Shmot (Exodus) 34 reminds us of the two primary reasons why the people of YisraÉl must keep THE ETERNAL’s shabtoth (sabbaths), as it is (1) a sign between HIM and us throughout our generations, and because (2) it is a way for us to know that it is THE ETERNAL that sets us apart from all other nations of the earth. This set apart time is identified as a briyth olaum (everlasting covenant) and an owth olaum (everlasting sign); one that should never end until HE who created creation decides to re-write creation again. It is one of those essential elements of being of the people of YisraÉl that no other people group can claim to do.
We stop everything for a full daily cycle period to communicate amongst our families and our YisraÉl communities the provocative but true message that YAH YISRAÉL is sovereign and it is HE that fashioned our world in the palm of HIS hands. We remind ourselves that he is KING and that even the mightiest nations and most powerful men all appear as such because HE decided that it should happen at that moment. How entities appear before us is always at HIS discretion and allowance.
Shabbat provides us with the time to focus in on what is critical towards us fulfilling the goals of letting there be light, being fruitful, multiplying, & leading the earth in righteousness. One key area of focus and meditation Is on HIS position in our lives as lord, king, and master of all. An additional area of our focus is on hearing and remembering the voices of those that he has placed before us and in our midst before anyone else to teach us about order, structure, and the lesson of life.
We meditate on the importance of our mishpakoth (families) – bringing to mind the notion that the mishpakha (family) is the vessel through which we learn first how to serve HIM and obey HIM. Honor thy father and mother is one of the chief mitzvoth (commandments). It teaches us that there are steps to becoming truly righteous. Bnoth and Bniym (sons & daughters) learn how to be men and women through their parents, learn how to keep one another through sibling groupings, and learn how to be ishiym and nashiym (marriage partners) through their mother and father’s interactions. On Shabbat we recall the steps in creation…how things take time to come to fruition – and that skipping over any one of those steps is pointless for we will always be brought back to the point that we haven’t yet mastered. Family-less congregationalism, a mainstay from Western versions of religion and religiosity, has served and will continue to serve its purpose, but it never overrides the first true congregation – the mishpakha – which then grows out to a community which then becomes part of the larger nation – where all are of the same bloodline both in spirit and in truth. This is the order of THE ETERNAL, and Shabbat is set apart for us to share space with the mishpakha and to continue to discuss these matters amongst one another.
When we, along with all we possess (laborers/workers, animals, etc…) altogether cease from our six days of work, we are also brought to recognizance that Our Creator is the boss and overrides any employment that we’re blessed to oversee or have. We also note that the very idea of shabbat is contingent upon us doing work the first six days - - for as the old adage tells us – you reap what you sow! You should be exhausted once erev shabbat approaches – but also excited at the weekly opportunity to rest, reflect, and rejuvenate. For six days straight we have worked hard and have done work that is “good”. We’ve going through trials and tribulations. We’ve achieved both small and big victories. And so on Yom Ha Shabbat (the Sabbath day) we are able to eat, drink, rest, and think like no other day of the week because we worked towards building it throughout the six days prior.
By remembering that HE is sovereign we remember that despite our current condition WE too must realize and actualize our sovereignty. No other men are better than the men of YisraÉl. And no other women shine brighter than the daughters of Zion. Our children outperform the others – even on their bad days, and our institutions give light to the world. And again – we are the only people in the world – even in a captive state – that take a full day off for self-care and family gatherings, with the goal in mind to enlighten, expand, and lead. There’s none like you O YisraÉl because there’s none like YAH YISRAEL in the heavens above or in the earth beneath!
May your shabtoth be a rejuvenating experience for you and your family. And may it be never forgotten that YAH YISRAÉL rules over all. Shalom Shalom!
Peace be to you. Peace be to your house. And peace be unto all that is yours!
Bn Shmû ÉL is a loyal son, committed father, founder of HaDBR Media, Chief Editor at Bn Shmû ÉL Publishing House, and author of The Land of Milk and Honey: The Heart of the World. https://www.bn-shmu-el.com/shop .
Comments