This week’s Torah portion is Yitro (Exodus 18:1-20:23) which contains the Ten Commandments. Each day, a member of the Wise clergy will share their insights on one of the commandments.
This week in Parshat Yitro, Moses receives the Ten Commandments from God for the first time. The fourth commandment, here written as “Remember the Sabbath and keep it sanctified,” appears again near the end of the Torah in Parshat V’aetchanan. The second time it appears, the wording is slightly altered—instead of “remember,” the text commands us directly to “observe the Sabbath day and keep it sanctified, as Your God has commanded you.”
There are small alterations in a few of the other Ten Commandments when they appear in Deuteronomy for the second time, but I always found this variation between remembering and observing Shabbat to be the most noteworthy. Our tradition understands that there have certainly been painful times throughout our Peoples’ history when it has been near impossible for us to observe Shabbat, knowing that just the memory of the sweetest and holiest day of our week will bring us comfort and a connection to God, to Torah, and to our People Israel.
Of course, we are living through challenging and uncertain times now, and yet, so many of us are lucky enough to be able to stay home safely and comfortably (even if not conveniently). How might we use this time at home to really lean into the practice of observing the Sabbath and keeping it holy? It need not be a time where we just remember Shabbat, but rather, a time when we can deeply connect to the ritual observances of the Sabbath to find a deeper sense of renewal within ourselves, to make special time for family, and to draw nearer to God through the rituals of candle lighting, challah baking, prayer, reading, reflection, music, and so much more…
This Shabbat, I hope you will lean into at least one mode of observing Shabbat at home. May we find great blessing, revitalization, and peace in our Sabbath.
Shabbat Shalom.
— Cantor Emma Lutz