Two Questions about Shabbat
When it comes to Shabbat we all of have our own personal grievances about the many prohibitions of the special day. While trying to make sense of it all, we sometimes assume that these prohibitions were put forth for a civilization long past; a civilization without the technological advances of our day, where so many previously difficult processes can now be completed with a snap of a finger or flip of a switch. For example, starting a fire in the middle of the dessert with two sticks was not the easiest thing 2000 years ago - one would be totally exhausted and sweaty after starting such a fire. That is why the casual observer might erroneously think that the Torah forbids it on Shabbat. But in our time, where, in half a second, one can light a cigarette with a lighter, one may not think that lighting such a flame would be considered breaking the concept of resting on Shabbat. After all, this activity requires virtually no exertion of energy. So the question arises: if Shabbat is about resting, why do we have to abstain from lighting a flame, or any of the other prohibitions on Shabbat when they require such little physical effort?

Interestingly enough, we find that the first time that Shabbat was kept, it was kept by God himself, as if to say, He “got tired” from creating the universe. But wait a minute! How can Hashem, the Almighty King of Kings, the Infinite Being, need rest, and how can He get tired? Isn’t He supposed to be the All-powerful limitless being that rules the world?

To provide answers to these two perfectly valid questions, one must understand the concepts of Shabbat and its connection to the observance of it. With this we will see that both questions can immediately be answered.

Lost In Translation

There are two concepts of Shabbat that are commonly used when relating to the prohibitions of the day; rest and work. The English word, rest, is usually understood as something desired after some sort of intensive activity, something required in order to further continue that activity. The Hebrew word used for ‘Shabbat-type’ rest is shav, meaning to hold back or return; there is nothing actually lacking in the subject, but rather he chooses to refrain from an activity. So in essence, when the Torah says that God "rested", it does not, heaven-forbid, mean that He was tired and needed rest, for that would be heretical to put a limit on The Infinite, but rather that He chose to refrain from His ‘work’.

As God completed the creation of heavens and earth, the final creation was Shabbat, as the Torah tells us "On the seventh day God finished the work which He had been doing, and He ceased [rested] on the seventh day from all the work which He had done. And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, because on it God ceased [rested] from all the work of creation which He had done."²

So exactly what type of work does the Torah say that God rested from on the seventh day? The English word for work is understood as the physical energy exerted during an act (Work=Force*Distance for you science buffs). By a simple reading of the verses one understands that He abstained from creating the universe. So it is easy to see that melachah, Hebrew for work, refers to the kind of work that is creative, or that exercises control, domination or manipulation over the physical realm. From an analysis of many of the types of "work" prohibited on Shabbat, it becomes clear that the overlying principle is to abstain from creative acts. Take our previous example of lighting a flame, regardless of if you created a flame with wooden sticks 2000 years ago or with a stainless steel Zippo lighter today; a flame is still being created. It can now be seen that it is not heretical to say that God “rested” on the seventh day. The Torah is not saying that God physically got tired, but rather He held himself back from further creative activities.

One concept we can all relate to is that of joy and delight that we are to partake in during Shabbat, and so we might think these precepts were put in place so we do not physically exert ourselves. However, that is not the case. Technically speaking, you can break a sweat moving your sofa up and down your stairs many times without violating Shabbat. However, by a simple flip of a switch, you can create a flame and actually violate Shabbat.

We must realize that in order for Shabbat to be the spiritual bliss described by our sages as "a taste of heaven"3, its precepts must surpass the physical realm and touch the spiritual realm. It would be illogical to think the true essence of Shabbat could be felt by simply focusing on the physically strenuous activities done by our bodies and ignoring the mental and spiritual serenity obtained from abstaining from creative acts. Without this understanding, Shabbat can mistakenly become something mundane and physical where the self and the body become the prime focus, neglecting the the mind and soul.

Although we should all appreciate that physical rest is part of the spirit of Shabbat, we must understand that it is the psychological and spiritual rests that are its true essence.  With this, we can comprehend that by mimicking our Creator and abstaining from creative acts on the seventh day we can elevate ourselves and break through the barrier of physicality that we are so accustomed to being stuck in.

So who's really in control?
During the week we act as if we control the world -- creating, building, destroying and maintaining our surroundings. By holding back our creative efforts once a week, we acknowledge that we do not own our world. For one day out of the week, we openly testify that our world is God's domain. With this understanding, Shabbat goes from being a mundane ritual to a different state-of-mind, where we free ourselves from all the energies that usually hold us back from connecting to our source. Regardless of whether spending the time in services or at home, Shabbat becomes a day where all distractions are cast aside, allowing for a connection to our families, ourselves and ultimately our Creator. May we all be fortunate enough to use the Shabbat experience to its fullest potential.