Erev Shabbat Jewish Blogging

[gnomi]

This week, Shabbat menuchah -- the rest that is an intrinsic part of Shabbat.

Shabbat has a lot of restrictions regarding work. There are 39 categories of melacha (usually translated as "work"), corresponding to the 39 categories of labor done for the mishkan (tabernacle) in the desert. The rabbis expound upon what qualifies as work, what falls into which category, and -- as new technologies are developed -- whether the use of these technologies qualifies as melacha. On Shabbat, I am forbidden to cook, to use my computer, to turn on the television, etc.

And, yes, one could look at it as a list of things you cannot do. However, it's actually a path to something one is supposed to do -- rest. Not having to care about day-to-day business, not having to worry about e-mail waiting for me, or bad news on the television, or whatever, I am encouraged to rest, to relax, to indulge in the menuchah -- peacefulness -- that is integral to Shabbat.

And after weeks like this, that have been crazed and causing sleep deprivation, having Shabbat to rest is a lovely gift.

Shabbat shalom, all.

Comments

[eal.livejournal.com]

And your writing partner gets to rest her wrist.

M

[vettecat.livejournal.com]

Yeah, if we weren't shomer Shabbos I think at least one of us would have imploded by now...

[estherchaya.livejournal.com]

thanks for the reminder. Recently I've been explaining the whole shabbos thing to gentiles a lot (particularly as I've started a new job this week). And I realize how negative it sounds. "I can't do this, this, this, this, this or this." My attitude toward shabbos definitely suffers when I explain it to too many people during the week. I shall henceforth incorporate your eloquent thoughts into my explanations