A Sacred Time

With the ongoing effect that the virus has on all of us collectively, it has been a humbling experience for every sector across society. One of the primary lessons we have learned has been to appreciate the time in our lives. Indeed, our time is finite, and we as people are finite beings. In the past, we may have been so caught up in the daily grind and may have not utilized our time most productively. I believe as we reassess the most fundamental aspect of our lives, it is essential to ask ourselves, is our time in this world infused with goodness and Godliness?

There is a lengthy section in this week’s Parsha about the gift that we received to infuse our time in this manner. The Parsha teaches us about the various sacred times in Jewish life and begins with the Shabbos. It is folly to believe that the purpose of Shabbos is simply to rest because G-d rested. After all, G-d doesn’t need to rest since He is an infinite being! Rather, the Rabbis have taught us that the Rest that is related to G-d is a far different concept. It means that after six days of creation, the world was complete in a materialistic way. There were mountains and valleys, oceans and rivers and even lions, tigers and bears (oh my!). There was also the creation of Adam and Eve. Yet, the world was an empty shell as there was a limited manifestation of G-d’s presence. With the arrival of Shabbos, there was a manifestation of G-d’s presence in the world. This manifestation of Godliness was not limited to the first Shabbos in history. Rather, every single Shabbos, there is another opportunity to tap into this sacred space in time. One cannot overstate the incredible gift of Shabbos as we have the chance every week to elevate and infuse the precious time in our lives with meaning and purpose. Let us pay attention to this gift and realize how fortunate we are to have the Shabbos in our lives.