While the idea of being forced to keep the Sabbath doesn’t appeal to me at all, the concept of a peaceful sabbath, in the Israel tradition, works really well for me. Only friends call – usually – and we get a chance to see our wonderful neighbors. Friday nights are usually reserved for family – or intimate friends – or both.
Shabbat gives me time to digest the week, to laugh at my week of contradictory doctors, to think about the biblical turn some of my scholar friends have taken, to consider the significance of my granddaughter’s nightmares. It’s My Shabbat, not necessarily the shabbat of others.