תָּנֵי רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יוֹחָאי, אָמְרָה שַׁבָּת לִפְנֵי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם לְכֻלָּן יֵשׁ בֶּן זוּג, וְלִי אֵין בֶּן זוּג. אָמַר לָהּ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל הִיא בֶּן זוּגֵךְ.
Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai taught: Shabbat said to God: "Everyone else has a mate (Monday has Tuesday, etc.), but I have nothing!" God answered saying: "The community of Israel will be your mate."
- How is Shabbat the mate of the Jews? Which obligations does a "mate" have? How can we apply those to the Shabbat?
(א) וַיְכֻלּ֛וּ הַשָּׁמַ֥יִם וְהָאָ֖רֶץ וְכָל־צְבָאָֽם׃ (ב) וַיְכַ֤ל אֱלֹקִים֙ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִ֔י מְלַאכְתּ֖וֹ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָשָׂ֑ה וַיִּשְׁבֹּת֙ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִ֔י מִכָּל־מְלַאכְתּ֖וֹ אֲשֶׁ֥ר עָשָֽׂה׃ (ג) וַיְבָ֤רֶךְ אֱלֹקִים֙ אֶת־י֣וֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִ֔י וַיְקַדֵּ֖שׁ אֹת֑וֹ כִּ֣י ב֤וֹ שָׁבַת֙ מִכָּל־מְלַאכְתּ֔וֹ אֲשֶׁר־בָּרָ֥א אֱלֹקִ֖ים לַעֲשֽׂוֹת׃
(1) The heaven and the earth were finished, and all their array. (2) On the 7th day God finished the work that He had been doing, and He ceased on the 7th day from all the work that He had done. (3) And God blessed the 7th day and declared it holy, because on it God ceased from all the work of creation that He had done.
- Why would God need to rest? Why/can/should we imitate God?
- Can you imagine a society where EVERYONE ceases to work one day per week? What would it lose? What would it gain?
Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, "The Sabbath"
The solution of mankind's most vexing problem will not be found in renouncing technical civilization, but in attaining some degree of independence of it. In regard to external gifts, to outward possessions, there is only one proper attitude--to have them and to be able to do without them.
- Do you feel dependent on technical civilization? Do you think Shabbat can/should help us gain some independance of it?
Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, "The Sabbath"
The meaning of the Sabbath is to celebrate time rather than space. Six days a week we live under the tyranny of things of space; on the Sabbath we try to become attuned to holiness in time. The seventh day is like a palace in time with a kingdom for all.
- How does one build a palace in time?
- Have you ever had an experience when you felt in a palace in time?
- Why would biblical society punish people who publicly desecrated shabbat?
(כ) הִתְעוֹררִי, הִתְעוֹררִי, כִּי בָא אוֹרֵךְ קוּמִי אוֹרִי, עוּרִי עוּרִי שִׁיר דַּבֵּרִי, כְּבוֹד ה' עָלַיִךְ נִגְלָה:
Wake up, wake up, Your light has come, rise and shine.
Awaken, awaken; sing a melody, The glory of God to be revealed upon thee.
(from Lekha Dodi)
- How/is Shabbat a wake up call for you/us?
(16) The children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to make the sabbath for their generations, a perpetual covenant. (17) It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel for ever; for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day He ceased and rested (souled).’
- Why could keeping shabbat fulfill an everlasting covenant between the Jewish people and God?
דאמר ר' שמעון בן לקיש נשמה יתירה נותן הקב"ה באדם ערב שבת. ולמוצאי שבת נוטלין אותה הימנו שנאמר (שמות לא, יז) שבת וינפש כיון ששבת ווי אבדה נפש:
Talmud Bavli, Beitzah 16a
Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said: The Holy One, blessed be He, gives the Jew an extra soul ("Neshamah Yetayrah") on Shabbat eve. After Shabbat ends, it is taken away from the person, as it says, "He ceased working and rested - Shavat Va'Yinafash" (Exodus 31:17), since it ceased, the soul is lost.
- How could that "extra soul" manifest? Do you feel different on shabbat?
(א)ארבעה דברים נאמרו בשבת שנים מן התורה ושנים מדברי סופרים והן מפורשין על ידי הנביאים. שבתורה זכור ושמור. ושנתפרשו על ידי הנביאים כבוד ועונג שנאמר וקראת לשבת עונג ולקדוש ה' מכובד.
There are four aspects of the observance of Shabbat: Two originating in the Torah and two from our Sages via the prophets: In the Torah, they are: "Remember the Sabbath Day" and "Observe the Sabbath Day." In the prophets they are honor and pleasure, as it is written in the book of Isaiah (58:13): "And you shall call the Sabbath a delight, sanctified unto God and honored."
- What are the differences in the aspects of remembering, observing and seeing the Shabbat as "honor and pleasure"? Why do we need all of them?
(ה) מסדר אדם שולחנו בערב שבת ואף על פי שאינו צריך אלא לכזית...וצריך לתקן ביתו מבעוד יום מפני כבוד השבת. ויהיה נר דלוק ושולחן ערוך לאכול ומטה מוצעת שכל אלו לכבוד שבת הן.
(5) A person should prepare his table on Friday, even if he is to eat the amount of food equal to an olive...One should prepare one's house while it is still day as an expression of respect for the Sabbath. There should be a lamp burning, a table prepared with food to eat, and a bed already made. All of these are ways to honor the Sabbath.
- There are many ways to honor the Shabbat, how do you prepare your space for important moments?
Rabbi Nachman
Be very careful to feel only joy on Shabbat. There is nothing to compare with the greatness and holiness of Shabbat. The key to honoring the Shabbat is joy. Don't show even a hint of depression or anxiety on Shabbat.
- After a stressful week at work it is sometimes hard to feel "only joy". How do you relax?
Ahad Ha'Am (1856-1927)
More than the Jewish People have kept Shabbat, Shabbat has kept the Jewish People.
- What does that mean to you? Does the Shabbat keep us together?
כִּי הוּא יום תְּחִלָּה לְמִקְרָאֵי קדֶשׁ זֵכֶר לִיצִיאַת מִצְרָיִם.
[Shabbat] is the most primary of the holy festivals, a reminder of being brought out of Egypt.
- How do you see the Shabbat linked to the Exodus from Egypt? Why do we need it as a "reminder"?
חמשה אחד מששים אלו הן אש דבש ושבת ושינה וחלום אש אחד מששים לגיהנם דבש אחד מששים למן שבת אחד מששים לעולם הבא שינה אחד מששים למיתה חלום אחד מששים לנבואה
There are 5 matters in our world which are one-sixtieth of their most extreme manifestations. They are: Fire, honey, Shabbat, sleep, and a dream. The Gemara elaborates: Our fire is 1/60 of the fire of Gehenna; honey is 1/60 of manna; Shabbat is 1/60 of the World-to-Come; sleep is 1/60 of death; and a dream is 1/60 of prophecy.