Beginners Guide To Judaism

Does It Matter If I Start Observing Shabbat Now or Later in Life?

Discover why observing Shabbat is central to Judaism.

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The commandment of observing Shabbat is unlike other mitzvot in the Torah. Its uniqueness lies in the fact that Hashem defined it as the sign of the covenant of faithfulness between Himself and the Jewish people. Our belief that Hashem created the world is manifested in Shabbat, which is why observing Shabbat serves as a testament to our faith in the Creator of the world. The Torah states: "The children of Israel shall keep the Shabbat, to observe the Shabbat throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant. Between Me and the children of Israel it is a sign forever for in six days Hashem made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He ceased and rested" (Exodus 31:16-17). Thus, the observance of the Shabbat covenant signifies the loyalty of a Jew to Hashem. Consequently, desecrating Shabbat is, in essence, a betrayal of Hashem and a declaration of disbelief that the world was created by the God of Israel; for if they truly believed, they would certainly uphold the Creator’s commandment to cease work on the holy Shabbat.

Rambam, one of the greatest halachic authorities, writes, "Shabbat and idolatry are each equivalent to the entire Torah. Shabbat is the sign between Hashem and us forever. Therefore, one who publicly desecrates Shabbat is like one who worships idols, and they are both considered idolaters in every respect" (Mishneh Torah, Laws of Shabbat, Chapter Thirty). That is to say, both a Shabbat desecrator and an idolater are regarded as non-Jews. No other Torah commandment describes a Jew as equivalent to a non-Jew except for idolatry and Shabbat desecration.

The severity of not keeping Shabbat is such that it leads to the spiritual excision of a Jew's soul from Israel. A Jew who does not observe Shabbat essentially declares that he does not believe in the God of Israel and the Torah of Israel. Consequently, he himself causes his spiritual soul to become disconnected from the spiritual realm reserved solely for the souls of Israel. He causes his soul, the high spiritual component that exists only in Jews, to be cut off. Therefore, a Shabbat violator severs the higher part of his soul that exists only in the Jewish people, and loses his place in the eternal world, which is an eternal death for the soul in the world to come.

The Torah states: "You shall keep the Shabbat, for it is holy to you. Those who desecrate it shall surely be put to death, for whoever does work on it, his soul shall be cut off from among his people" (Exodus 31:14). The holy Zohar says: "A person who desecrates the Shabbat has no share in the people of Israel" (Volume 2, Page 205b).

When a Jew who does not observe Shabbat repents and begins to keep Shabbat, his sin is erased, he restores his soul to its original place, and he becomes a covenant partner of Hashem.

This Week's Challenge

Stop telling yourself, "One day, in the future, I will keep Shabbat." Every passing Shabbat is counted in the tally of Shabbats you have not kept. Begin observing Shabbat starting from the upcoming Shabbat.

Want to keep or print the file 'First Steps in Keeping Shabbat'? Click hereto download the file.

Read more:

"I realized no matter how hard I tried, it would always clash": 5 people who gave up world fame for one reason

My First Shabbat | 10 people reveal – "This is what made me decide to keep Shabbat for the first time"

From the series '70 Tough Questions in Judaism'If Shabbat is a day of rest, why are there so many restrictions??

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תגיות:JudaismShabbatObservance

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