With the Shabbos Project fast approaching (Oct 24-25), when Jews worldwide will keep one Shabbos together, here's a Shabbos Q and A for skeptics:
I like playing golf on Saturday morning. That's my relaxation. So what's wrong with spending the day of rest worshiping G-d on the golf course? Believe me, the way I play, I do plenty of praying....
Shabbos is not about rest in the sense of leisure time. It is about reconnecting to your soul. As uplifting and inspiring as slicing a golf ball into the trees can be, your soul needs a different type of drive to get it going. You get that by connecting with family, community and G-d, not a ball.
I belong to a reform temple. Even our rabbi drives to services on Shabbos. Aren't I going against my own beliefs if I keep a halachic Shabbos, even just for this one time?
I don't think reform Judaism forbids you to keep Shabbos the halachic way. This is an opportunity for the entire Jewish community to unite in doing something undeniably Jewish. Would reform stay out of it when everyone else, from the most orthodox to the least observant, are in? I can't imagine so.
But why do I have to keep Shabbos properly? Can't I just do it my way?
If you want an authentic Japanese experience, you need to eat sushi with chopsticks. A knife and fork may be much more practical, but that's not the real way to eat sushi. For one time in your life, experience an authentic Shabbos the way it has been kept for three thousand years, and show yourself that you can do it.
It seems the laws of Shabbos would have been meaningful for an ancient agricultural society. But in our day and age, aren't the laws archaic?
Shabbos laws are more relevant today than ever. What we need more than ever before is to learn to switch off. If you've ever been in the middle of a conversation with someone, and suddenly their pocket vibrates and they excuse themselves to talk to someone else, you know what I mean. Putting away your phone for one day a week shows that you are technology's master, not its slave.
But if Shabbos is a biblical command, how can we say that texting is forbidden? Did the Bible know about smartphones?
The Torah is about principles. When the Bible says, "Do not light fires on the Sabbath" this is a general definition of what we can't do on Shabbos. Fire was the first human invention, taking the natural world and manipulating it to make something new. That's great, but on weekdays, not on Shabbos. During the week we use human ingenuity to make the world better. On Shabbos we enjoy the world as G-d made it. Whether lighting fires or texting, the principle is exactly the same: for one day a week, appreciate the world, don't change it.
Can you explain why moving a heavy table from one side of the room to another is not considered work on Shabbos, but pressing a button to cross the road is?
Work is not forbidden on Shabbos. Creative work is. If you need to schlep an extra table into the dining room to cater for unexpected guests on Shabbos, that's fine. Nothing new was created, you just moved things around. But the electric current that results from pressing a button or flicking a switch is creative work. Something new has been formed. Flushing a toilet is also fine.
But tearing toilet paper is not allowed! You don't seriously expect me to accept that ripping toilet paper is called being creative, do you? I think the rabbis went a bit far with some of these Shabbos laws...
Many rules, when taken in isolation, can sound ridiculous. Take road rules for example. Is it such a big deal if I drive my car when a light is red rather than green? I am a mature person and an experienced driver. Should I really let colorful lights tell me what to do?
Road rules are not there to stop you from travelling. On the contrary, they allow you to get where you need to go safely and efficiently. Without them the roads would be chaotic. It's not just about the red light in front of you. That light is one small part of a big system, a system that works, but only if you keep the rules.
So too the laws of Shabbos. Whether they seem big or small to us, each law forms a part of a grand system, and by keeping them you are transported into a to totally different state of being. By becoming aware of every move you make, every change you make to the world, every use you make of the resources around you, you enter into a Shabbos zone. Try it. Once you have entered that zone, you'll see why so many people want to go back there, at least once a week.
Good Shabbos,
Rabbi Moss