Taking Shabbos Seriously
Shabbos is the day that we cease from doing those innocuous things simply because G-d told us to. By surrendering our needs, desires and egos–as they are expressed through the actions we do throughout the week– to the will of G-d, we are able to appreciate the value, beauty and meaning in being able to do those same actions during the week.
Shabbos: Cornerstone of Judaism
One of the cornerstones of Judaism is the Shabbos. At the end of last week’s parsha, Shlach, the Torah dramatizes its seriousness. A man – who remains anonymous – was caught gathering wood on the Shabbos, and for this he suffered dire consequences.
Now, according to Jewish law the harsh penalties for Sabbath desecration were only operative in the days when we had the Sanhedrin. Furthermore, to incur a penalty for any criminal act, one must have to have been warned by two qualified witnesses, and then immediately transgress in their presence.
In other words, there were almost no instances where a death penalty or other harsh punishments could be meted out to a person who would transgress.
However, in spite of the almost impossibility to mete out these penalties, the Torah makes a point that it did happen at least one time at the very beginning of our existence as a nation.
The fact that this penalty was associated with Shabbos observance, or the lack thereof, is an indication that there is something so fundamental about this aspect of Jewish observance, that the Torah felt the need to highlight its seriousness.
Why so Many Restrictions
Upon reflection, it is hard to conceive why G-d would care that much whether this man collected the wood on Shabbos. And why has Jewish law imposed so many restrictions for us on this holy day.
The modern mind can easily grasp the significance of the ceremonies and rituals associated with the Shabbos; it can even appreciate the need for a day of rest, to give time for spiritual reflection and growth. However, the modern mind has a difficult time in understanding why we have to refrain from even such innocuous activities as collecting a few pieces of wood, or any of the 39 categories of work that are forbidden on the Shabbos, most of which do not involve tedious labor?
Why can’t I do gardening or a drive through the country; enjoyable and restful activities, on the Sabbath?
Deeper Appreciation of Work
To be sure, we can understand how the cessation of work on the Shabbos can help us appreciate the beauty and value of work the other six days a week. If not for a day, in which we desist from work, thereby surrendering our independence to a Higher Force, we could not appreciate the independence we enjoy the rest of the week.
By way of illustration:
A person who has never worked a day in his life, cannot possibly appreciate a day of rest.
A person who has never given of himself to another cannot feel good about receiving something for himself.
A person who has never suspended their ego for a few moments cannot feel good when they indulge their ego the rest of the time.
Shabbos is the day that we cease from doing those innocuous things simply because G-d told us to. And by surrendering our needs, desires and egos–as they are expressed through the actions we do throughout the week– to the will of G-d, we are able to appreciate the value, beauty and meaning in being able to do those same actions during the week. They are no longer taken for granted.
But this still doesn’t explain the severity of the punishment.
Stand at Attention
To understand the underlying reason for not working on Shabbos, a military analogy is in order.
A soldier appears before a high ranking officer must stand at attention and salute his superior. If, at that time, he decides to clean his rifle, shine his boots, mend his uniform and other activities he must do when not in the presence of his superiors, it would he certainly be regarded as profound disrespect and a breach of military discipline.
Similarly, our work throughout the week is akin to the soldier whose job it is to conquer the territory of the enemy. Our task is to take the raw and hostile world and refine it and ultimately transform it, until it has been “conquered” by the forces of goodness and holiness.
Yet, on the Shabbos, we are in the presence of the ultimate Superior. At that time, we stand at virtual attention, by not doing the same things we do all week long. It is not that those activities are bad. On the contrary, they are activities mandated by the Torah that we engage in so that we make the world into a dwelling place for G-d.
Yet, one day a week, G-d wants us to “stand at attention,” figuratively speaking, and show our recognition that He is our Leader, whose purpose we fulfill throughout the week.
Perpetual Shabbos
The Messianic Age has been described, Biblically, as the Shabbos of existence. It is the time that we will be able to feel the spiritual bliss and honor of being in the presence of G-d all week long. The holiness, pleasure and serenity of Shabbos we will experience all the time.
Of course, the Shabbos day itself will “rise” to a higher plane, and we will be exposed to a level of bliss that is beyond our comprehension and imagination.
From the book Light from the Future: Parshas Shlach by Rabbi Heschel Greenberg, published by the Jewish Discovery Center.
