A Testimony to G-d

The raw elements of the universe that G-d created are for the most part non-utilitarian. G-d created man and charged him with the responsibility of reshaping this nature so that it would better provide for man’s needs.. From the beginning of time men have struggled to manipulate the forces of nature.
 
We uprooted soil in order to plant. We have hunted animals in order to eat. We have chopped wood in order to cook, build fires and home. These manipulations grow more and more sophisticated by the decade. Today, we can irrigate deserts, transplant hearts, fly to outer space and even control the flow of rivers and oceans.
 
Time and time again we pit our ingenuity and intelligence against nature and gain mastery over them. We seek to harness its raw power and remold it so that it would better serve the needs of mankind. 
 
This endeavor is not without risks. The most profound of these risks is spiritual. We risk viewing ourselves as the master of destiny and forgetting that G-d alone is the true master. That he alone is the arbitrator of the universe, and all that are in it.
 
G-d foresaw this possibility and gave us the Shabbos to help safeguard against this possibility.
 
On Shabbos we are commanded to refrain from specific kinds of work. There are Thirty-nine categories of Melachos (work) that are biblically forbidden on the day of Shabbos. These thirty-nine categories seem, at first, to be a fragmented, or at least disjointed, group.
 
However, upon analysis, one will realize that it is in fact a highly organized and consistent method of observance. The common denominator between the categories is the question of human mastery over nature.
 
Sowing, planting, hunting and baking are only a few of the work categories that are forbidden on Shabbos. These activities transform an object, or substance, from its original state and re-tailor it according to our needs.
 
The Biblical term Melacha does not apply to physical exertion. We are permitted to exert ourselves in all manner of work as long as we don’t alter the original course of nature.
 
On the day of Shabbos we exercise our covenant with G-d. We rest from the effort of dominating nature and mastering our world. We come to recognize, and proclaim, G-d’s ultimate mastery over the universe that he created.

An Influence over the Entire Week

Although the six days of work indicate our involvement with the world and the seventh day of rest symbolizes our submission to G-d, our weekly cycle, nevertheless, binds the two concepts together. Our week is not made of six-day intervals and a seventh day of Shabbos but of a single cycle of seven days.
 
The Torah also indicates that it is possible to bring these two concepts together. “Six days you shall work and on the seventh day you rest”. Notice how the contrary concepts of working and resting (asserting our mastery over the world and recognizing that of G-d’s) appear together in the very same verse.
 
The proper observance of Shabbos does in fact bring these two concepts together. When we stop to recognize G-d on this day, our week emerges in a new light. We begin to recognize, even during the week, that G-d truly is the master behind our work.
 
Through Shabbos we realize that it is G-d who implants the ideas and imparts the talent and ability, that enables us to master our world. Accomplishments that have hitherto been attributed to the creativity of mankind are henceforth attributed to G-d.
 
Shabbos helps us make the connection between the world in which we live and the G-d in whom we believe. On Shabbos we find a fusion with G-d that triggers a deep commitment, dedication and love.

A Day of Holiness

The day of Shabbos is called Yom Kaddosh – a holy day. Our sages tell us that on this day every Jew receives a Neshama Yeseira- an additional measure of spiritual strength.
 
The Zohar teaches that on the day of Shabbos the entire universe is uplifted. This relates not only to the physical realm but also to the spiritual realm. The heavenly angels and spheres are all elevated by one level on the day of Shabbos.
 
This elevation of the spiritual worlds creates a domino effect. When the first level ascends to a higher plane it vacates is previous position and allows for the second level to take its original place.
 
The effect continues down the ladder of spirituality and enters our realm as well. On the day of Shabbos every Jew is given an additional measure of holiness and piety to help him serve G-d.
 
For this reason the Talmud tells us that the fires of purgatory cease to burn for the duration of Shabbos. On a mundane level the Talmud assures us that even the ignorant and lay people feel the unique significance of Shabbos. They attempt to correct the error of their ways for the duration of this day.
 
We can now appreciate the value of this most important of Jewish Mitzvahs. It has a beneficial effect on so many levels. It improves our commitment to Judaism, our communal worship and our recognition of G-d. Most important of all, it enhances the power of our soul.