Herman Wouk on the Blessings of the Sabbath

In this excerpt from his book This Is My God, as seen in the August 1961 issue of Guideposts, Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright and author Herman Wouk shares why he so valued Judaism’s observance of the Sabbath: The Sabbath has cut most sharply athwart my own life when one of my plays has been in rehearsal or in tryout. The crisis atmosphere of an attempt at Broadway is a legend of our time, and a true one; I have felt under less pressure going into battle at sea. Friday afternoon, during these rehearsals, inevitably seems to come when the project is tottering on the edge of ruin. I have sometimes felt guilty of treason, holding to the Sabbath in such a desperate situation. But then, experience has taught me that a theater enterprise almost always is in such a case. Sometimes it does totter to ruin, and sometimes it totters to great prosperity, but tottering is its normal gait, and cries of anguish are its normal tone of voice.

'Shabbat guidebook for parents': The value of recharging. A resourceful guidebook for a joyful Shabbat with your children.

The author writes, “As modern parents, we are always planning, packing, and preempting our children’s needs. On Shabbat day, we get the chance to just be. “Be with our child and children. Be with our spouse and partner. Be with our friends and community. Be with Hashem. Even just be with ourselves. Now that we have prepared for Shabbat... let’s... enjoy the unique little people in front of us who are literally part of our creation in this world.”

Science confirms it: Sabbath is good for your brain!

For those who believe the Bible was inspired by God, the fact that science often ends up supporting biblical claims is no surprise. Now neuroscience research published in August has shown that taking a day of rest each week results in great mental health benefits. ...researchers discovered that keeping the Sabbath contributed to better sleep and less fatigue during the week, as well as generally improved mental health – regardless of religious observance.

What Churches Hold Services on Saturday?

Traditionally, seventh-day churches including Seventh Day Adventists, Seventh Day Baptists and Church of God (7th Day) have services on Saturday. Roman Catholic Churches offer Saturday mass and a growing number of Evangelical churches provide Saturday evening services.