When the Shadows of Shabbat Descend

Soon, the shadows of Shabbat will fall upon our doorways.. Friday afternoons are my most magical time of the week - the dusk of transition from doing to being, week into weekend, the arrival of the sabbath queen - in slow motion.

The Sabbath doesn’t just happen. It takes intentions and effort to bring it on. And it took historical priority to ensure its survival. Nehemiah - our current focus below the bible belt may have had something to do with that.

But before we get to him:

What are the most important features of jewish life - the ones worth fighting for, defending, protecting and celebrating?

Over the many generations there have been different responses to this question and today very different Jewish voices speak up for values that may not be on the same page at all - especially when it comes to political realities, complex loyalties, and navigating the narrow bridge between particular and universal love - tribal and global - my people and all people - how can we we truly be with, and stand for, and defend both or more positions while still having a strong meaningful voice?

For some Jews these days - the holy land is the most important value worth fighting for. For others - it is human life. For some, war is justified to maintain sovereignty. For others - peace must always prevail. It’s not a zero sum game and it’s not and should not be an either or. During this devastating time when so many deaths tear at our hearts and so much suffering continues - what can we find in common to help us heal and hold each other’s hand even despite deep differences?

One answer is found in the narrative of Nehemiah, the Jewish leader sent by the Persian Empire to be governor of Jerusalem and the province of Judah 2,500 years ago.

Nehemiah was a doer with a clear agenda - building a strong nation with clear narrative and solid ground for growth - giving the judeans who were rebuilding Jerusalem common language - somehow building bridges between people of different needs and beliefs - that will forge a meaningful and lasting Jewish community even without their own royal house of political sovereignty.

And among the values that he decides to promote above others is the first labor law in our tradition -- the observance of Shabbat.

Nehemiah already managed to galvanize the people to build together the wall surrounding Jerusalem. It wasn’t just about security but also about a sense of shared mission and agency. Guards were placed at the new gates of the city.

And then he came up with this idea that it’s not just sacred space that needs protection - but also sacred time. The Sabbath was not observed in those days, it turns out. And he came up with a demand that no commerce be allowed in the holy city from sundown on Friday till sunset on Saturday night.

The surprised and angry merchants - not all of them Judean - were physically removed from the market and the gates were shut. The population probably was divided about this but he was in charge and they had to go along with it.

There are plenty of problems with this approach to religious coercion and I’m not sure I love anything about how he went about this Sabbath projet, but as a loyal subject of Her Majesty the Sabbath Queen - i get where he was going with it.

And I love this verse from chapter 13 that we will read next week - there’s poetry inside this prose, one of the most tender ways to describe this weekly threshold time as the sabbath descends:

וַיְהִ֡י כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר צָֽלְלוּ֩ שַׁעֲרֵ֨י יְרוּשָׁלַ֜͏ִם לִפְנֵ֣י הַשַּׁבָּ֗ת וָאֹֽמְרָה֙ וַיִּסָּגְר֣וּ הַדְּלָת֔וֹת וָאֹ֣מְרָ֔ה אֲשֶׁר֙ לֹ֣א יִפְתָּח֔וּם עַ֖ד אַחַ֣ר הַשַּׁבָּ֑ת וּמִנְּעָרַ֗י הֶֽעֱמַ֙דְתִּי֙ עַל־הַשְּׁעָרִ֔ים לֹא־יָב֥וֹא מַשָּׂ֖א בְּי֥וֹם הַשַּׁבָּֽת׃

When shadows descended onto the gates of Jerusalem at the approach of the sabbath, I gave orders that the gates be closed, and ordered them not to be opened until after the sabbath.

Nehemiah 13:19

Religious coercion aside - not minimizing its important role and how it can turn us away from the sacred - especially these days -- the visuals of gates growing darker as the sun sets and the mood shifts from commerce to communion, from work to rest -- is one of the sweetest and most meaningful moments of each week - for me, for my family, and for many people in my world.

There is a shadow side to sabbath - enforcing it instead of making it an invitation, and yet the 24/6 movement and the call to unplug, to claim our sacred time in a world that demands our nonstop presence at the marketplace - is one of the best Jewish gifts and I’m grateful to Nehemiah for pulling in his weight.

We got a few more chapters with this complicated character next week - before we turn to the final books of the bible on our journey!

But until then - may this sabbath bring you solace, rest and healing, how can you reach out to someone with a blessing and a flower, gift of sacred time and kindness as the Friday shadows lengthen and the sabbath queen descends? How will you take care of you and your soul? Because we all need it.

Thank you for joining me below the bible belt.

Shabbat Shalom. May peace prevail.