by

Sabbath fundamentalism

Seth Adelson:

I have to concede that I am a fundamentalist. No, not like what you’re thinking of when you hear that word: I’m not a literalist, not an extremist, not an ultranationalist, not one who shuns modernity. Rather, I am a fundamentalist in that I believe that what we need to focus on, in this world of infinite choice and limited time, are the fundamental aspects of Judaism: Shabbat (Sabbath), kashrut (holy eating), Talmud Torah (learning the words of our tradition and making them come alive today), ritual (connecting our actions and thoughts and feelings with our tradition), and community. […]

… the key is to lean into Heschel’s “realm of endless peace.” Shabbat is a taste of a world that could be, a 25-hour glimpse into a healthier, less stressful and more even-keeled existence.… It allows you to let go, to lose sight of the give-and-take of Sunday through Friday, and just breathe, and accept, and enjoy. By mandating a pause, Shabbat enables us to see once again the beauty of creation, to return to the simplicity which God gave us, stripped of human elaboration.