From the Jewish people, I am learning a respect for the holiness of time. It is something celebrated and observed more than any other religion. The Jewish observance of time seems to be almost as appreciated as their regard for Torah. Do they understand something about YHWH that I do not?
Abraham Joshua Heschel writes, "Judaism is a religion of time aiming at the sanctification of time. Unlike the space-minded man to whom time is unvaried, iterative, homogeneous, to whom all hours are alike, qualitiless, empty shells, the Bible senses the diversified character of time. There are no two hours alike. Every hour is unique and the only one given at the moment, exclusive and endlessly precious." He continues, "When history began, there was only one holiness in the world, holiness in time. When at Sinai the wod of God was about to be voiced, a call for holiness in man was proclaimed: "You shall be unto me a holy people." It was only after the people had succumbed to the temptation of worshiping a thing, a golden calf, that the erection of a Tabernacle, of holiness in space, was commanded. The sanctity of time came first, the sanctity of man came second, and the sanctity of space last. Time was hallowed by God; space, the Tabernacle, was consecrated by Moses."
And so I pass on the Shabbat Amida Blessing:
Those who celebrate Shabbat rejoice in Your kingship, hallowing the
seventh day, calling it delight. All of them truly enjoy Your goodness. For
it pleased You to sanctify the seventh day, calling it the most desirable day,
a reminder of creation.
Thus it is written in Your Torah:
The heavens and the earth, and all they contain, were completed. On the seventh day
God finished the work which He had been doing; He ceased on the seventh day
from all the work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and called
it holy, because on it He ceased from all His work of creation.
Our God and God of our ancestors, accept our Shabbat offering of rest. Add
holiness to our lives with Your mitzvot and let Your Torah be our portion.
Fill our lives with Your goodness, and gladden us with Your triumph.
Cleanse our hearts and we shall serve You faithfully. Lovingly and
willingly, Lord our God, grant that we inherit Your holy gift of Shabbat
forever, so that Your people Israel who hallow Your name will always find
rest on this day. Praised are You, Lord who hallows Shabbat.
Let us love work so much that we must be commanded to rest, and let us love this hallowed day of rest, a holy time. Shabbat Shalom
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