Have I got a tale for you!  It comes from a book titled “My Jewish Year” by Adam Fisher: 

Many years ago there was a Roman emperor who loved to eat.  The emperor was friendly with a rabbi who loved to cook.  The rabbi invited the emperor to dinner on Shabbat (the Sabbath).  They ate a splendid meal of soup and vegetables and fish.  For dessert the rabbi served the most delicious pie the emperor had ever tasted.  When the emperor was finished, he thanked the rabbi and asked for the recipes.  The rabbi was happy to give them to him. During the week the emperor’s cook prepared all of the recipes, but the emperor was disappointed.  He complained to the rabbi, “The food does not taste as good as it did in your house on Shabbat.”  “Of course not,” replied the rabbi.  “The food did not have the Sabbath spice.” “But what is this Sabbath spice?” asked the emperor.  “Where can I buy it?”  The rabbi replied, “My friend, you cannot buy it.  The Sabbath spice comes from the special feeling of peace and rest on Shabbat which makes all food so much better!”[1]

            If only relations between Romans and Jews had been so amicable in ancient times!  Romans and Greeks persecuted the Jews for keeping the Sabbath.  Unlike modern America, where we expect to have a weekend- two full days off from our employment, a weekly day of rest had no parallel in ancient civilization.  The closest was the Babylonians who had a holiday called Shappatu, a day of rest observed during the monthly full moon.  However, Shappatu was not a sanctified day but regarded as unlucky.  Seneca, the Roman philosopher, wrote that spending every seventh day without doing anything wastes one seventh of your life, basically accusing Jews of laziness.

            The origin of Shabbat according to the Hebrew Scriptures extends far back to the creation of heaven and earth itself.  God created the world and all of its creatures in six days, and the seventh day He blessed as the Sabbath, declared it holy, and ceased from all the work of creation He had done. The Jewish tradition marks holidays from sundown to sundown because of the creation story.  In the book of Genesis it is written, “and there was evening, and there was morning, one day”.  So, traditional Jews begin at sundown on Friday and observe Shabbat through sundown on Saturday.

            Like many Unitarian Universalists, my parents are an interfaith couple.  My maternal side is Portuguese Catholic.  My paternal side is Jewish.  My parents were married by a Unitarian minister and began attending a Unitarian Universalist church when I was three.  I’ve always celebrated both Christian and Jewish holidays at least Hannukah and Christmas, Passover and Easter.  Once I went to college, I studied and experienced a fuller appreciation for the complete liturgical cycle of both traditions.  I feel a deep resonance with my Jewish heritage in particular.

            My great-grandfather, Alfred Freedman, was a Russian Jew.  After losing both his wife and children in Russia, he escaped to England and then immigrated to the United States where he settled in Brockton, Massachusetts.  He worked in a raincoat factory.  At the time, “The Walk-over Company” was the biggest shoe factory in Brockton.  My great grandfather Alfred made extra money by taking the shoes that were of second quality and selling them door-to-door.   Like the story of the unusual friendship between the rabbi and the roman emperor, Alfred Freedman became friendly with George Keith, a Gentile and the owner of “Walk-over”.  Mr. Keith even supported my great grandfather in starting his own business, which became Freedman Shoes.  My grandfather was not religious when he came to this country; he was a socialist.  As he grew older, he became quite religious.  When George Keith died, the funeral was held on the Sabbath.  My great grandfather felt obliged to pay his respect to the man who had shown him such kindness.  However, there is a prohibition against riding on Shabbat.   So, he did not go with the entourage.  Instead, he walked behind the funeral procession a couple of miles to the cemetery at once honoring his associate and observing his religious tradition.  Alfred Freedman gained respect from the community for this noble act.

            What is most difficult for non-Jews to understand are all the prohibitions that accompany an Orthodox observance of Shabbat.  You may have heard of Jews setting timers for lamps and appliances before sundown in preparation.  There are thirty-nine acts that are forbidden such as harvesting, baking, building, kindling a fire, and transporting.  What these acts hold in common is that each one is productive.  They are acts of labor even if performed in the home.  On Shabbat, one is to refrain from influencing the physical world.  This is why my great grandfather walked to the cemetery instead of riding.

            Rabbi Lawrence A. Hoffman rightly points out that even though honoring the Sabbath day is the fourth commandment, many people (including Jews) treat it as if there was an asterisk next to it.  Rabbi Hoffman writes that it’s as if most people say “Here are nine commandments—and a suggestion”.[2]

            Even though I feel a deep resonance with my Jewish heritage and I am very proud of my great-grandfather, I am not going to begin practicing an Orthodox observance of Shabbat.  However, the inclusion of the Sabbath in the Decalogue, the Ten Commandments, is not trivial.  The Bible outlines what it means to “Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy.”  This is the fourth commandment mentioned before the prohibitions against murder, adultery, theft, lying and covetousness.  More than a suggestion, it is a foundation of the Judeo-Christian tradition of which we are a part.

            So, what is this “Sabbath spice”?  What is the missing ingredient that cannot be bought but makes all food taste so much better?  How can we bring some of the qualities and intention of this age-old observance into our lives? 

            There are two key passages in the Hebrew Scriptures that refer to the Sabbath.  The first appears in Exodus and the second in Deuteronomy.  God instructs Moses “Remember the sabbath day and keep it holy.”  Deuteronomy reads “Observe the sabbath day and keep it holy, as the Lord your God has commanded to you.”  The difference in those passages is simply two words, “Remember” and “Observe”, zachor and shamor, in the original Hebrew.  Jewish scholars assert that the use of these two words, “Remember” and “Observe” is significant.  Shabbat requires both doing as well as refraining from doing things.

            Zachor: to remember  Jews are asked to remember the creation story; the wonder and goodness of the world, which sustains life.  During Shabbat, human beings emulate the divine example.  Like a painter stepping back from a completed canvas, human beings pause from labor to appreciate the goodness of living.  If God’s work can be set aside for a day of rest, how can we believe that our work is too important to set aside temporarily?  It is a way of remembering our place as human beings with inherent worth beyond our productive capacities.

            Zachor: to remember also connects Jews to our history.  In remembering slavery and the exodus from Egypt, freedom and rest becomes more precious still.  In remembering that our ancestors were slaves, rest is a sacred act not only for ourselves but for our children, employees, guests, and animals, as well.  In this way remembering the Sabbath is an active protest against materialism and competition.

            Shamor: to observe  I have already outlined some of the prohibitions of an Orthodox Shabbat.  There is value in placing some boundaries and limits in order to encounter the sacred.  This spiritual practice reminds us that we cannot do everything, no matter how worthy or important our goals.  Nor can we be everything to everyone.  So, by being intentional in our celebrations and allowing ourselves to experience the fullness of time, our souls are renewed.

            Shabbat is not only a day of rest, it is a day of holiness.  Just as God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy.  The Sabbath ritual includes specific mitzvoth, acts of piety to be conducted.  These acts are not merely performed, their purpose is to transform and sanctify the individual and the world.

            The traditions of Shabbat are quite moving.  The woman of the house lights the Sabbath candles, with a ritual gesture and spoken blessing.  Some people light one candle for each member of the family.  Every Friday evening the husband recites a love poem to his wife from Proverbs 31:  “A woman of valor who can find?  For her value is far above rubies”.  There is also a special blessing of the children by their parents.  There are blessings over the wine and bread so that eating itself becomes a religious act.  Orthodox and Conservative Jews attend services at the synagogue both Friday evening and Saturday morning.  The time around that is given for conversation, playing games, resting, and studying the Torah.

            As the sun sets on Saturday, there is a final mitzvah, an ending ritual.  Havdalah means “separation”, a prayer that separates Shabbat from the new week that is beginning.  The prayer asks that the sweetness of Shabbat be carried into the week ahead.  The final hope is that the peace of Shabbat fills the whole world.  It is said that if every Jew observed the Sabbath three times in his or her life, then the Messiah would come.  The experience of Shabbat is that of the world redeemed.  The family is brought back to the direct experience of health, abundance, knowledge, and justice, if only for a day.

            So, by all means stock up on the Sabbath spice!  Observe limits to your own activity, creating a time of rest when you can savor the pleasure of living.  Remember both your history and privilege—where your ancestors came from, the wonder of life itself and the goodness that sustains you.  Take a moment to say a blessing as you light a candle, recite a love poem to your romantic partner, place a hand on the brow of your children and bless them.  May an environment of peace and love in our own homes renew our souls, cleanse our hearts and empower us to bless the world.