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Discussion Guide For

A Shabbat Reader
Universe of Cosmic Joy
Edited by
Dov Peretz Elkins

Discussion Guide by
Eric Eisenkramer

In his anthology A Shabbat Reader, Rabbi Dov Peretz Elkins offers an abundance of readings, insights, poems, and meditations on Shabbat and its relevance in the modern world. A Shabbat Reader not only contains excerpts describing Shabbat as it was understood by the Torah and the rabbis, it also shows the links between Shabbat and other societal and Jewish issues, such as tikkun olam (repairing the world), feminism, environmentalism, science, and Jewish mysticism. Elkins also presents both liberal and traditional viewpoints on Shabbat ritual and Jewish law as a whole.

At its core, A Shabbat Reader challenges us to recognize the pitfalls of our work-obsessed modern society and to create sacred times and spaces in our lives during which we can reconnect with ourselves, our loved ones, and God. Elkins offers us many paths by which to incorporate Shabbat and its sense of peace and rest into our lives. The only question is, Which one will we choose?

Introduction

1. In his introduction Elkins cites the famous observation by Ahad Ha'am that Shabbat has kept the Jewish people more than they have kept Shabbat. (page xix) What does this mean? Do you agree that Shabbat has sustained us as a people? How? Can Shabbat still hold us together in this age of science, secularism, and materialism?

2. What are some of the theological reasons given for Shabbat in the verses quoted from the Torah on pages 3 and 4? Which ones do you find particularly meaningful and why? The Torah verses concerning Shabbat seem to have much more to do with kavanah, the intention behind Shabbat, rather than with keva, the fixed elements or the rules of this day of rest. What is missing from these accounts of Shabbat in the Torah that is central to our celebration of Shabbat today? Why is it important to consider both kavanah and keva when talking about Shabbat? When considering anything that is related to Judaism?

3. Robert Goldenberg writes that all of the rabbinic rules and traditions concerning shabbat are at their core designed to help us achieve a "state of joyful rest" (although they may not always feel that way). (page 14) The rabbis taught that we can find the joy of Shabbat through restriction (page 25). How can placing limits upon ourselves on Shabbat -- for example by not working -- give us more freedom in the long run? How can autonomy result from our ability to exhibit control over ourselves?

4. Walter S. Wurzburger suggests that the two versions of the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:2-14 and Deuteronomy 5:6-18) illustrate the two central aspects of the meaning behind Shabbat: refraining from work to acknowledge that God created the world and then rested on Shabbat and the Exodus from Egypt to serve as a reminder of the personal and communal joy that Shabbat can bring (page 28). Why does the Torah want us to regard Shabbat in light of God's creation of the world and the Exodus? What was so important about these two events that we revisit them every week on Shabbat? How can remembering the creation of the world and the Exodus help us grow spiritually? How can appreciating our history as both Jews and human beings help us better understand ourselves today?

5. Wurzburger also writes that Shabbat reminds us that God created the universe, a fact that sometimes gets overlooked because of the regularity and order that prevail within the realm of nature. (page 31) Does a scientific view of the universe present a challenge to the idea of God's supremacy? Does the regularity of the universe imply that God did not have a part in creating it? How can celebrating Shabbat help us lift this veil over nature and allow us to see God's role in our world?

6. One of the most preeminent scholars of mysticism, Gershom Scholem writes that the Kabbalists of Safed and Jerusalem viewed the beginning of Shabbat as a mystical marriage. (page 39) One tradition states that the sacred marriage is between the Shabbat Queen, the Shekhinah (God's feminine presence), and God, the King. Another suggests that the bride in this marriage is in fact Israel, and the groom is God. Why did the mystics think that God needs to be reunited on Shabbat? Is not God already whole and complete? Why do Israel and God need to come back together on the seventh day? In what ways are we as a people and as individuals distant from God? Why did the mystics view Shabbat in this way? What are some of the rituals they created to celebrate this union?

7. Amy Bardack suggests that we should incorporate the recitation of Eshet Hayil into our Shabbat ritual. She writes that in its original context, Eshet Hayil praised women as being involved in many of the same activities as men, including earning a living and possessing wisdom, a "vehicle for holiness." (pages 46 and 47) Does this modern understanding of Eshet Hayil provide a rationale for including it in a liberal context? Or should the prayer be removed from Shabbat ritual since for centuries it has served as merely a token of man's appreciation of women, while in all other matters she was viewed as inferior? In light of the challenges presented by feminism and gay rights for equality, should we remove from Jewish tradition those elements that oppose the modern ideals? Or should we reinterpret them to fit our new beliefs and thus keep them in our tradition?

8. In addition to its spiritual and religious underpinnings, Shabbat weaves into its tapestry the element of social justice. For example, Norman E. Frimer writes that the Jew should not only give money to tzedakah right before Shabbat but that she should also welcome into her home those who cannot provide such a Shabbat meal for themselves. (page 59) Have we lost the sense of tzedakah within Shabbat? Has Shabbat become all about spirituality and no longer about helping others? What are some of the ways in which we can incorporate elements of social justice into our weekly celebration of Shabbat?

9. Harvey Cox points out a striking similarity between meditation and Judaism. He writes that on Shabbat, God focuses on breathing, just as one does during meditation. (page 73) Cox's interpretation is based on Exodus 31:16-17, the Veshamru prayer. The last phrase of Veshamru says that on Shabbat, God ceased from work and rested. Yet the word for "(God) rested," vayinafash, can also mean "breathed", implying that on Shabbat, God, who had just finished creating the world, took the time literally to take in a breath. And if God uses the seventh day to breathe, we, too, can engage in meditation to bring peace and harmony into our lives. How does the theological connection between Judaism and meditation help us incorporate this Eastern practice into Judaism? How does it make what is otherwise a foreign religious practice accessible to modern liberal Jews? Today many Reform Jews look to Eastern religions to bring more spirituality into Judaism. Does this tendency strengthen or threaten Judaism?

10. Along with the similarities that Eastern religion and Judaism share, Cox points out an important difference: the universality of Shabbat since it applies to all Jews versus the elitism of meditation as it is practiced by only a small portion of the Buddhist population, the monks. (page 74) Based on this, what role does Shabbat play in Judaism compared with the place of mediation in Eastern religion? Why do you think that Shabbat is intended for every Jew, not just the rabbi, the cantor, or those who know every prayer by heart? How can Shabbat be made more accessible to every Jew, regardless of his or her background, knowledge, or affiliation?

11. Like Walter Wurzburger, Blu Greenberg cites the creation of the world and the Exodus from Egypt as the central themes of Shabbat. Rather than viewing these events historically, Greenberg suggests that the Exodus and creation represent the tension between two poles in our lives. In one sense we master the world and use our powers of creation through our work, and our dominance of nature. But the Exodus reminds us that we can easily be enslaved by the pressures and seduction of our modern world. (page 84) In what ways does this essay ring true for you? How have you felt enslaved by your work? Why does accomplishment in the workplace not give us true satisfaction but rather makes us work even harder to earn more? How can Shabbat free us from the mentality of competition, dominance, and materialism?

12. Harold H. Schulweis continues to develop the idea of our overemphasis on work at the expense of our families and our close relationships with others. (pages 97-100) Do you agree with Schulweis that work has become more important than the home in contemporary America? Why or why not? Are we addicted to work? How can Shabbat make us see the more important elements in our lives and reaffirm our close relationships to others? Summary Question

13. Besides the traditional view of Shabbat as a day to cease work and instead foster a connection with our loved ones, many other aspects of the seventh day have been presented. They include Shabbat as a link to the creation of the world and the Exodus from Egypt; as a mystical marriage between God and Israel; as a connection to Eastern religion and meditation; and finally as a means to help others. What other ideals can we add to our understanding of Shabbat? For example, what about a discussion of the bar/bat mitzvah, which is celebrated on Shabbat? How is this coming-of-age ceremony linked to Shabbat and the ideal of sanctifying the seventh day? Have other Jewish ideals that relate to Shabbat been left off this list?

14. The following questions apply to many of the stories in this section about how different Jews celebrate Shabbat. After each reading or group of readings, you may want to ask them again: What parts of the authors' Shabbat do you find touching and meaningful? Why do you think he or she celebrates Shabbat? Are there any elements of his or her Shabbat that are difficult for you to accept as a liberal Jew? What makes Shabbat special for the author(s)? Which elements of the Shabbat observances presented in these selections might you want to incorporate into your own Shabbat?

15. Mark Zborowski and Elizabeth Herzog describe many aspects of Shabbat evening in the shtetl in Eastern Europe. (pages 103-112) Ari Goldman relates the experience of lighting candles with his wife and young child in Boston. (pages 115-117) Ilana Nova Kurshan describes how Shabbat and Judaism enable her to create boundaries in her life, despite her rigorous schedule in college. (pages 118-123) What elements of Shabbat do the three stories share? What is different about the manner in which each person or couple welcomes the seventh day? In what ways has Shabbat changed since our ancestors left the shtetl? In what ways has it stayed the same?

16. Lighting the Shabbat candles is a ritual that has received much attention in this book. Zborowski and Herzog and Goldman talk about the central importance that the Shabbat candles held in their lives, in the shtetl and in modern-day America. In this essay, Nahum M. Waldman writes that the Shabbat lights symbolize peace and harmony in the household. (page 131) What do the Shabbat candles mean to you? Why is lighting candles our first gesture in welcoming Shabbat? Why do you think that the Shabbat candles are traditionally kindled at home and not in the synagogue?

17. Dov Peretz Elkins paints a beautiful picture of a traditional Shabbat in the shtetl, a small village in the Pale of Settlement in Russia, where many of our ancestors lived. He describes with great warmth all the Shabbat customs that they performed. (pages 152-155) Today, in the twenty-first century in the United States, liberal Judaism has become much more modernized and assimilated into American culture. How much of the shtetl should we try to bring back into our celebration of Shabbat today? How can we both modernize Shabbat and incorporate some of the warmth of a Shabbat in the shtetl? The Home Where Warmth Rules over Technology

18. Jonathan Sacks describes what in his opinion makes a home Jewish, emphasizing that it must be haimish -- warm and welcoming. A Jewish home can be distinguished from any other house by many things, including a mezzuza, a ketubah (Jewish wedding certificate), and singing on Shabbat. What are the things that make your house a Jewish home? Do ritual items like Shabbat candlesticks make your home feel Jewish? Why or why not? What about Jewish books? How do Jewish memories play a part in making a home Jewish? Which memories remain from shared Shabbat dinners and Passover seders in your home?

19. In this section we have read many personal stories about Shabbat and the meaning of the holiday to Jewish men and women both in previous generations and in our time. Describe your personal story of Shabbat. Do you have a particular memory of a certain Shabbat that you shared with a family member or a close friend? How do you or could you incorporate Shabbat into your life?

20. Ismar Schorsch describes a powerful issue of modern life that relates to Shabbat, namely, the destruction of the environment by humankind. By ceasing from our work on Shabbat, we are reminded that we are tenants of the planet and not its overlords. Schorsch also writes that if we were to all stop work on Shabbat, opening no stores and producing no goods -- as many Jews do in Jerusalem -- the air and rivers would be cleaner. (page 171) In what other ways is Shabbat related to our obligation to protect the environment? What can we do to connect Shabbat to our responsibility to take care of the earth? What can we do on Shabbat to help the environment?

21. Arthur Waskow cites a well-known rabbinic saying that "if all Israel kept Shabbat properly just one time (or, said some, twice in a row), the Messianic Age would begin." (page 196) Clearly this statement implies a lack of religious unity among Jews. Do you agree that we as a people are not unified enough to celebrate even one Shabbat properly? Why or why not? And by whose standards should we observe Shabbat? That of the Reform, Orthodox, Israeli secular? Can we be unified as Jews even though we have different perspectives on our religion?

22. Arnold Jacob Wolf sets forth the view that Shabbat is a duty that was given to us by God. We should understand Shabbat and all of Judaism as "law and obligation," and as "objectively binding." (page 205) Wolf aptly expresses one side of an argument in Reform Judaism about the nature of the mitzvot (commandments). Is our religion at its core a set of laws (not only ritual but also ethical, economic, and covering almost every sphere of life) that were given by God and that we are obligated to follow? Or should we as Reform Jews regard Jewish law not as binding but rather as a set of possibilities from which we can choose, which can add to our lives and make them more holy? If we agree with Wolf, would we be in danger of returning to a pre-modern Judaism that has no room for the individual? Would we be alienating ourselves from modernity and the secular ideals of individuality and rights that are so important to many American Jews? But if we view Judaism as only a set of choices, will we choose to be Jews? Will our children?

23. In the essay "Serenity Lost -- and Found," Harold Schulweis suggested that our overemphasis on work in modern-day society has drawn us away from the more important realm of the home and our families. (pages 97-100) Regarding our relationship to our work, W. Gunther Plaut takes this concept one step further, suggesting that society makes us work harder and harder in order to acquire, but we never know when we have enough. While in the pre-modern world humankind worked for physical survival, today we toil with no goal in mind. Shabbat is our only form of protest "against these basic causes of unrest," our only way to escape this endless competition. (pages 207-209) What does Plaut add to our understanding of our modern world? In what way(s) is our society full of endless competition, with no goal in sight? How might this sense of competition take away from our ability to respect others, to see them as created b'etzelem Elohim, "in the image of God"? How can Shabbat help us to deal with the competitive nature of the modern world?

1. Ruth Perelson, An Invitation to Shabbat (1997)
In this short volume Perelson presents a comprehensive guide to the celebration of Shabbat in a Reform Jewish home. She gives detailed descriptions of the Shabbat rituals, along with everything one needs to know about Shabbat, including how to prepare and what to cook. There is even a CD that contains all of the music sung on Shabbat! An Invitation to Shabbat also includes several inspiring personal accounts of Shabbat and its meaning. This is an excellent book for anyone seeking to enter Shabbat as a beginner or to hone his or her Shabbat skills.

2. Daniel B. Syme, The Jewish Home: A Guide to Jewish Living (1988)
Written in the format of questions and answers, this book describes all of the Jewish life-cycle events and holidays. In his chapter on Shabbat, Rabbi Syme outlines and discusses the essential elements of the Shabbat celebration, including the candles, the Kiddush, the challah, the blessing of the children, and the Havdalah service, which concludes Shabbat. Rabbi Syme presents many of the reasons behind the Shabbat rituals. In a clear and accessible manner, he answers all the "why" questions that never get asked, such as "Why do we say a blessing over wine?" and "Why do we use two challot (plural of challah) on Shabbat?"

3. Stephen J. Einstein and Lydia Kukoff, eds., Introduction to Judaism, A Sourcebook (1999)
Introduction to Judaism is intended as a reference book for those who wish to explore Judaism. In short, concise chapters it offers a selection of essays, vocabulary, text sources, and liturgy related to the Jewish holidays and life-cycle events, such as marriage and the birth of children. Introduction to Judaism includes a number of texts about Shabbat in the Jewish tradition by rabbis and modern thinkers, as well as a section that describes Jewish prayer in general and then outlines the daily and Shabbat services in detail. It not only provides a good introduction to prayer, giving the purpose and meaning of each supplication, but also answers such fundamental questions as "Why pray?" and "Why is it so hard to pray with a congregation?"

4. Lisa Rauchwerger, Chocolate Chip Challah (1999)
Do you want to know how to make your favorite Jewish dishes, like challah, latkes, and charoset? In Chocolate Chip Challah, Lisa Rauchwerger provides wonderful recipes that children and adults can prepare together for every holiday on the Jewish calendar. All of the recipes can be easily followed, even by an amateur chef. For Shabbat, Rauchwerger offers ways to make everything you need for a full Friday night dinner, including challah, chicken soup with matzah balls, chicken, and rice. Prepare your taste buds!

5. Niles E Goldstein and Peter S. Knobel, Duties of the Soul: The Role of Commandments in Liberal Judaism (1999)
Duties of the Soul adds a new layer to the current debate in Reform Judaism about the rule of the mitzvot, the commandments. The thirteen authors featured in this anthology suggest that Reform Jews should regard the mitzvot as divine commandments that do carry a sense of obligation but still allow for individual expression and choice. Duties of the Soul reemphasizes the importance of a Judaism that not only gives to its adherents but also makes demands of them. This concept of being commanded applies especially to Shabbat and how we as Reform Jews interpret the laws of Shabbat and celebrate the seventh day.

6. Mark Washofsky, Jewish Living: A Guide to Contemporary Reform Practice (2000)
In this book, Mark Washofsky outlines current Reform practice to provide a definitive guide for those who wish to incorporate Jewish customs into their lives. In addition to sections on the Jewish life cycle and synagogue life, Washofsky details the Reform Jewish traditions pertaining to Shabbat and other holidays. Jewish Living is designed to be the standard work on Jewish practice for contemporary Reform Jews.