Library > Shabbat > A Day of Rest
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Why do we observe the Shabbat?
Rabbi Shlomo Chein: Welcome. I'll be with you in a moment...what's on your mind?
Rosie: hi.. i'm 14 years old and i was wondering why we obserbe the Shabbos [Ed. note:
Rabbi Shlomo Chein: In the Aseres Hadibros [Ten commandments] there are two reasons given for Shabbos. Once it says to keep Shabbos becuase
Rosie: k..
Rosie: (just as a side question how does shabbas and miztrayim connect?)
Rabbi Shlomo Chein: (that is not a side question - that is what we are getting to :-)
Rabbi Shlomo Chein: tell me, do you ever go on trips?
Rosie: yes
Rabbi Shlomo Chein: have you ever gone somewhere and seen an artist at work - or a sculpturer or carpenter etc.?
Rosie: ya..tzfat [Safed]
Rabbi Shlomo Chein: kewl - that is a beautiful city!
Rabbi Shlomo Chein: so did you get to watch any of the artist or craftsman make their stuff?
Rosie: ya!!! :)Rabbi Shlomo Chein: did you notice how much attention they pay to their work?
Rosie: yup
Rabbi Shlomo Chein: and did they produce nice pieces of work?
Rosie: yes
Rabbi Shlomo Chein: were you impressed?
Rosie: yes
Rabbi Shlomo Chein: did you like Tzfat in general...all the mountains and hills?
Rosie: loved it!!!!! if it were up to me i would live there! (or at least somewhere in israel)
Rabbi Shlomo Chein: fantastic - maybe one day :-)
Rosie: :)
Rabbi Shlomo Chein: have you ever been to the ocean, or seen waterfalls
Rosie: yes
Rabbi Shlomo Chein: where?
Rosie: by the beach and in xxxxxxxxxx and in israel and in xxxxxxxxxxx
Rabbi Shlomo Chein: what is your favorite natural site you've seen?
Rosie: ein gedi
Rabbi Shlomo Chein: nice! I have been there too - loved it...
Rabbi Shlomo Chein: the world is one fantastic piece of art! Isn't it?
Rosie: ya..
Rabbi Shlomo Chein: and of course you know who the artist is ;-)
Rosie: yup
Rabbi Shlomo Chein: so G-d must be very busy concetrating on His beautiful masterpiece
Rosie: right..but it's not like it takes very much effort on His part
Rabbi Shlomo Chein: well true - for G-d is infinite, but it is of course impressive to look at all his magnificent work - deserts, mountains, oceans, rivers, canyons etc.
Rabbi Shlomo Chein: in other words, G-d is a very "High End" artist - he creates the most fantastic and sophisticated art
Rosie: right
Rabbi Shlomo Chein: ok... now let's get back to Shabbos.
Rosie: k...
Rabbi Shlomo Chein: at the beginning of Shabbos, and then again Shabbos morning one should sit down in a quite spot for a few moments and think of the two reasons we keep Shabbos... First, because G-d created the world... meaning you sit down and picture all the beautiful things in the world, all the oceans and beaches, mountains and valleys, hills and canyons etc. plus the sophistication of the world, how little seeds turn into big trees, and tiny ants know how to build big nests, and of course the sophistication of having babies... you think about this "art" and you take a moment to remember the artist!
Rabbi Shlomo Chein: it is like seeing beautiful paintings on a wall that trully impress you. Then one day you go to Tzfat and you meet the person who makes it, and you are in awe, you say "wow, aha, YOU are the one that makes all those beautiful things"
Rabbi Shlomo Chein: during the week you see and are involved with all of G-d's art, and on shabbos you meet G-d and you say wow, YOU are the one that makes all of this!
Rabbi Shlomo Chein: but that is not all!
Rabbi Shlomo Chein: now that you are amazed by G-d's "ability" and "artwork" your remeber the second reason given for Shabbos "He took us out of Egypt"
Rosie: k..still..how does that connect 2 shabbas?
Rabbi Shlomo Chein: this wonderful "artist", this magnificent G-d, takes time to pay attention to YOU. Out of everything that is going on, and all that he is doing, he stops and remembers YOU. So Shabbos doesn't just tell you that there is a G-d, a creator - it tells you that that G-d and creator, that artist, thinks and cares about YOU. He cares about what YOU do!
Rabbi Shlomo Chein: you sit and think about it. Imagine, this artist of all of creation cares what I eat on a daily basis! He cares how I dress. He is concerend with how i interact with other peopleRosie: wait..how does shabbas give that message?
Rabbi Shlomo Chein: the first reason shows the magnificence of G-d - creation of the world. The second reason shows his interaction and involvment with us in this world - he reorganized nature to take us of Egypt, and he took us out of Egypt to ask us to do things for Him
Rosie: k..got it..thanx
Rabbi Shlomo Chein: and so G-d says, keep the Shabbos, to realize how great I am, and the point of realizng how great I am is to realize how great He is the one who cares for YOU!
Rabbi Shlomo Chein: when one thinks about this EVERY shabbos, one has a strong love and appreciation for Hashem. One gets a strong sense of comfort that is all is being taken care of. One realizes there is direction in this world and things don't happen randomly. And beyond all that one feels that all of the hustle and bustle of the world is directed by a G-d who loves ME
Rosie: and the point of all the restriction is 2 help us realize and concentrate on this..right?
Rosie: sounds good...
Rabbi Shlomo Chein: The restrictions are a)to help us have time to sit down and think about these things. b) so we can look away for a moment from the piece of art and get to know the artist HImeself
Rosie: k...i hate doign this cuz i hate stopping in the middle of conversations when ther's still more i want 2 know but i have to go to an appointment in 10 minutes so i have to go but thanx so much for all of this..it really helped..i'll let u know how this shabbas was with all this
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