Hebraic
Musing – How to appreciate the
Sabbath Experience?
Have you ever been on a
spiritual retreat, or even an all-day program, and at the conclusion you
suffered the reality that it is time to “re-enter” the daily routine? It is a bittersweet time as you savor the
fellowship time you have spent with God and with others, coupled with the
knowledge that soon it will be over. In
many respects, that parallels, or should parallel, our experience as the
Sabbath comes to a close.
The Sabbath is truly a holy
and blessed time. Our loving Father God wants us to have a good life. So He
advised us – "Remember the Sabbath
day by keeping it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but
the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any
work, …. 11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth…, but he
rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made
it holy.” Exod. 20:8-11
Ideally, the Sabbath experience
should be a time slot, a day, in which we are to live fully in that moment as
we find the pleasure and holiness that comes from relaxing, studying the Torah
or Bible, and having fellowship with family and friends. If we fully honor
the Sabbath -- experiencing rest, study and fellowship — then we have achieved
our spiritual goal to follow God’s plan for holy living.
Whether you are accustomed to a
Sunday worship or the Saturday worship as is directed in the Torah, there is a
lot to learn from the Jewish customs for Sabbath worship. Let’s look at a way of appreciating the
concluding hours of the Sabbath experience.
The Jewish custom is to conclude
the Sabbath formally with a time of evening prayer and a rich Havdalah, or ‘separation
ceremony’. During that time, Jews reaffirm their belief
in the coming of Messiah and the redemption of the world. They acknowledge
their duty to sanctify life with holy living. Then, they light a long braided candle, drink
from an overflowing cup of wine, and deeply inhale the fragrance of spices as
they recite “Be not afraid, my servant Jacob, for I, the LORD, am with you”
from Jeremiah 30:10.
According to Rabbi Yechiel
Eckstein:
·
“The light of the braided candle symbolizes the
intertwining of the Eternal One and the divine spirit in man; for as the Bible
says, “the LORD is our light and our redeemer.”
·
The overflowing cup of wine symbolizes our
uncontainable optimism and hope for the coming week.
·
The aromatic spices refresh our soul and dispel
the emptiness we feel at the conclusion of Shabbat.”
In what ways can we involve more
of your senses to help us focus more on God?
When I’ve experienced an
Havdalah ceremony, the verse that comes to mind is “Taste and see that the
LORD is good.” from Psalm 34:8. And
if the day had been truly devoted to God – resting, studying and
fellowshipping, then the Havdalah ceremony is especially encouraging. Then I’m ready and prepared to walk in
holiness for six more days until I can once again ‘rest in Him.’
Point to Ponder
What can you do to receive the intended benefits of
honoring God’s Sabbath?
What might you add – or subtract – to make your
experience more meaningful?
P.S. It has been said “The Jews
keep the Sabbath; but actually, the Sabbath has kept the Jews.”
Shabbat Shalom
Yosef a.k.a. Joe Brusherd October 29, 2013
Author of two books “Hebraic Insights” and “Biblical
Marriage”
No comments:
Post a Comment