Lev 23:3 Wherever you may live, It is Gd's Shabbat.
Not our Shabbat, not the Shabbat given to us by Gd. Gd's Shabbat. Wherever we live.
We speak of "making Shabbat" or "keeping Shabbat" or "observing Shabbat" as if it were ours to have or not have. But here Torah reminds us that it is Shabbat, whether we make, keep or observe it. That is the real magic. Shabbat is always there for us-all we have to do is reach out and embrace it. If there are times we have not kept Shabbat, that does not mean we have lost it forever. We can always partake of it.
Cars might drive down streets in Jerusalem, some Jews might work, or go to the mall, or mow their lawn. Nevertheless, it is still Shabbat. Gd made it so, and we cannot take that away, even with our transgressions. What a truly magnificent gift.
We must not waste this gift, nor insult its value by wantonly disregarding the commandment given to us - to remember Shabbat and keep it kadosh. It would be better if cars weren't driving down the streets of Jerusalem, some Jews weren't working, or weren't going to the mall. The ever available to us aspect of Shabbat is not license to waste it.
More than Israel has kept Shabbat, Shabbat kept Israel. No truer words were ever spoken.
May this Shabbat keep you and yours.
Shabbat Shalom,
Adrian
©1998 by Adrian A. Durlester
Some other musings on the parasha:
Emor 5766 - Mum's the Word (Redux 5760 with new
commentary for 5766)
Emor 5765-Out of Sync
Emor 5764-One Law for All
Emor 5763-Mishpat Ekhad
Emor
5758-Gd's Shabbat
Emor 5759-Lex Talionis
Emor 5760-Mum's the Word
Emor 5761-Eternal Effort