Keys to Life: Discover the Joy, Peace, and Power Behind Shabbat

One of the most respected and cherished commandments in Judaism is Shabbat. To the outside observer, it can seem restrictive and burdensome, but when viewed through a deeper and more truthful lens, one discovers that beyond its spiritual greatness, Shabbat offers tremendous benefits in this world as well. For anyone who observes it properly, it becomes a powerful source of joy, meaning, and renewal in five major areas:

1. Physical and emotional rejuvenation
2. Pleasure and enjoyment through intentional rest
3. Strengthening of family bonds
4. Significant improvement in children's upbringing
5. A spiritual dimension of blessing in livelihood and business

While the fifth benefit stems from the mystical roots of Shabbat, the first four flow directly from the practical rhythm and structure of the day.

Shabbat offers a perfect example of what we might call "pleasurable limitation"- a deliberate pause from certain activities we’d normally do, which creates a space for deeper enjoyment and connection.

This also helps explain a mystery that many wonder about: How is it possible that people who keep Shabbat properly often describe it as a highlight of their week, radiating happiness and peace? Isn’t it full of restrictions? What is Shabbat really, restrictive or pleasurable?

To understand this, let’s take a glimpse into the home of someone who fully observes Shabbat and try to experience it from the inside.

A Friday Afternoon Transformation

Friday arrives. The home is alive with preparation. Favorite dishes are cooking, and their delicious aromas mix with the buzz of last-minute arrangements. A white tablecloth is spread out, beautifully braided challah is placed beneath a decorative cover, and the Shabbat candles are set, ready to be lit. Everyone dresses in their finest. The Shabbat hotplate is arranged, and the timer is set to handle the lights automatically so that no switches are touched once Shabbat begins.

As candle-lighting time approaches, there’s a quiet anticipation- an almost tangible tension as everyone races the clock. A public announcement rings out across the religious neighborhood, and then the candles are lit. The tension vanishes. A Jewish mother whispers a heartfelt prayer for the health and peace of her husband and children. She opens her eyes, smiles warmly at the little ones gathered around her, and softly says, “Shabbat Shalom.” A loving kiss follows.

Peace and Presence

The house grows quiet. Dad and the boys head to synagogue. Mom relaxes and reads, listens attentively to her children, and gives them more of her attention than they’re accustomed to during the week. No media or phones. Just calm, love, and connection.

Later, there’s a knock at the door. Dad returns, radiating calm. Is this the same father who’s usually exhausted and preoccupied with work? He looks like a king.

The Shabbat Table Experience

Everyone gathers for Kiddush (the traditional blessing over wine), singing together: “Peace be upon you, angels of peace…”
Then comes the song “A Woman of Valor”- a poetic tribute to the wife and mother who builds her home with love, strength, and wisdom: “A woman of valor, who can find? Her worth is far beyond pearls...Her children rise and call her blessed; her husband praises her…Charm is deceptive and beauty fleeting, but a woman who reveres G-d is to be praised…”

Kiddush begins. The wine sparkles in the cup. A sense of sacredness fills the room. “Blessed are You, Lord…Creator of the fruit of the vine. Blessed are You…who sanctified us with His commandments and gave us His holy Shabbat in love…”

Even the baby crying at just the “wrong” moment can’t break the magic of the scene. Hearts are full.

Dinner follows, with food prepared ahead of time, lively songs, and warm conversation. No business talk, stress or worries- after all, it’s Shabbat. As the verse says, “Refrain from pursuing your business and speaking about it” (Isaiah 58:13).

Dad tells a story or shares a thought on the weekly Torah portion. The three-year-old proudly shows off the letters he learned that week, and his five-year-old brother already knows how to read. They ask questions. Sing songs. Argue a little. Dad becomes the peacemaker. No one’s in a rush. No one’s glued to their phone. Everyone has time for everyone.

Later there may be a walk to visit friends, a quiet family game, a Torah class, or just some good rest.

The Flow of the Day

In the morning, there’s a beautiful Shabbat prayer service and the public Torah reading. Over the course of a year, those who attend synagogue each week will have heard the entire Torah.

Afterward, there’s another Kiddush, more food, more songs and insights. Then some downtime: a nap, a walk, quality time with the children, a heart-to-heart with your spouse, or a Torah class. This is what Shabbat delight looks like.

As the day draws to a close, there’s the third meal, evening prayers, and finally Havdalah- the ceremony that marks Shabbat’s end, with wine, spices, and candlelight. Why spices? Because it’s hard to leave the soulful elevation of Shabbat and return to the workweek grind, and so the scent softens the transition.

Why It Doesn’t Feel Like a Burden

Once you experience even a modest version of this rhythm- even in a secular environment- it’s hard to see Shabbat as a “limitation.” Sure, you don’t do everything you’d do during the week. But those boundaries are what create the magic. It’s like entering a royal palace: the formal dress code, the quiet decorum, even the no-smoking signs- all of it heightens the sense of honor and awe.

This also explains why, when someone asks a Shabbat observer, “But don’t you miss going to the beach on Saturdays?” they often smile with quiet pity. Deep inside, it feels like being offered a bowl of lentil stew in exchange for a royal crown. Sure, the stew smells great, but giving up the crown? Not a chance.

Can’t I Just Do Those Things Another Day?

Nothing forbidden on Shabbat is forbidden forever. Everything can be done during the rest of the week. An individual beginning their journey toward Shabbat observance can simply shift those activities to Friday or Sunday. One day a week, we step away from work as a testimony to our belief in a Creator.

The payoff is a day of real rest for body and soul. Meals are prepped in advance. No laundry. No errands. Not even switching lights on and off- your Shabbat timer handles that. No stress from news alerts or endless calls about money and business. One day a week, you’re free. One day a week, you’re king.

It’s no surprise that by Wednesday, you’re already looking forward to the next Shabbat.

The Spiritual Dimension

The Zohar, Judaism’s mystical text, describes Shabbat in elevated terms. On this day, the souls of the righteous are said to delight in spiritual pleasures, and a special energy- a “second soul”- is given to all who observe it. This energy brings deep rest, and dissolves inner tension, judgment, and emotional burdens.

Even one’s livelihood is blessed through Shabbat, as the Torah says: “And God blessed the seventh day.” According to Kabbalistic thought, there are seven spiritual days corresponding to the physical week. The seventh of Shabbat acts like a central spring, channeling blessing and abundance into the six weekdays, like water flowing from a fountain to surrounding pools.

Shabbat as the Soul of the Week

In Jewish mysticism, the number six represents the physical world- six directions of north, south, east, west, up, and down. Seven symbolizes the soul- the spiritual core within the physical. Just as a body without a soul eventually falls apart, so too does a workweek without a spiritual center.

This is the deeper meaning of the famous line from the Friday night hymn “Lecha Dodi”: “Come, beloved, let us welcome the Shabbat, for she is the source of blessing.”

That blessing isn’t measured in money alone, but in peace, meaning, joy, and the ability to enjoy what you already have. This is the real wealth that Shabbat brings.