Breitman Hebrew School and the Zimmer Preschool
But what is Shabbat?
Last week, I posed that question to my teenage daughter. She said, “Shabbat is just different to weekday. No matter what is going on during the week, I give myself permission to let it go when Shabbat arrives.” My other daughter nodded in agreement, “Yeah, it’s like chaos, chaos, chaos. And then Shabbat. A day to exhale. It feels so relaxed.”
The truth is I love the hectic nature of life. I thrive on frazzled nerves and impending deadlines. I love noise and energy. But I cannot imagine life without Shabbat. For me, Shabbat is a time to slow down. Like a mini vacation amidst the hectic-ness of life. On Shabbat, I regroup. I read. I rest. I play board games with my kids. I take long walks, and have even longer conversations. And, without the loud “you-got-to-do-this-and-that-and-the-other...right now!” pounding in my brain, in the context of the calmness of the Shabbat day, I get to know me.
Six days a week we focus on earning a living, pursuing an education, working towards our goals. But once a week we stop. We get off the treadmill called ‘life’ and from a relaxed perch we self-assess. It’s like a rest stop on a fast-paced trip: We take a good look at the map and review the directions; we satiate ourselves with food and drink; we stretch our legs so that we are better equipped to handle the rest of the drive. For this 25-hour time, rather than pursue goals, we assess them. We reflect upon them. Personally, Shabbat seems to lift me above the pressures of the clock and the calendar. It’s within time, but it seems to transcend time.
In today’s fast-paced, mega-everything world, it sometimes feels as if we’ve lost the art of getting to know our core selves. It seems as if we live in a world that is on ‘reaction-mode’ rather than ‘proaction-mode’. So, when we explore Shabbat with our children, using age-appropriate language (more info to follow in each class’s newsletters), we discuss this ever-important idea of self reflection. We discuss how Shabbat is a t ime to think about our week and the choices we made. That is called ‘reflect’. We discuss that there is surely a lot to be proud of as we review our past week. So we celebrate. Shabbat is a day to reflect and to celebrate. Reflection and celebration. Two such powerful tools!
I can’t honestly say that I utilize the ‘Shabbat tool’ anywhere near its potential. But whenever I do, I feel much more control over my own life. And, as I am knee-deep in the work week, just knowing that Shabbat is waiting for me at the end of it all, makes me feel safe.
Shabbat Shalom
A Shabbat filled with peace...
Malkie
Liliam wrote...