Sanctifying Shabbat: Shabbat Naturally

On this Friday afternoon, I want to continue our exploration of Shabbat, as it is said to have been the one thing that has defined and sustained the Jewish people through many hardships and is the only observance specifically mentioned in the Ten Commandments given at Sinai.

Many think of Shabbat as a day primarily devoted to prayer like the Christian Sunday, or the Muslim Friday. But it is not in fact just a day reserved for prayer at all, but one set aside for rest. We are not talking about simply physical rest, but a greater spiritual kind of rest. The Jewish scholar, Erich Fromm, describes rest as "any interference by people, be it constructive or destructive, with the physical world. Rest is a state of peace between people and nature." It is, in essence, a 24-hour tuning in and living in harmony with the natural environment around you and a turning away from humanity's normal manipulation of their environment, as practiced the other six days of the week. God placed us here as co-creators and stewards of our world. We serve this purpose when we stop, observe and become sensitized to the Divine Presence that surrounds us.

The Kabbalist, Bahya Ibn Yusuf, declared obervation of the natural world as the first step of spiritual ascent and growth. I was reminded of this yesterday when I saw an article in the magazine, Homeschooling Today, that suggested students keep a nature journal as a way of learning science. I was instantly struck with the idea that this is a great family activity to practice during the Shabbat. Depending on how strict you want to follow the Talmudic definitions of work, you may want to actually write down your observations at sunset and the end of Shabbat, or make notes as you proceed. But either way, it is a great way to learn, teach our children and make that first step in our own spiritual journey back to Eden.

Now that we are aware of the environmental aspects of Shabbat, it is also appropriate to include discussions of humanity's role in the world and our impact on the environment. I'm not talking about just accepting and repeating talking points such as that of global warming advocates, or opponents, but doing our own research and presentation of findings, pro or con, like the rabbis of the Talmudic age. For example, did you know that over 500 of the world's leading meteorologists and climatologists called global warming hype and inaccurate at a global warming conference held this past December? Or did you think it was just settled fact. As Jews, we have a strong history of analysis and debate and can bring this type of discussion to the forefront in an environmentalism that is based on scientific analysis and not someone's political agenda. Spiritually, we will know that we are serving as proper stewards over nature and have begun to recover some of the hauntingly, faint memories of our enlightened consciousness from our Edenic past.

In coming posts, I'll be exploring more of the mysteries of Shabbat, as a part of my current spiritual journey and a sharing of thoughts with you. It's all part of a planned series I'm calling Sanctifying Shabbat. I hope you enjoy and will share your thoughts as well.

Happy Shabbat!

Until next time....

Shmuel