On six days work may be done, but on the seventh day there will be a Sabbath of complete rest, a sacred occasion. No work should be done; it will be a Sabbath of God throughout your dwelling places (Leviticus 23:3).

This week in Parshat Emor, we are presented with a calendar of special occasions, days and weeks made holy by God. Shabbat is listed before any of the other festivals as a day of special significance marked by complete rest. Now more than ever, Shabbat is a sacred opportunity for us to mark time and to create for ourselves an environment of renewal and tranquility.

Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel wrote about the Sabbath not simply as a day but as an atmosphere. The space we occupy on Shabbat should be a small piece of paradise for us, and the hours of Shabbat are a holy time that bring us closer to our best selves and to God. During this time at home, may we hear the words of this week’s parshah as a sacred invitation to make our home on Shabbat different from the rest of the week. Let us fill our homes with the smell of challah (from whatever flour we have!), with the light of the Sabbath candles, with music and learning and the uncomplicated things that bring us relaxation and calm.

Wishing you a Shabbat of complete rest, twenty five hours of sweetness and peace.

— Cantor Emma Lutz