The Sabbath

by Abraham Joshua Heschel

Elegant, passionate, and filled with the love of God's creation, Abraham Joshua Heschel's The Sabbath has been hailed as a classic of Jewish spirituality ever since its original publication--and has been read by thousands of people seeking meaning in modern life. In this brief yet profound meditation on the meaning of the Seventh Day, Heschel, one of the most widely respected religious leaders of the twentieth century, introduced the influential idea of an 'architecture of holiness" that appears not in space but in time. Judaism, he argues, is a religion of it finds meaning not in space and the materials things that fill it but in time and the eternity that imbues it, so that 'the Sabbaths are our greatcatherdrals.'

Genres: Judaism, Religion, Jewish, Theology, Nonfiction, Spirituality, Philosophy

144 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1951

About the author

Heschel was a descendant of preeminent rabbinic families of Europe, both on his father's (Moshe Mordechai Heschel, who died of influenza in 1916) and mother's (Reizel Perlow Heschel) side, and a descendant of Rebbe Avrohom Yehoshua Heshl of Apt and other dynasties. He was the youngest of six children including his siblings: Sarah, Dvora Miriam, Esther Sima, Gittel, and Jacob. In his teens he received a traditional yeshiva education, and obtained traditional semicha, rabbinical ordination. He then studied at the University of Berlin, where he obtained his doctorate, and at the Hochschule für die Wissenschaft des Judentums, where he earned a second liberal rabbinic ordination.

Reviews

[Kilian Metcalf · Rating 4 out of 5]

I could feel the gears shifting in my head as I read this Jewish classic on the importance of sanctifying time instead of space. I'm sure I barely scratched the surface of the concepts that Heschel wishes to communicate. To plumb the depths will require rereading and reflection. It's a small book, packed with meaning, and one I will revisit again and again.

[Michelle Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the most poetic book that isn’t actually poetry I’ve ever read. Heschel was in love with the Sabbath. Seriously in love with it and its place within Judaism and the world. This 100 page book is love song to it. When I took the Big Dunk one of the questions my Beit Din asked me was what particular observance meant the most to me and I said Shabbat. At the time my Shabbat observance was only a fraction of what it is now but even then it really was a sanctification of time for me.

Now Shabbat has become absolutely sacred time for B and myself. The Sabbath helped me see and think about Shabbat in new ways that can make it even more special. It’s funny though but my week really does revolve around Shabbat. On Sunday afternoon I usually start thinking about what I’m going to make for Shabbat dinner. Then I get to start looking forward to shopping on Friday morning and spending Friday afternoon cooking and preparing for Shabbat. I light the candles and serve B a nice Shabbat meal before we cozy in to spend some quiet time together. Then on Shabbat morning she makes me breakfast before I go to shul. I can’t describe to you how much more lovely our weekends our since we started observing Shabbat as a family.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book. As a Christian, reading a Jewish perspective on Sabbath, one that seemed to draw on so much of Jewish tradition that I didn't know of, was a very rich experience for me. At the same time, there were definitely parts I didn't understand, probably because I am looking in from the outside.

Heschel speaks of Sabbath as a "palace in time". In a world where we work with Space, using our time to create things, build, make, the sabbath is a time to cease in our obsession with space and live in the presence of time. I am very drawn to this idea, this idea that time is the bedrock upon which we do all that God calls us to.

I was also convicted by the idea that the six days are building up to the sabbath, rather than the sabbath being the day that prepares us (gives us energy basically) for the next six days of work.

The 1st and 3rd 'thirds' of the book were excellent. In the middle he is working with a parable that I didn't understand so I couldn't really connect to it.

One other interesting note was his use of the imagery of marriage, of Sabbath being the bride or the queen. In that, he finds an ability to commune with the Spirit on the sabbath, for it is a symbol of eternity and of the reality of heaven. this was one part I wasn't sure I agreed with, for I do believe that we will continue to do work (in its unfallen form) in eternity.

I recommend it to people interested in a fresh, more poetic vision of the sabbath.

[Carmen Imes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Heschel approaches the Sabbath from the perspective of mystical, Rabbinic Judaism. Rabbi Lawrence Kushner calls Heschel's book "the primary text for all subsequent American Jewish spirituality." I am not in a position to dispute that. I had expected a more biblically grounded vision of Sabbath as it relates to justice (e.g., even servants and animals are granted rest) or a more specific exploration of the ways that Sabbath frees us from the tyrrany of the urgent. What he says is interesting, even fascinating at times, but there is so much more that could be said about the Sabbath.

To me, Heschel's most illuminating insights pertain to the relationship between time and space. He calls the Sabbath a "palace in time" -- a sanctification of time that gives meaning to everything else. We are people caught up in physicality, wanting to own and control *things*, but Heschel says that the Sabbath helps to reorient us to the primacy of time. He calls the Sabbath "a day of detachment from things" (29). The Sabbath shapes our sense of time so that every day looks forward to this day and is given meaning by it. The result is an exploration of the Sabbath that is not legalistic but celebratory.

His reflections are mystical and philosophical, and at times they seem divorced from how things really are, either in Scripture or in life. For example, Heschel banishes sadness from the Sabbath, saying that "it is a sin to be sad on the Sabbath day" (31). Where does Scripture teach this? He says that "the spirit is alone, disregarded, forsaken, forgotten" the rest of the week (65). This hardly seems consistent with God's claim never to leave or forsake us. One of Heschel's descriptions of Sabbath ecstasy involves a wealthy man whose servants wait on him, which seems at odds with the Sabbath command itself, which declares that every member of the household (not just the landowner) is entitled to a day of rest (66).

As a Christian reader, it seems to me that his reflections could benefit from real-world engagement with the global readers of the Bible, for example, with liberation theology. Heschel claims that the Bible is more concerned with time than space (6). While I can see that the Bible is indeed concerned with sacred time, the primacy of land and place in the Hebrew Bible is undeniable. I wonder if his preoccupation with time over space is required by his social location -- post-temple, outside the land of Israel. In other words, Heschel must find spiritual significance in time because the space that God made holy for Israel is not available to him in 1951.

I agree with Heschel that the Sabbath gives us a glimpse "of the world to come" (73). It ushers us into God's new creation purposes, reminding us that what we can see is not all there is and that this world's current systems do not have the final word.

[India M. Clamp · Rating 4 out of 5]

שלה לגבי איך המנוחה באמת מרגישה, נשמעת, מריחה וטעימה. בשמירת השבת אנו מתפתים לכבד את עצמנו ואת הכלי הקדוש האלוקי בשקט. החיבוק האלוהי של הטבע מאפשר ניצחון שהוא מעבר למגבלות הזמן וכל

ההתערבות נעצרת.
"הקב"ה ברך את היום השביעי" (בראשית ב, ג): "ברך אותו באור פני אדם: אור פני אדם בשבוע אינו זהה ליום השבת".
---אברהם יהושע השל

בעולם POVID זה, ניתנת לכולנו ברכת ההשתקפות. לאחר סקירת "השבת" מאת אברהם יהושע השל, ניתנת לנו פרספקטיבה חדשה על האופן שבו השבת מרמזת על מנוחה ונוחות עם שלווה פנימית. באמריקה זה באמת הישג. אימוץ השקט --- חלקם מתנסים רק במדיטציה. הרגע הזעום הזה מייצג את האתרי.

השל משווה את הזמן למקור נשי שיש להתבונן בו ולהתייחס אליו בזהירות. שמירת השבת מסייעת לאדם לבצר את ירושלים במעשה זה. השבת כמלכה/כלה אכן הכבידה על דמיוני לקבלת רמז חזותי של הקתדרלות הללו שהושעו בזמן. קח את הזמן שלך כדי להבין את המשמעות המלאה. קריאה מלומדת.

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The Sabbath by Abraham Joshua Heschel brings illumination to the holy day and its significance of what rest truly feels, sounds, smells and tastes like. In observance of the Sabbath, we are enticed to honor ourselves and the divine holy vessel in stillness. The embracing of nature allows a triumph negating the constrictions/shackles implied by interference.

“God blessed the seventh day” (Genesis 2:3): “He blessed it with the light of a man’s face: The light of a man’s face during the week is not the same as it is on the Sabbath.”
---Abraham Joshua Heschel

In this POVID world, we are all given the blessing of reflection. After reviewing “The Sabbath” by Abraham Joshua Heschel we are allowed a new perspective on how the Sabbath implies rest and a commodious partnership with inner peace. In America this is an achievement. Embracing the stillness---some only encounter via meditation. This minuscule moment when the mind is free to soar, epitomizes the ethereal.

Heschel equates time to a feminine source that should be observed and treated with special care (like a bride). Observation of the Sabbath assists one in fortifying Jerusalem by this act. The Sabbath as a queen/bride did burden my imagination for a visual cue of these cathedrals suspended in time. Take your time to comprehend. Discuss.

[fpk · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was probably one of the most inspiring books I've read. A short book, it is full of rich, deep truths and insights. Heschel talks at length about time and space, and leads the reader into some philosophical worlds which are exciting and new. The meaning of the Sabbath- rest, holiness, sanctuary and peace- is explored and delved into here, like no other book I've read on the subject. The only parts where I got a bit lost were when Heschel would quote from works by other rabbis- texts I was unfamiliar with. But this didn't hinder my understanding. I highly recommend this book to anyone who longs for rest, for a meaningful Sabbath, for a break from the busyness, corruption and weariness of the world, especially during this election season!

[Eric · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book, highly recommended. I gained a much greater appreciation for the Shabbat after this book. I can definitely see myself re-reading this book several times in the future as I gain a greater understanding, love and respect for Judaism.

[Stephen Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply one of the most gorgeous, moving non-fiction books I have ever read, and perhaps the richest reflection upon time I've encountered apart from T.S. Eliot's Four Quartets. It practically shouts in anticipation of and in need for the Incarnation.

Anything that I left un-underlined the first time through was circled during the second trip.

"...the Sabbath is the counterpoint of living; the melody sustained throughout all agitations and vicissitudes which menace our conscience; our awareness of God's presence in the world."

[Antônio Xerxenesky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Esse pequeno grande ensaio é uma obra-prima da filosofia teológica, recomendado até a não-judeus.

[Lewis Weinstein · Rating 5 out of 5]

thoughtful and sometimes provocative, like all of Heschel's writings ... in my current novel, my character Anna Gorska, furious with God for allowing the Holocaust, maintains her fragile ties with Judaism by at least partially observing the Sabbath ... Heschel offers insights as to how she might think

[Joy Weiler · Rating 5 out of 5]

This beautiful little book was a good start to my exploration of the sabbath, and what it means for me today. I can't say I always followed the rabbi's wanderings, but it did give me a deeper longing for and understanding of rest for the soul. He forms the idea in this book that the sabbath is "somewhat like eternity, or the world to come". In remembering the sabbath, we turn our distracted hearts once again towards eternity.

"Six days a week we wrestle with the world, wringing profit from the earth; on the Sabbath we especially care for the seed of eternity planted in the soul.
"The Sabbath is a day for the sake of life."
"Labor is a craft but perfect rest is an art."
"The Sabbath comes like a caress, wiping away fear, sorrow and somber memories."
"Even when the soul is seared, even when no prayer can come out of our tightened throats, the clean, silent rest of the Sabbath leads us to a realm of endless peace, or to the beginning of an awareness of what eternity means."

[Soren Schmidt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heschel presents a stunningly simple and profound thesis: it is not in space, but in time, that we find God's likeness. In a few short passages this book changed the way I think about not only the Sabbath, but the nature of God and my relationship with Him. This is an absolute must-read for anyone trying to understand and experience holiness.

[Theo Young]

Even when the soul is seared, even when no prayer can come out of our tightened throats, the clean, silent rest of the Sabbath leads us to a realm of endless peace, or to the beginning of an awareness of what eternity means.

Woah…I have a loooooong way to go in understanding mystic wisdom literature.

[narwhal · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was like approaching a piece of art; all aspects carefully considered.

Not just the content, but the font, the spacious formatting / amazing design, concise but dense chapter lengths, the wood engravings accompanying each chapter... the style of writing which is as beautiful and elegant as a poem, with so many literary devices: metaphors. Parallel comparisons. The repetition of themes throughout the book that reinforce his ideas in a way that develops and emphasizes, but not in a redundant way. It is like there are layers to the truth; universal all the way down to the personal, inner liberty.

His daughter writes in the introduction that until he arrived in the States in 1940, '[Heschel's] English had been weak, but he mastered the language remarkably quickly and went on to write in an extraordinarily rich and poetic style...The book's language is intrinsic to its meaning; its elegiac, poetic tone evokes the mood of the Sabbath that he describes.'

I feel like the message of the Sabbath has been in vogue among Christians for some time now, but Heschel makes it clear from the beginning that his definition, derived from the Jewish tradition, is not Aristotle's, 'relaxing for the sake of activity.' The Sabbath is not just a time to cease, but involves the positive action of entering into the felt presence of God. This is helpful with Heschel's elegant paradigm of the 'architecture of space' and the 'architecture of time.'

Heschel is wary of those that might accuse him of idolizing the Sabbath by establishing the fact that it is God who consecrates the Sabbath. He also takes care that he is not misinterpreted as disdaining the material world or work by emphasizing that God blesses work, but has cursed Adam with toil. There is also an allegory of a Rabbi who is scolded by God for cursing his creation.

I was careful in reading, because since the style is so beautiful, I can easily bypass critical processing of what I read. One of my concerns was a dualism that praises the spiritual world above the physical. While Heschel's words can be interpreted as such, I feel that his main point was to reinstate the importance of the soul which has been neglected in a time of rapid industrialization and self-sufficiency. Moreover, it is less spirit that is emphasized and more so the *eternal* aspect of time that has been obfuscated by our commodification of it. Perhaps then, it is also more about heart orientation and where we set our eyes ['All our life should be a pilgrimage to the seventh day' (89) and also 'Unless one learns how to relish the taste of Sabbath while still in this world, unless one is initiated in the appreciation of eternal life, one will be unable to enjoy the taste of eternity in the world to come.' (74)]. Again, in attempting to recall our attention to the soul, it may seem like he is giving it priority. Then again, even if he were, would he be wrong? Until we are fully redeemed, both body + soul, we are creatures bound by the cycles of life and death, temporality, that are characteristics of the architecture of space, rather than that of eternal time. (Though not sure Heschel would agree with the way I reconcile the two from a Christian perspective).

More than anything, this writing helped me see time with less anxiety but with a spirit of freedom. With understanding the freedom of what it means when people say that time belongs to the Lord. 'In the realm of spirit, there is no difference between a second and a century, between an hour and an age. Rabbi Judah the Patriarch cried: "There are those who gain eternity in a lifetime, others who gain it in one brief hour." One good hour may be worth a lifetime; an instant of returning to God may restore what has been lost in years of escaping from Him.' (98)

Memorable:
-'Yet law and love, discipline and delight, were not always fused. In their illustrious fear of desecrating the spirit of the day, the ancient rabbis established a level of observance which is within the reach of exalted souls but not infrequently beyond the grasp of ordinary men.' (17)

-'Labor without dignity is the cause of misery; rest without spirit is the source of depravity.' (18)

-'The primary awareness is one of our being within the Sabbath rather than of the Sabbath being within us.' (21)

-'The solution of mankind's most vexing problem will not be found in renouncing technical civilization, but in attaining some degree of independence of it.' (28)

-'For the Sabbath is the counterpoint of living; the melody sustained throughout all agitations and vicissitudes which menace our conscience; our awareness of God's presence in the world.' (89)

-'Nothing is as hard to suppress as the will to be a slave to one's own pettiness.' (89)

Another book this reminds me of:
-Lesiure: The Basis of Culture by Josef Pieper

Q:
-Heschel distinguishes his definition of Sabbath from Aristotle's definition of rest to resume work (anapausis). But Aristotle also had another definition of rest– leisure, defined as schole, related to the task of contemplation. How does this definition relate to the rest related to the Sabbath? Would it be subsumed under it or is it a different category altogether?
(These definitions are from a New Yorker article on the humanities that I read by Agnes Callard)

-There is a notable focus on focusing on a lens of aseity for God's characteristics, and an overall focus on His holiness. Does this hearken back to Jewish tradition?

[Sleepless Dreamer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was delightful. Review to come!

[Julie Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Continuing my education on the third commandment and why we need to take it seriously. Ok, I'm already converted to the concept and live it to the best of my ability ... but I want to elevate it in my mind and heart (if that makes sense). I think Heschel would understand what I want to do because this book is obviously written for that concept. Although I have to admit that the three rabbis parable is leaving me a bit stranded as it goes on for some time.

I meant to add that observing the sacred with a liturgical calendar is familiar to Catholic thinking since our liturgical calendar is key to our worship. That only makes sense since Christianity rose from Jewish founders who adapted their familiar worship to the revelations of Christ. However, Heschel's "cathedral of time" elevates this to something new and beautiful.

[Kris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meditations on the significance of the Sabbath as sacred time, rather than sacred place. Written by a Jewish Rabbi. More devotional than academic. Easy to read in a few hours. The cover design and wood carvings in the interior are beautiful and classy.

[Jenna Watson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sabbath as a queen, a bride, spirit in the form of time, eternity uttered in a day. One of the most poetic books I’ve ever read.

They say if you want someone to build a boat, don’t give them wood and divide up the orders, teach them to long for the vast and endless sea. This book will teach you to long for the Sabbath.

“Even when the soul is seared, even when no prayer can come out of our tightened throats, the clean, silent rest of the Sabbath leads us to a realm of endless peace, or to the beginning of an awareness of what eternity means.”

“Eternity utters a day.”

[Jill Williamson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic and thought-provoking.

[Trinity Benstock · Rating 5 out of 5]

A religion of time, not space. Something I think seculars need to remember right now

[Mary Alice · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'll just post some quotes from the book to make you think:

There is a realm of time where the goal is not to have but to be, not to own but to give, not to control but to share, not to subdue but to be in accord. Life goes wrong when the control of space, the acquisition of things of space, becomes our sole concern.

In our daily lives we attend primarily to that which the senses are spelling out for us: to what the eyes perceive, to what the fingers touch. Reality to us is thinghood, consisting of substances that occupy space; even God is conceived by most of us as a thing. The result of our thinginess is our blindness to all reality that fails to identify itself as a thing, as a matter of fact.

The higher goal of spiritual living is not to amass a wealth of information, but to face sacred moments

The solution of mankind’s most vexing problem will not be found in renouncing technical civilization, but in attaining some degree of independence of it.

All flesh is grass, all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field…

We may not know whether our understanding is correct, or whether our sentiments are noble, but the air of the day surrounds us like spring which spreads over the land without our aid or notice.

Gallantly, ceaselessly, quietly, man must fight for inner liberty” to remain independent of the enslavement of the material world. “Inner liberty depends upon being exempt from domination of things as well as from domination of people. There are many who have acquired a high degree of political and social liberty, but only very few are not enslaved to things. This is our constant problem—how to live with people and remain free, how to live with things and remain independent.”

The result of our thinginess is our blindness to all reality that fails to identify itself as a thing, as a matter of fact. This is obvious in our understanding of time, which, being thingless and insubstantial, appears to us as if it had no reality.2 Indeed, we know what to do with space but do not know what to do about time, except to make it subservient to space. Most of us seem to labor for the sake of things of space. As a result we suffer from a deeply rooted dread of time and stand aghast when compelled to look into its face.3 Time to us is sarcasm, a slick treacherous monster with a jaw like a furnace incinerating every moment of our lives. Shrinking, therefore, from facing time, we escape for shelter to things of space. The intentions we are unable to carry out we deposit in space; possessions become the symbols of our repressions, jubilees of frustrations. But things of space are not fireproof; they only add fuel to the flames.”

[Nia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Overall, this was a wonderful book, and I must thank Rabbi for recommending it to me. R. Heschel makes this book, and the idea of Shabbat, accessible for those of all faiths (or even none). On page 14 he cites Philo's excellent use of terms that the ancient Greeks already understood, those of athletics, to explain his concept, but points out on page 18 that even in Rome, bread and circuses were not enough. Mankind needs sacred time as well. I love the idea of 6-winged angels, and the ideas of paradise, spirit as our mates, and time to re-ensoul ourselves through contemplation.

I had a real Wow moment on page 89 at his comment that "Nothing is as hard to surpress as the will to be a slave to one's own pettiness... man must fight for inner liberty ... depends on being exempt from domination of things as well."
And I see the return to the idea that life is like a spiral. Very very nice!

[Abby · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Creation, we are taught, is not an act that happened once upon a time, once and for ever. The act of bringing the world into existence is a continuous process. God called the world into being, and that call goes on. There is this present moment because God is present. Every instant is an act of creation. A moment is not terminal but a flash, a signal of Beginning. Time is perpetual innovation, a synonym for continuous creation. Time is God’s gift to the world of space.”

A beautiful, challenging meditation on the gift of the Sabbath. I want this book to be one that I return to, again and again, in the time that I've been given.

[Melody · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heschel teaches me much about sacramentality and liturgy in my own Christian tradition by guiding me to a richer understanding of how the Jewish tradition understands the sacredness of time as a gift of divine presence in the lives of God's people. Lyrical and erudite, the book facilitates Sabbath: reflection on time as a gift rather than an enemy, the true, reliable indicator of God's goodness and presence in the world. "Creation is the language of God, Time is His song..." (101).

[rivka · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

In many ways this is a wonderful book. However, after the first couple chapters, the poetic language starts to get a bit much. And while there are interesting thoughts in each chapter, all the way through to the end of the Epilogue, it gets quite repetitive at times. Especially considering that the text itself (setting aside the footnotes) is a mere 101 pages.

Worth a read, but perhaps in very small (no more than a chapter) bits, and spread apart over time.

[Milly Cohen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Una belleza de librito que trata sobre la santidad y el significado de lo que es el Shabat, el día dedicado a la vida, el día que aprendemos el arte de superar la civilización, el día de la alabanza (no de las peticiones), el día que descansamos, quiénes saben hacerlo bien, pues el perfecto descanso es un arte.
Me gusta porque no habla de los rituales, sino de la profundidad filosófica de este día.

[Monique · Rating 5 out of 5]

To me, this is like the Jewish Secret of the Rosary. Heschel's love for God and the Sabbath queen reminds me of St. Louis de Montfort's love for Jesus and the Queen of the Holy Rosary. Similar use of miraculous anecdote, similar use of metaphor and ecstatic superlative.

[Levi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Herein lies The Truth.

[Ellis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is beautiful. The exploration of the significance of Sabbath is full of resonant imagery that cries out and begs the reader to see and desire the holy day of God. One of my favorite themes from the book was that of Sabbath and eternity being of the same essence. Heschel writes, "Unless one learns how to relish the taste of Sabbath while still in this world, unless one is initiated in the appreciation of eternal life, one will be unable to enjoy the taste of eternity in the world to come. Sad is the lot of him who arrives inexperienced and when led to heaven has no power to perceive the beauty of the Sabbath."

I also loved how Sabbath was personified (in some ways) as a queen/bride to which Israel is betrothed. This rich comparison will stay with me as I think about my days and the holiness with which God has created the seventh day for us.

"This, then, is the answer to the problem of civilization: not to flee from the realm of space; to work with things of space but to be in love with eternity. Things are our tools; eternity, the Sabbath, is our mate. Israel is engaged to eternity. Even if they dedicate six days of the week to worldly pursuits, their soul is claimed by the seventh day."

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

I did not want this book to end. It was superb. And as a bonus: hands down the best Epilogue I have ever read.

This book is a linguistic masterpiece. Heschel’s writing style was dense yet perfectly relatable. His sentences are works of art. His exploration of the distinction between space and time is profound. This book is theologically rich and philosophically thought provoking. It’s also highly quotable.

It is a shame that modern Christianity has lost touch with this ancient Jewish practice. For anyone practicing Sabbath or wanting to practice Sabbath, this book is a MUST!