And so, two calendars
clashed: one recent, the other, ancient. One is based on the acquisition of knowledge in an
institution of higher learning. The other is outlined in the text of the Torah,
and still followed by many Jews around the world, whether by simply
acknowledging the time when we observe Shabbat, or by lighting candles,
reciting the kiddush, blessing the Challah, joining a congregation in worship
or finding a way to truly rest for one day of the week.
The observance of Shabbat should be
familiar to anyone in the greater community with a moderate awareness of the
content of the Bible, or even with knowledge of only the 10 Commandments. For most people in the world for whom
the Bible is Scripture, the day of rest was moved to coincide with “the Lord’s
Day,” so Sunday took on some of the practices of the biblical Sabbath.
In any
case, in the modern world, it is we of the Jewish community who mark the 7th
day as Shabbat AND who also observe the holiday calendar according to the
schedule presented in the Torah.
Those basic facts most of us already know.
So why is this calendar different from all other calendars?
The answer is that it is only partially because of time.
Other peoples in the Ancient
Near East, especially the Babylonians, may have used 7 as a common marker of
time.
For the ancient Israelites and the Jewish
people, that time period of seven days took on a new and deeper meaning through
the designation of Shabbat as a day of rest.
Other peoples in the Ancient Near East
celebrated spring in some way through rituals that related to agriculture and
raising animals.
For the ancient Israelites and Jews of all generations,
spring’s theme of renewal was embodied in the story of the Israelite Exodus
from Egypt. Our ancestors were, at first, free. They became enslaved and moved to freedom, and then on to
Sinai, where they would receive the teachings and rules that would keep them
connected and committed for centuries.
So what do we learn from the Israelite holiday
cycle that is not embodied in the Gregorian calendar by which we measure
birthdays, secular holidays, fiscal years, and the beginning and end of the four
seasons?
Leviticus Chapter 23 outlines the Israelite
holiday calendar, one of several passages in the Torah to do so. I will be reading in a few moments the
verses that focus on Shabbat and Pesach.
Even that short section sets apart those observances as holy and
different from all the other days of our lives.
We learn from these verses in Leviticus that we are
not to engage in any creative enterprise on Shabbat. We are not to work at our occupations on Pesach. Why? Because we are not our work. We are not what we create. The fruits of our labors and ingenuity do have a lot to say
about who we are. They are,
however, a reflection of our essence. On Shabbat and holidays, it is that essence that we
have an opportunity to explore. Even if we find it necessary to engage in some work
on those days, the message remains clear.
Take time out. Find out who
you really are. Try to
discover your essence by stepping out of your routine long enough to allow your
thoughts, your dreams, and your values
to come to the surface and inspire you. Be with your family and your community so that you can
remember the greater whole of which you are a part. Add your voice in prayer and song without ego and with a
depth of spirit. Give what
is within you a chance to emerge for a short time, so that you will know
yourself better as the new week begins. Let rest and renewal define and redefine you in a way
that will demonstrate your ability to learn and to grow.
Leviticus Chapter 23 directed the Israelites
not to come empty-handed to their celebration of Pesach. They were called upon to bring an
ISHEH- an offering by fire. In certain
other instances in the Torah which mention the fire on the altar, the rabbis
relate that altar flame to the fire that is inside each of us. So what is our offering that we
present that represents our internal flame? We may give
something of that fire when we join our community in prayer. That fire can be our passion for learning
and leadership. It can be our
dedication to Israel the state and to Israel the people. That fire can be in the warmth that we
show one another when we give others support and hope through genuine concern
and by extending a helping hand.
It can signify our desire to grow spiritually by being in this place. It
can find expression when we look east to the mountains, or when we enjoy a
nearby desert landscape as we connect with creation. The offering by fire can foster and build community
when it comes from the depths of our souls.
One aspect that various calendars have in common
is that they come back around on themselves. They repeat week after week, month after month, year after
year. That repetition does not
mean that the people who follow the calendar are the same as they were even a
year before. Within Judaism, it is
not just every year that sees each of us become new in some way. Every week in Jewish practice is a
rebirth because of Shabbat. Every
Pesach hopefully brings humanity closer to the freedom for which we all
strive. Because of this
notion of renewal, we can ask ourselves: what steps did we take forward this
week for our own benefit and to benefit others? What steps did we take backward? How did we grow?
How did we learn from our mistakes? And as we observe our festival of freedom year after
year, Judaism calls on us to consider what it means to be free. On both Shabbat and Passover, all
people are equal. Everyone present
in the community is bound to rest and to mark the holiday. Servants don’t work; the stranger or
guest in the community joins his or her hosts in observing the rituals of the
day. On Pesach, the Haggadah
reminds us that all who are hungry should have the chance to come and eat with
us. Shabbat and our holidays
direct us to open our eyes to the realities of the world outside and to the
values we hold inside so that we can sustain goodness within ourselves and
offer the gift of our fire and passion for justice and freedom to those who may
be mired in hopelessness.
So why is this calendar different from all other
calendars? Because it’s not just
about days and dates, times and seasons.
It is about how we can move ourselves up with each passing week and
year, as if walking up a spiral staircase of Torah towards a higher place where
we can find our best selves. We can ascend and join with the One who makes
peace in the highest heavens in bringing that SHALOM, completeness and
wholeness, to our own lives and to all people who can benefit from our concern,
our support, and our kindness.
May these values be the basis upon which we mark our days, weeks, months
and years.
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