Where has this week vanished? Is it lost forever?
Will I ever recover anything from it?
The joy of life, the unexpected victory,
The realized hope, the task accomplished?
WillI I ever be able to banish the memory of pain,
The sting of defeat, the heaviness of boredom?
On this day let me keep for a while what must drift away.
On this day let me be free of the burdens that must return.
On this day, Shabbat, abide.
— Rabbi David Polish (1910-1995)
Books have a magical way of opening to the pages we need most. Often, when I pick up our beautiful prayer book, Mishkan T’filah, I open to Kabbalat Shabbat and land on this perfect reading by Rabbi Polish. It so beautifully captures the chol — or the mundane nature — of the week in contrast to the power of Shabbat kodesh, the holiness of the Sabbath.
The week is slowing down. So much has been accomplished and so much work is left to be done. Allow yourself to take advantage of the invitation from our tradition to slow down, to reflect, to recharge. We will pick up the work, the joy, the pain, and the progress once more, but for now, let us welcome in the Sabbath as an opportunity for refreshment and renewal.
On this day, Shabbat, abide.
—Cantor Emma Lutz