Shabbat Guidelines

"Labor is a craft, but perfect rest is an art." ¹

When we think of keeping Shabbat, many of us envision restraints on our lives and many annoying prohibitions. In focusing on the forbidden acts, though, we miss the "blessings of delight,"² and the "sense of unutterable peace, soul-calm, and tranquility"³ that Shabbat traditionally has offered the Jewish people.

Shabbat traditionally has been envisioned as a day of creative rest, a sanctuary in time designed to help us rise above the pressures of daily existence, to experience self- fulfillment and the realization of what makes life worthwhile. In addition, Shabbat is envisioned as a day during which human beings and nature are to live together harmoniously, a day in which each of us can be most connected to our inner selves, our family, our community, and our physical environment.

We acknowledge that the traditional observance of Shabbat presents the modern Jew with many dilemmas. For example, the Orthodox prohibition against riding or driving is difficult for many to observe. Similarly, a basic tenet of Shabbat is to refrain from labor. However, some of us must work. Yet, as a community, we still seek to keep Shabbat holy, a special day apart from the rest. At Adat Shalom, we are committed to respecting those whose Shabbat observance conforms with traditional practice, but we also encourage an acceptance of new forms of Shabbat observance. We believe that our congregation can provide a context for members to develop an ongoing and evolving relationship with Shabbat.

The Adat Shalom Shabbat Study Group outlined a number of Shabbat guidelines, stated positively rather than in the language of prohibition. These guidelines are intended to serve our community in ensuring that Shabbat will continue to be a potent influence in sanctifying and beautifying Jewish life.⁴ These include:

• recognizing and welcoming the arrival of Shabbat on Friday night. Examples include saying the blessings over the wine and challah; lighting Shabbat candles; eating a festive meal with family and friends; reflecting during a moment of silence on Shabbat's arrival; wishing someone a "Shabbat Shalom";
  
  
• attending communal worship to connect with other Jews celebrating Shabbat and to take advantage of the opportunity for prayer, study, and reflection;
  
  
• participating in communal gatherings on Shabbat. The Shabbat spirit emanates from the special feelings that arise from unfettered time spent with family, friends, and community. Examples of ways to engender this spirit include (a) periodic one-day retreats, or Shabbatons, following the Onegs, (b) discussion groups; (c) sharing a Shabbat meal together, (d) short group hikes; and (e) spending time in each other's homes;
  
  
• enhancing one's self-fulfillment through creative self-expression and healthful play. Such activities as noncompetitive athletics and hobbies would best be pursued at times other than those reserved for communal worship;
  
  
• reflecting on Judaism and Jewish topics. Reading the Torah portion, Jewish texts, or Jewish literature are just some examples;
  
  
• facilitating celebration of Shabbat in the home. For example, we encourage participants at our Shabbat pot luck dinners to find a way to review the meaning -- religious or personal -- of the home rituals to help those who are not familiar with them appreciate their significance. In addition, the singing of Zimrot, listening to Jewish music, and dancing are ways to bring the joy of Shabbat into the home; and
  
  
• enhancing our appreciation of nature and God's universe. We can do this formally with outdoor services and meditations on the environment and informally by taking nature hikes, going to the zoo, or sitting outside.

On Shabbat, the good is not to have but to be. Therefore, on this day, we want to emphasize the value of each human life by relating to one another without transacting business when at all possible.

We at Adat Shalom encourage each member to develop an ongoing appreciation for the blessings of Shabbat by making it comfortable to enhance one's exposure to traditional customs as well as to experiment with creative and new forms of Shabbat observance.

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1. Abraham Joshua Heschel, The Shabbat: Its Meaning for Modern Man (New York: Harper Torchbooks, 1966).

2. Ibid.

3. Richard Siegel, Michael Strassfeld, and Sharon Suwfeld, eds., The First Jewish Catalogue (Philadelphia: The Jewish Publication Society of America, 1973).

4. Reconstructionist Press, A Guide to Jewish Ritual (New York: Reconstructionist Press, 1962).

These guidelines, adopted by the Adat Shalom board on 19 April 1992 (16 Nissan 5752) and then by the congregation as a whole on 14 June 1992 (13 Sivan 5752), are the product of a process that included a communal study of traditional sources and subsequent in-depth special study by topical subgroups. The subgroups formulated draft statements of principles and more detailed guidelines. Members of our congregation were invited to provide input on these guidelines throughout the year-long process.