Many Ways to Sanctify Shabbat

It was Ahad HaAm, the intellectual and founder of Cultural Zionism, who famously formulated the idea that “More than the Jewish People have kept Shabbat, Shabbat has kept the Jews.” Indeed, Shabbat practices, beyond their halachic dimensions (related to Jewish law), hold immense symbolic significance.

This week's parashah, Yitro, is where we first read about the encounter with the Divine in which we received the Decalogue, the Ten Statements. The fourth of these concerns Shabbat [1], linking it to the Divine rest after the creation of the universe in six days. In the second instance in which the Decalogue is formulated in the Torah [2], the observance of Shabbat is connected to redemption and the liberation from the slavery in which the Hebrews lived in Mitzrayim. In common, both formulations instruct us to sanctify this day and prohibit any form of labour on it, without defining what would qualify as labour.

Often, when we talk about Shabbat practices, we focus on specific prohibitions, whether they originate from the Bible or rabbinic tradition: people debate whether they may drive, write, or carry objects in the street on Shabbat. More broadly, however, how can we understand the concept of sanctifying a day?

Generally, the idea of sanctification is associated with making something distinct, special. If that is the case, how can we make Shabbat special? What practices can we develop to ensure that this day truly has flavours, scents, and pleasures that belong uniquely to it?

For some, the smell of challah coming out of the oven on Friday afternoon already begins to awaken the senses to a day set apart. For others, attending synagogue for Kabbalat Shabbat has become an important ritual for marking the shift in the quality of time; some find that the Shabbat morning service helps establish a calmer, unhurried pace. The Saturday morning breakfast holds central importance for certain families; board games after lunch or the practice of strolling through the neighbourhood, visiting friends for a relaxed coffee, help to shape a different rhythm.

Whatever it may be, it is worth finding YOUR own way to make Shabbat a day with a distinct texture from the rest of the week—a day that celebrates the infinite dignity of every human being, worthy of freedom and created in the image of the Divine, who formed the world and then rested.

May this be a Shabbat of peace, connection, and new discoveries!

Shabbat Shalom!

[1] Exodus 20:8-11
[2] Deuteronomy 5:12-15