Quiet Place, Quiet Space

I love the art work of Alex Levin. Through his paints and canvas, Alex captures the heart of Shabbat; a simple place in a niche somewhere, with prayer shawl, Torah scroll, yad. the books and glasses at the ready. The braided candle shining forth the Light, all in ready.
In this quiet place, the holy man or woman comes to meet with the Holy One for sweet fellowship.
And while study of Torah is always sweet, it isn't never sweeter than on Shabbat.

Thankgiving and Shabbat

When I saw this picture, it made me smile, because Shabbat is a weekly Thanksgiving meal.
We give thanks that we reach the end of the work week; we are thankful for home and family and the blessings we enjoy. We give thanks for the Torah and for the Creator Who has given us all we enjoy.. Yes, I know that Thanksgiving is a National Holiday where the nation stops to give thanks.
But each Friday evening, Jews around the world do the same thing.
Thanksgiving and Shabbat share the same message; in this busy, crazy world, we need to take a break from it all. And for twenty-four hours, just slow down.
Breath. Enjoy good food and friends. Enjoy family and Torah. Shut out the world and just be.
Both days remind us to remember all our blessings come from.
I remember 13 years ago, I remember spending Thanksgiving at Sentara Norfolk Hospital. My mother had three strokes in three week time and I had to feed mother her turkey dinner. I remember the doctor telling me not to expect her to survive.
 13 years later, yesterday, mummie sat our dinner table, holding Monti as she fed him turkey.
 I remember eight years ago this month, we received the news Mark had cancer and we entered into the fight of our lives.
Eight years later, yesterday, my beloved who is cancer free, helped me clean up the kitchen from the meal we prepared for my mother.
Tonight, our shabbat meal will be simple, but for the next twenty-four hours we will shut out the world and enjoy each other, our little dog, Torah and the Presence of our Creator
Shabbat Shalom.
 

Rest: The Meaning of Shabbat

Shalom:
Shabbath; Rest. To do nothing but enjoy G-d, Torah, good food, family and friends.

A new week has begun. Tomorrow laundry has to be done, more boxes unpacked. Taking Monti to the Doggie Park to visit his friends. Mark prepares for another week of work and I start on a new writing project. Preparing for my mother's visit later in the week.
But today was Shabbath. The Day of rest.
No, this isn't a Jewish thing, but G-d's gift to Mankind. We call it an island of time; where for twenty-four hours, we step out of this world and join G-d's.
Today I had to make my beloved rest. He has been on the go so much, he just couldn't slow down! And that isn't good for anyone.
I made my husband stay sleep in. When we finally got up, we enjoyed coffee and doughnuts in bed, talking, laughing and playing with Monti. And Monti was so happy to have Mark home! Little M followed big M around the house, making sure daddy didn't get out of his sight.
Watching my beloved asleep in my arms, his body void of stress or tension.
This is the true meaning off Shabbath, Not doing.
Just being.
Resting in the arms of loved one. Resting in the arms of G-d.

 

Shabbat: Just Do It

Shabbat; Unplug

Shalom:
Shabbat is Hebrew for: rest, to rest, to stop your labours.

To me, one of the traditions held by many Hebrews today, is the perfect picture of what Shabbat means in our world today.

Unplug. To disconnect from its source. For six days, Sunday to Friday, we are 'plugged' into this world. Work (for those who have jobs) or looking for work, school work, end lines, reports, shopping, caring for the home, the family, the pets, bills, ringing phones both cell and landlines. Our senses are over loaded with cable news and computers where now we can truly reach out ans touch someone around the world.
By the sixth day Friday, our bodies, souls and spirits are fried.
And for those who keep the Holy Shabbat, Shabbat is the welcoming haven we run to. We turn off of electrical devises for twenty-four hours. Many actually 'unplug' TVs, radios, computers so that they aren't even tempted to use them. We unplug from the world and enter into Shabbat, into rest. With no phones ringing, no announces "you got mail!" no Fox News or CNN, our bodies, souls and spirits actually get to rest.
For twenty-four hours, we get to play with our children and love our spouses in an unhurried fashion.
We gather with family and friends for Torah services, festival meals, to study Torah.
And that sweetest treat of all; the Shabbat nap.
Ahhh :)
Shabbat. The time we unplug from the world and all its madness and plug into G_D and all His goodness.
Oh taste and see that the L_rd is Good.

Shabbath; Celebration of Freedom

Boker Tov:
Even today, around the world, there are countries have never heard of or athear to a five or six day a week. From sun up to sun down, seven days a week, there are men, women and children who have to work. They may not even get an vacation to rest their tired minds, souls and spirits.
This was life for the Hebrew slaves of Egypt.

In Egypt, there was no such thing as a day of rest. Pharaoh, the god of Egypt demanded a daily offering of bend, sweatly backs as an offering, the cries of slaves being whipped as a song of praise.
When the G_D of Abraham, Issac and Yacob send Moshe and Aron to Pharaoh with the command, "Let My People Go," was in part for that the Hebrews would be free to worship their G_D without the shadow of Egypt over them.
Interesting, Pharaoh, son of the Sun-god Ra, didn't wish to share his glory with the G_D of the Universe either.
So the battle of the gods was on. And if you know the story, you know Who won.
Centuries later, we Hebrews still remember our deliverance. Not just on Passover, but weekly, on Shabbat. For on this night, we remember and celebrate the night we left Egypt as a people. We left the chains and whips and mud pits behind and headed for the Land flowing with Milk and Honey.
In our home, this is part of our celebration. I often make a honey cake, to remember the promise of the Land we were brought to. And to remember the goodness, the sweetness, the faithfulness of the G_D we serve and love.
Once a week, beginning Sundown Friday to Sundown Saturday, we break away from the work week. We remove work clothes and wash off the grim of labour and gathering with family, friends and the Holy One, for twenty-hours, there are no dead-lines, meetings computers, school books, cars or phones.
Or mud pits.

This Week: Shabbath

Boker Tov: (Good Morning)
Mark and I are often asked about why the keeping of Sabbath is important to us. And how do you keep Sabbath.

First, what is Sabbath.
Genesis 2: 1-3"Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array.

² By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. ³ Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done."
In Hebrew, Shabbath (שַׁבָּת ( you can find this on page number 7676 of Strong's Concordance  as šabbāt,) meaning "day of rest".  It derives from the verb shavath (שָׁבַת, Strong's 7673 as šāvat, often shavat), defined as "desist from exertion "rest" or "cease"). The word shavath was first used in the Torah account of the seventh day of in the verse above.  The observing of Sabbath is the fourth Commandment. For Hebrews as well as all who keep the Biblical Sabbath regard it as having been instituted as a "perpetual covenant [for] the people of Israel" (Exodus 31:13-17) as a sign in respect for the day during which God rested after having completed the Creation in six days ( Exodus 20:8-11) We also remember God's deliverance from the Egyptians and their seven-day workweek (Deuteronomy 5:12-15)
The desecration of Shabbath was once amoung the crimes that fell under Capital punishment. Why? For like the other commandments, it was a direct violation of His Law, you were putting yourself back into bondage, bowing again to the gods of Egypt.
So we keep Shabbat because it is one of the commandments of G_D. Just as You shall not put any other go before me, honour thy mother and father, thy shall not steal, murder or bear false witness is still enforce, so is the keeping of Shabbat. The Day never changed.

We keep Shabbath to remember the Night G_D freed us with His Strong Hand, freed us from a system that only allowed the body to rest at night in sleep. Every day was a work day, there was no rest.
Notice Genesis 1: 31 "G_D saw all that He had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning —the sixth day."
The Creator, when He had finished all His work, He took a step back and beheld all. He smiled and "enjoyed His Creation."
When G_D rested, it doesn't mean He wasn't tired . It meant He smiled with pleasure and enjoyed the trees, the birds, the flowers, the animals, and His greatest joy, Man.
It reminds me of when I finish a piece of needlepoint or sewing. I hold it in my hands and look over the piece, pleased. Smiling, I think it is my best work yet.
I have the same feeling when I set the table for a special occasion. I step back and behold how beautiful the table is. I picture my guest oohing and ahhing. I am at rest, I have eased my work. Soon I shall seat and enjoy the creation with my guest.
When we observe Shabbat, we "enter His rest" We stop our harbour and for twenty-four hours and enjoy G_D's creation. We enjoy good food and good friends. We enjoy G_D.

This is why we delight in Shabbat.

A Day of Rest and Peace

Lailia Tov;
First I wish to thank all of you who have reached out with such encouraging words. Believe me, it does help me get through those rough patches of depression that come along.
I have come to realize that BlogLand (for lack of a better word) is really a community. Yes, we all have a common interest, blogging. But for many of us, it goes futher than that. For some us, we actually become friends, forming bonds that may not never had happen if it wasn't for the internet. Yes, I do believe now that one can really get to know folks, form friendships and relationship over the impersonal computer. And frankly, it is being able to blog as well as my online buddies, yes, I would even say in many cases, family, that has kept me sane.
It has been a quiet day. A day of peace.
I am almost finish reading a book called Amish Peace. And you don't have to be Amish to benefit from its pearls of wisdom.
It has been a slow read, for it calls for reflection with each chapter. But like a nice piece of cheese, chocolate or glass of wine, it is enjoy by small bites and sips.
And it being the First Day of Spring helped my mood.
I opened the back door, allowing the sunshine and fresh air in.
My thoughts went to my beloved: wondering how his first Challah came out, wondering how his little herb garden is coming along. Wondering how the plans for Passover is coming along.
Tonight, after this entry, I need to write him a letter. Tomorrow, go shopping and prepare a CarePackage for Passover.
And then the real fun begins.
His birthday.
Now about that later