The Day of Rest: How Shabbos Gives Life Meaning
"In a world engulfed by the relentless march of progress and the cacophony of modern life, there exists a timeless oasis where the soul finds solace and purpose amidst the chaos: Shabbos."
Did you ever wonder whether our journey has a definitive endpoint or if it's an endless cycle of striving?
This introspective question resonates deeply with the essence of Shabbos, a day revered across generations and cultures as a sanctuary from the relentless pursuit of worldly endeavors. Never in history has there been more of a need for a day to disconnect with the outside world and reconnect to one's self, one's family, and one's spirituality. Amongst the 613 mitzvos, Shabbos is the one God called a gift; the most desired of days. I'd like to share a perspective on Shabbos that I heard from Rabbi Akiva Tatz that illuminated my perspective on this holy day.
We'll start with three fundamental questions:
Why do we have Shabbos once per week whereas all the other festivals are celebrated once per year? Is the giving of the Torah (Shavuos) or the Exodus from Egypt (Passover) not worthy of celebrating as often as Shabbos?
An observant Jew is called a “Shomer Shabbos.” Why is Shabbos THE label for one who keeps the Torah?
Why is there a mitzvah to rest - to desist from creative acts? You could drink a cup of wine and sleep in all day and fulfill your mitzvah!
Rabbi Tatz gives the following parable: Imagine you go to the technology expo of the century. You hear everyone talking about this one invention that will change everything. The inventor comes up on stage to a cheering crowd. With a flourish, he unveils his complicated looking innovation. “Ladies and gentlemen, this is the first of its kind - a machine that runs on its own, fuels itself, cleans itself, fixes itself if it breaks, and does all of this without the push of a button!” Everyone goes wild. After the paparazzi, you muster up the courage and ask the inventor “Ok, but what does it do?” He looks at you quizzically: “Didn’t you hear? It runs on its own, fuels itself, cleans itself, etc.” You respond, “Ok, but what does it do?” Once again “It runs on its own…”
What's wrong?
He’s brilliant, for sure, but he’s a fool. If the machine does all that and makes a cup of coffee, it’s a great invention, but on its own, it achieves nothing. It’s totally pointless.
Unfortunately, many people live life this way, caught in the cycle of never-ending work with no real point or purpose.
Judaism asserts that life does have a purpose. Life has an ultimate destination. We call this the "World to Come". The Talmud states, “Shabbos is a taste of the World to Come." In the Ethics of Our Fathers (4:16), our sages describe, “This world is a corridor; the next world is the destination - prepare yourself in the corridor so you may enter the banquet hall.”
When I first started becoming observant, I didn't understand the need for a World to Come. After a summer squall in Atlanta, my Rabbi (Rabbi Karmi Ingber) and I were in his backyard picking up fallen branches. I asked him: “This world is great - there’s so much for us to do here; we can grow, do mitzvos, build relationships, help others. Why do we need a World to Come?” He responded, “What if I told you to go take all the branches we’d picked up and put them back on the lawn - how would you feel? That’s a life without the World to Come.” His message resonated with me: our actions feel meaningful because we believe they are leading to something greater. The destination gives meaning to the entire journey.
And that is exactly the purpose of Shabbos. Shabbos is the taste of the World to Come - the taste of the destination (See Footnote 3 for a profound idea on this topic). In a world engulfed by the relentless march of progress and the cacophony of modern life, there exists a timeless oasis where the soul finds solace and purpose amidst the chaos: Shabbos. On Shabbos, we strive to experience life as complete and perfect. No more acts of creativity, no more work, no more cooking. We’re not even supposed to think about what we’re doing after Shabbos! What is, is. We have arrived. This one concept will answer all our questions:
Why every week? Because we need to be constantly checking back in, reminding ourselves of our purpose and our destiny. For 6 days, we create our reality and on the 7th we live in the reality we created. 6 days of becoming, 1 day of being. That's the microcosm for This World and the World to Come. In This World, we create our reality - who we will be for eternity. In the World to Come, we experience the person we created ourselves to be. In order to course-correct throughout that creative process, God gives us Shabbos to stay aligned with our higher purpose and ideals.
Why is a Jew who keeps Torah and Mitzvos is called “Shomer Shabbos”? Because he has his eyes on the prize - he lives with a purpose. His actions are building towards a more perfect world. Shomer literally means 'Guard' - he is a guard of the future - one who "begins with the end in mind" (to quote from The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People). Therefore, we call him a "Shomer Shabbos" Jew, defining him by what he lives for; his ultimate purpose.
Why is it a mitzvah to rest? Because Shabbos is the experience of arrival - of reaching our destination. The feeling is one of “Ahhhh… I made it. Everything is perfect exactly as it is.” (See Footnote 4 for more depth)
To live a life with Shabbos is to be on a journey infused with the energy of connecting to the ultimate destination. It's the experience of really working for something, then getting to totally enjoy and be present in the celebration of achieving that thing. This concept of 6 days of the week (the journey) and 1 day of Shabbos (the destination) expresses the wonderful uniqueness of Judaism: Western society is all about results. Eastern spirituality is all about the process. A Jew knows to toe the line - the answer is, "Both!"
I'd like to suggest one of my favorite practical exercises for bringing more meaning and joy into your Shabbos: Set aside a few minutes to close your eyes, quiet down and breathe. Recognize that everything is exactly as it is meant to be. Feel that the work of the week is complete, no matter what state it's actually in (that's why we have all the laws of Shabbos that prohibit work!). Feel the sense of “Ahhhh… I made it!” Let that feeling of relaxation and arrival fill your entire consciousness. Smile, open your eyes, look around, and appreciate everything around you as being in a state of perfection. That feeling of Shabbos serenity is a little taste of the World to Come.
With that, I'd like to give us a blessing: may we all experience the holy rest and pleasure of Shabbos week in and week out, and may we soon experience the ultimate rest, pleasure, and destination of the World to Come!
Shabbat Shalom!
Avraham
Footnote 1: At the time, Shabbos made sense to me from a practical standpoint; a day to disconnect, relax, eat good food, and share good conversation with good people. It made sense to me from an emotional standpoint; a day to clear my head and stop focusing on what was wrong (at the time I first started keeping Shabbos I was going through an emotional rollercoaster of a relationship and Shabbos gave me a way to detach and be present in my reality). And, it made sense from a spiritual standpoint; a day to cease from the creative, masculine aspect of life and connect and recharge with the receptive, feminine aspect (I had learned this concept of masculine and feminine energy/divinity in my study of Hinduism and, as it turns out, it plays a major role in Jewish spirituality as well).
Footnote 2: Why is Shabbos a matter of life and death? This week’s parsha states that one who does work on Shabbos will be put to death. Seems a little extreme, no? (Note: the death penalty is only carried out if the act was done with malicious intent to violate Shabbos and with two witnesses warning the perpetrator prior to the act)
Why the death penalty? Life with no destination is not a life - if someone intentionally and maliciously destroys Shabbos, he detaches from the purpose of life itself. For spurning the very purpose of the life he's been given, the proper response is death.
Footnote 3: What’s the significance of calling Shabbos 1/60th of the World to Come (Berachos 57A)? 1/60th is the measurement where a piece of pork that drops into a cholent will be nullified by the majority. However, if the pork stays visible, it does not become nullified - it must be removed. So too Shabbos - if we make Shabbos special in our lives, it remains distinct from the rest of the week, and we can taste the 1/60th of the World to Come, but if we treat it like any other time, that taste will disappear - nullified by the majority.
Footnote 4: The verse states “Six days you shall labor and do all your work.” Rashi is bothered by the word “All” - it’s impossible to do all your work in this world! He answers: “When Shabbos arrives, consider all your work done.” The work may not be done, but on Shabbos, we let go and view it as if it were. I was once walking around Jerusalem when I noticed how, no matter where or when, there always seemed to be construction going on. I asked myself, when is Jerusalem finished? The question is much broader: when you walk around any major city or college campus, there’s one constant - construction. Something, somewhere is being built, remodeled, improved, etc. When do you get to experience the finished product? When does Jerusalem or New York City or Yale University say “We did it! It’s perfect right now. Go enjoy it!” The answer is, not in this world. Perfection and completion aren’t achievable in this world… Except on Shabbos.