Often people say I love my job, so it’s not really like working on the Sabbath and it’s not hard. Well, do you think creation was hard for God? Nothing is hard for Him. He created the world in six days and rested on the seventh and has commanded us to do the same. Keeping the Sabbath is an affirmation of our belief that God created the world and that He continues to create it. Keeping the Sabbath has deep and crucial spiritual resonance.
You may think you are doing everything right as your own logic assures you that you have all the questions and the answers. After all you know there were no cars in the desert, so you can drive on Shabbat, right? Wrong! There are 39 categories of labor that are forbidden on Shabbat. Can you list them for me please before you turn on the ignition?
The Sabbath is also a beautiful and weekly reminder that life is not only about material pursuits but has a life enforcing, life enhancing and critical spiritual dimension called soul. And further, we are not merely bodies who have spiritual sides, we are eternal souls with temporary bodies here to serve a greater Master. Sabbath also reminds us that all week long we may manipulate nature and act as its master, but on the Sabbath we rescind all control to God. “Any lost revenue resulting from the pause in the week is restored by Hashem, whose power rules over all economic factors.” (Rabbi Elie Munk) On the Sabbath, “Let go and let God.” I can tell you personally that working at ABC News and at Fox News, I never violated the Sabbath for work and always was rewarded with great opportunities by God along the way. It wasn’t easy to tell my bosses in such an industry that Friday I leave early and Saturday I don’t work; I was always nervous to do so, but I did it. I served the bigger Boss in heaven with zero regrets.
Here are some things you can’t do on Shabbat that you might not have known.
- · You can’t squeeze fresh juice
- · You can’t write or erase
- · No dyeing your hair or anything else
- · No sewing or tearing threads
- · No turning on or off anything which uses electricity
- No carrying (even a piece of gum) from the private domain to the public; no carrying in public domain (GOOGLE CHABAD.org for all 39 categories)
Enjoy the oasis in time with family and friends at beautiful spiritual Shabbat gatherings and meals and in synagogue. Rest. Nurture your soul. If you do it right, you will soon find that you are not keeping Shabbat but rather it is keeping you!
