion of delight to encompass the
totality and essentiality of the elemental
components of raw physical existence. With
what is one to show his delight on the
Sabbath? R. Judah son of R. Samuel bar
Shilat said in the name of Rav: With a dish
of beets, large fish and heads of garlic. R. Hiyya bar Ahi said in the name of Rav: So
long as it is prepared in the honor of the Sabbath, even a
hum
b
le dish is a delight. What humble dish, for example? R. Papa said: Fish-hash pie. 28
Thus, whether the dish eaten on the Sabbath is regarded as
something of a
delicacy or a food that is common and readily available, what transforms the prosaic,
primitive item is the spiritual perception of the Sabbath as a day of gratefulness, which
converts it into a moment of holiness. A more dramatic illustration of the unique power
of the Sabbath experience is in the following:
A Caesar asked R. Joshua b. Hananiah: Why do Sabbath dishes have such a fragrant
aroma? He answered: We have a certain seasoning called Sabbath which we put in
the dish, and that gives it its fragrant aromaFor him who keeps the Sabbath it avails;
45
47
48
49
Yah
My
Strength
My
Song
make
the day
Holy
make
love
run. In the best of circumstances, they linger at the table for protracted
conversation. Only on the Sabbath, however, is the meal experience
complemented and enhanced by the melodious strains of songs
praising the Sabbath and the Sabbaths Source.
The tunes, lyrics and sounds all converge to heighten our awareness
of how great a gift is all that we enjoy-our food, family, friends and the
fact of our existence.
The Talmud prescribes the Sabbath as
a time for making love. How often are
scholars to perform their marital duties? Rab Judah in the name of
Samuel replied: Every Friday night.32 Moreover, Jewish law defines
lovemaking as one of the delights taanugei Shabbat-- of the Sabbath.34
It was Judaisms recognition of the sanctity of sensuality, especially on
the Sabbath, that made intimate contact between husband and wife a
strongly desirable Sabbath activity. The pleasure of the human body,
the physical experience of touch and contact, are regarded as a
profound means by which to acknowledge the joy and giftedness of life
and the companionship of ones spouse. If the Sabbath is designed in
such a way as to elevate our sense of gratefulness for all things of life,
it is natural that the Sabbath would emerge as the most conducive and
desirable time during which to engage in intimate activity as well.
Further more, the leisure associated with the Sabbath allows for the
fullest expression of love and gratefulness to ones partner for the gift of
human sexuality.
There is no reason or valid justification to hurry with the satisfaction of
ones physical needs. The commentaries on the Code of Jewish Law
recommend strongly that all effort be made by the husband to express
himself romantically and lovingly so that the sexual act be incorporated
as part of a larger relationship of love.35 Shabbats freedom from daily
demands and burdens permits the couple to more fully open their
hearts to one another and engage in a more meaningful exchange of
caring and love. Shabbat is the time to be grateful for human love.
51
52
sweeter
than
honey
Your
Torah
is
my
Play thing
53
Let the
humble
be glad
54
Shabbes in Becket
I, the text,
She, the commentator,
I, God-the final word,
She, Rashi running with the word
Cradled in her heart
Side by side on rocking chairs
Suns rays washing our faces
With warm rivulets of honeyed
Light,
Eyes closed,
Knitted blankets blocking winters chill,
We cuddle up to the caress of Torah
What is the reading today, she asks?
and we embark on a Shabbes journey
into our souls, taking with us a
satchel of sacred words, of ancient stories
with echoes of eternity.
55
57
58
59
-
Part 3: Thank-Praise :Todah vTehilah
The Sabbath teaches all beings whom to praise.
Abraham Joshua Heschel
Angels have six wings, one for each day of the week, with which
they chant their song; on the seventh day, the angels plead with
God: Master of the Universe! Please give us another wing with
which to praise You on the Sabbath? God replied: I have one wingthis world -that sings for Me today. It is written: From the wing of
the earth we have heard songs, Glory for the righteous! (Isaiah
24:16) Indeed, on Shabbat God wants to hear only the songs of His
children.37
We examine the liturgy on Shabbat to
gain an understanding of how prayer
on Shabbat is an integral component of the gratefulness experience
on this day. Prayer on Shabbat is never petition; it is exclusively
praise-, an expression of thank you -, of gratitude.
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61
62
63
64
You sanctified the Sabbath day for the sake of Your Name.
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68
69
70
71
72
73
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75
77
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79
80
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82
83
-offering or gift. To rest spiritually is a gift not only to God but also to us. When
the heart is filled with the serenity that seeps through our beings when we are fully
grateful for our lives, we discover the
d
ivinity of Sabbath time and realize that our tranquility is tied to the Source of all things.
86
87
88
How to begin?
The Sabbath has been observed and celebrated for millennia.
Customs, rituals and practices abound. Yet, each generation adds
its insights, experiences and unique creativity to the enrichment of
this day. Allow me to suggest just one way by which to infuse your
Shabbat with the attitude of gratitude.
At the Shabbat table, or anywhere else on the Sabbath day, review
in your mind the previous week, one experience, one event, one
happening, one attainment, one idea or insight, one person, for
which or for whom you are particularly grateful at this Shabbat
moment. Share this with others or have them share it with you. In
this way, we dwell at least for a moment, on one gift for which we
may be thankful, a feeling of gratefulness that has the power to
heal, to cleanse and to purify our hearts to serve You in
faithfulness.
89
Epilogue:
We have been taught:All blessings from above and from below depend on the seventh
day...all the six days of the week derive their blessings from the Sabbath.. 53
Perhaps the incomparable words of our rebbe, Abraham Joshua Heschel, explains this
text best:
On the Sabbath it is given us to share in the holiness that is the heart of time. Even
when the soul is seared, even when no prayer can come out of our tightened throats, the
clean, silent rest of the Sabbath leads us to a realm of endless peace, or to the
beginning of an awareness of what eternity means....Eternity utters a day. 54
Sabbath.
90
91
92
Endnotes (continued)
45. HESCHEL, The Sabbath, p.83
46. Sabbath-Restoring the Sacred Rhythm of Rest, Bantam Books, 1999
47. Siddur Otzar Hatfilah, commentary of Iyun Tefilah, vol.1,1915, NY, p.384.referring to
the rest of love and generosity the author points out that this rest is not designed to renew
our physical strength which is needed after physical work and effort, but rest for its own sake
i.e. rest or tranquility that is saturated with the love of God and the kindness of a pure heart.
(My trans.)
48. MULLER, Sabbath, p.135
49. Ecclesiastes Rabbah, chpt.4,5.
50. RUMI, Jellalludin, The Essential Rumi, trans. Coleman Barks.HarperCollins Press, 1997
51. The Sabbath, p.53
52. Jer. Tal. Shabbat 15a
53. HESCHEL,The Sabbath, p.14.
54. Zohar, parshat Yitro, p.88a
55. HESCHEL,The Sabbath,p.101
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