Nathan Englander’s mother in law is a student of Mussar! And with all due respect to Nathan, he may have had a day of rest on Tuesdays, but there are attributes of Shabbat that won’t be part of that. I’ve mentioned two big ones: connecting to community, and tapping into the holiness that is inherent on Shabbat and not on other days. A third is prayer: the rabbis devised different prayers for Shabbat that are designed to have a role in creating a vessel of holiness. There are things that are left out and things that are added in. So that’s a third differentiating factor. And there are others.
I get the celebration of Shabbat as part of the larger Jewish peoplehood. There's continuity of existence and brotherhood.
The challenge I have is: how do I make Shabbat relevant to me as an 86yr. old widow who lives alone in an area filled with diversity which is great 6 days a week?
It's a creative work in process. A little help would be welcomed!
The key to making your Shabbat relevant to you, Enid, is preparation. If your neighbourhood is so diverse, it is unlikely anyone will drop in to visit as is a lovely Shabbat tradition. In advance, invite people, whether for a meal or just for an afternoon visit. And even before that, preparation is how you ensure that you have meals that are special and enjoyable, providing pleasure that is a key to Shabbat. Prepare so what you envision is ready for you.
I have a yearning for Shabbat and have been trying to figure out how to make it work 0n a “Tuesday”? My Saturday’s are
Given over to grandchildren’s needs as their parents work. I see your point about community and that really changes what I’ve been thinking. Yes, just a quiet day alone with no devices is not what I’m ultimately aiming for. I can add onto my morning meditation/prayer time for now until the kids are older.
Thank you, Carole. When I gave the “off the cuff” answer to the question at my talk, what came to me was: don’t separate from the community. Later, in thinking about it, I realized there was something much larger that I had overlooked. The verse tells us that "Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all the work of creating that God had done". I bolded the key words. Shabbat was consecrated from its creation. We are being told that there is an inherent holiness on the seventh day that is not available to us on Tuesday. When we set out to have a day that is a vessel for holiness, on Tuesday we have to build the edifice from the ground up. On Shabbat, there is an inherent holiness available for us to tap into.
I enjoyed your explanation of cup - liquid, string + wax = candle.
Content vs container is a rich analogy. The container limits the contents, however, w/o the container there is no contents.
I’d think the laws of Shabbat are meant to enrich a/o limit behaviors (create a container) w t goal to give depth / meaning t the contents of the 25 hours.
Holiness needs a vessel. Full stop. Period. End of thought. And in different contexts, the vessel is different. Being an ethical person creates a vessel. Shutting off your phone on Shabbat creates a vessel. Etc. Make for me a holy place and I will dwell within it.
Having Shabbat on Tuesday was a real-life practice for Nathan Englander or at least so he claimed in an interview
Nathan Englander’s mother in law is a student of Mussar! And with all due respect to Nathan, he may have had a day of rest on Tuesdays, but there are attributes of Shabbat that won’t be part of that. I’ve mentioned two big ones: connecting to community, and tapping into the holiness that is inherent on Shabbat and not on other days. A third is prayer: the rabbis devised different prayers for Shabbat that are designed to have a role in creating a vessel of holiness. There are things that are left out and things that are added in. So that’s a third differentiating factor. And there are others.
I get the celebration of Shabbat as part of the larger Jewish peoplehood. There's continuity of existence and brotherhood.
The challenge I have is: how do I make Shabbat relevant to me as an 86yr. old widow who lives alone in an area filled with diversity which is great 6 days a week?
It's a creative work in process. A little help would be welcomed!
The key to making your Shabbat relevant to you, Enid, is preparation. If your neighbourhood is so diverse, it is unlikely anyone will drop in to visit as is a lovely Shabbat tradition. In advance, invite people, whether for a meal or just for an afternoon visit. And even before that, preparation is how you ensure that you have meals that are special and enjoyable, providing pleasure that is a key to Shabbat. Prepare so what you envision is ready for you.
I have a yearning for Shabbat and have been trying to figure out how to make it work 0n a “Tuesday”? My Saturday’s are
Given over to grandchildren’s needs as their parents work. I see your point about community and that really changes what I’ve been thinking. Yes, just a quiet day alone with no devices is not what I’m ultimately aiming for. I can add onto my morning meditation/prayer time for now until the kids are older.
Thank you dear Alan. You always speak to me🙏
Carole Ash
Thank you, Carole. When I gave the “off the cuff” answer to the question at my talk, what came to me was: don’t separate from the community. Later, in thinking about it, I realized there was something much larger that I had overlooked. The verse tells us that "Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all the work of creating that God had done". I bolded the key words. Shabbat was consecrated from its creation. We are being told that there is an inherent holiness on the seventh day that is not available to us on Tuesday. When we set out to have a day that is a vessel for holiness, on Tuesday we have to build the edifice from the ground up. On Shabbat, there is an inherent holiness available for us to tap into.
I enjoyed your explanation of cup - liquid, string + wax = candle.
Content vs container is a rich analogy. The container limits the contents, however, w/o the container there is no contents.
I’d think the laws of Shabbat are meant to enrich a/o limit behaviors (create a container) w t goal to give depth / meaning t the contents of the 25 hours.
Maybe?
Holiness needs a vessel. Full stop. Period. End of thought. And in different contexts, the vessel is different. Being an ethical person creates a vessel. Shutting off your phone on Shabbat creates a vessel. Etc. Make for me a holy place and I will dwell within it.