SHABBAT:

Shabbat in Harmony with Creation

by Rabbi Lawrence Troster

In February, do you notice when the days get longer? Each day dawns a little earlier and each day the sun sets a little later. In my garden, the first shoots of spring flowers already come up. A particularly Jewish way of viewing this natural phenomenon is through the timing of Shabbat. Shabbat now starts an hour later than it did in December and ends an hour later as well. It makes the preparation for Shabbat less frenetic and gives us more time to experience the restfulness of Shabbat afternoon. For those who celebrate Shabbat, it is a blessing. For those who seek to incorporate Jewish spirituality into their environmentalism, Shabbat is crucial.

The Jewish concept of a perfect world is one of harmony between all creatures of Creation. This can be seen in the famous vision of Isaiah (Isaiah 11:1-10) in which no creature kills for sustenance and there is no war or injustice in human society. This reconciliation between humanity and the rest of Creation is the re-creation of the Garden of Eden. Shabbat acts as the here-and-now symbol of that harmony. On Shabbat we become merely citizens of the biotic community, united again with our fellow creatures in the order of Creation. As Rabbi Ismar Schorsch has written, “Shabbat reminds us of our earthly status as tenant and not overlord.” [To Till and To Tend: A Guide to Jewish Environmental Study and Action (New York, 1994, page 20)]

Abraham Joshua Heschel said we should see the world as God-centered, not human-centered. If we put God at the center of life, we begin to see the sacred in everything and all Creation becomes a source of wonder and not only a resource for our use and abuse. Shabbat and its rituals, prayers and rhythms can be part of the way back to seeing the world as a blessing.

The Sabbath is a way to begin to engender this sense of love and humility before Creation. Shabbat, changing in time, makes us more aware of the seasons, and the actual passing of day and night. It is also is guide to living a sustainable life. For one day out of seven, we limit our use of resources. We walk to attend synagogue and drive only when walking is not possible. We do not cook and we do not shop. We can use the day for relaxation, contemplation and to ask ourselves: what is the real purpose of human life? Are we here on earth only to get and to spend? Rabbi Schorsch has also written: “To rest is to acknowledge our limitations. Willful inactivity is a statement of subservience to a power greater than our own.” [To Till and to Tend, page 20]

So try to begin to celebrate the day that celebrates Creation. Begin in a small way by doing two things: one limiting and one celebratory. First of all find something that you do every day that consumes Creation and on Shabbat refrain from doing it. Then take some aspect of Shabbat ritual, whether traditional such as lighting candles or saying the Shabbat Kiddush over wine or something that has been developed more recently, and incorporate it into the 24 hours of Shabbat. Do it at the same time every week because part of the way that we come to observe Shabbat is through regular practice. When you have done this for a few weeks, add two more practices and limitations. You will eventually find your own level of Shabbat and your own way to celebrate it. Don’t worry if it doesn’t work every week. The success of Shabbat is not dependant on one week. It is a long term process. Shabbat will also be different for you at different times of your life and will be different if you celebrate it alone or with family and friends. I did not grow up with a traditional Shabbat, but the little my family did was the foundation for my own desire to celebrate a more traditional day. Take one day a week for yourself and for Creation.