וְשָׁמְר֥וּ בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל אֶת־הַשַּׁבָּ֑ת לַעֲשׂ֧וֹת אֶת־הַשַּׁבָּ֛ת לְדֹרֹתָ֖ם בְּרִ֥ית עוֹלָֽם׃ בֵּינִ֗י וּבֵין֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל א֥וֹת הִ֖וא לְעֹלָ֑ם כִּי־שֵׁ֣שֶׁת יָמִ֗ים עָשָׂ֤ה יְהֹוָה֙ אֶת־הַשָּׁמַ֣יִם וְאֶת־הָאָ֔רֶץ וּבַיּוֹם֙ הַשְּׁבִיעִ֔י שָׁבַ֖ת וַיִּנָּפַֽשׁ׃
The People of Israel will keep Shabbat, observing Shabbat throughout the ages as a covenant for all time. It will be a sign forever between Me and the People of Israel, for in six days God made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day, God rested and was refreshed. (Exodus 31:16-17)
The Sabbath is our sacred “time out,” a reminder from our tradition to stop as God did from creation, distraction, and busy-ness. I love to think of Shabbat not as a time of hindrance or limitation, but rather, a time of great abundance, a space to acknowledge all that God has given us and to give ourselves more—more love, more care, more nourishment, more family time, more prayer, more reading, more connection, more long walks, and most of importantly, more rest.
For each of us, “these twenty five hours of more” will look and feel differently. Some of us are energized by others, and some of us are revitalized by time alone. This Friday and Saturday, how might you make space for more of what you need? Perhaps you might close your eyes, meditate on the couch, join our Shabbat study or services, sip tea in bed while reading a good book, daydream or stare out a window, dance with your kids, take a long walk by yourself, listen to your favorite music…how might you imagine more time and space for your own revitalization this Shabbat?
My prayer is that you will find great power and transformation in Shabbat’s invitation to rest as God intended for us. I hope this setting of V’shamru, the text excerpted above as imagined here by Jewish songwriter Debbie Friedman, invites you to more rest and reflection this weekend.
Shabbat Shalom!
— Cantor Emma Lutz