As our social interactions have been limited day after day until we are now mandated to be homebound, how will this Shabbat be different from the following days? In the context of a “normal” life, Shabbat helps us to re-center ourselves and our families. Shabbat is supposed to keep us away from the office and other mundane tasks so that we see the world differently. But what happens on a Shabbat like this when it has the potential to look like every other day that will follow?
As the days begin to blend into each other, when we ask “what day is today?” let us strive to make Shabbat, not just a day of rest, but also a day of holiness. A day in which we hearken back to Creation and the Garden of Eden when the world was still a perfect place. A place and time before the Covid-19 virus. According to Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, Shabbat is a palace in time; a sacred shrine where we get to dwell for 25 hours. It is designed as a weekly experience to rejuvenate our holy souls so that we can deal with the rest of the week. Let us transform this Shabbat from a forced seclusion to a holy celebration of self, family and life. Whether reading something that inspires you (perhaps even the Torah), stepping outside to appreciate the beauty of creation or engaging in Shabbat rituals, take time this Shabbat to engage in “holy” activities.
If you don’t usually light Shabbat candles or observe the other rituals of Shabbat, perhaps this can be the first of many. By trying to make the Shabbat dinner special and the rituals around it different, we transform regular time into holy time.
What can you do this Shabbat?
1.
Join us this evening for a virtual communal candle lighting at 6pm
3.
Join us tonight at 8 pm for a livestreamed Shabbat service
4.
Join us tomorrow at 9:15 for a livestreamed Shabbat morning service
Scroll down for links and details about all of these opportunities to join together as a community from afar, or visit
aliyahlive.org
.
Wishing you all a Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Stewart Vogel
