"... a few minutes before sunset, tranquility gradually sets in. My unfinished pre-Shabbat chores are now a thing of the past. Hopefully, so are any of my poor grades, money issues and personal frustrations.
The bedlam of the Shabbat preparations pays off almost immediately when I join my rabbi and friends in the Friday evening prayers - largely composed of good company and beautiful millennia-old songs. Socializing and singing with close friends typically pushes away any stressful thoughts somehow lingering past sunset. If not, the delicious dinner that typifies Shabbat will.
This specific format of the Sabbath is uniquely Jewish. Singing and praying in Hebrew and discussing insights to the Torah are neither accessible nor appealing to the vast majority of non-Jews.
But I say "this specific format" because Shabbat - or more precisely, what it provides - need not be restricted to observant Jews. Tranquility, self-reflection and social closeness are accessible to people of all faiths and people of no faith."
'via Blog this'
No comments:
Post a Comment