The Sabbath as a divine means for man's proper spiritual improvement
It may be said that the essence of the Sabbath is the most significant and valuable gift which man received from his God. In the following lines, we will clarify and prove all we want to know about this wondrous and important divine day.
There is a divine purpose to man, based on the realization and implementation of true Good.God, who created the universe by the principle of the very best, provided us with all the necessary tools at our disposal.
Being an imperfect creation and therefore doing Evil as well as Good – man finds it considerably difficult to actualize this purpose.
The divine process for proper spiritual development
If the tools for our proper development exist within us, and are not correctly activated due to our flaws, it is logical to suppose the existence of a divine process for its initiation. Where then, might it be found? Owing to this development's decisive importance, it is logical to seek it in the divine event of greatest importance to man, which is His singular revelation before the people of Israel on Mount Sinai.
In this most significant event, did God leave behind some gift, some treasure, some hidden message, which if identified and understood, would initiate man's proper spiritual development and pave the way to the efficient actualization of his purpose? We will see further on that it is so.
What is the most valuable thing which man received in this extraordinary event? The Ten Commandments, of course. Following an in-depth examination, I found that the Sabbath commandment incorporates the desired process (details will appear in the following pages).
Yes, fortunately, we received from our Creator, through His love for us, such a process many years ago. A process which, although concealed, can certainly be deciphered. A process that awaits being discovered and properly implemented. Therefore, I will not be far from the truth if I say that the primary goal of this divine revelation was to bring man to develop and function properly. Taking all this into account, it may be said that the essence of the Sabbath is the most significant and valuable gift which man received from his God. In the following lines, we will clarify and prove all we wanted to know about this wondrous and important divine day.
The Sabbath
This commandment appears in the Pentateuch in two places: Exodus 20: 8-11 and Deuteronomy 5: 12-15. Before delving in detail, we will quote the Sabbath commandment according to Exodus. The additions in Deuteronomy will only be marked.
"Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it."
The process contains four stages:
1. The sanctification of the Sabbath: "Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy".
2. The rest during this day.
3. Recalling the exodus from Egypt (Deuteronomy 5: 14-15).
4. The spiritual activity, recurring each Sabbath.
Sanctifying the Sabbath
What did God wish to achieve by having man sanctify the Sabbath? Probably something which would not have been achieved by having God sanctify the seventh day. It may be a type of effect which man alone can create.
Is not the true goal of man's sanctification of the Sabbath, to create a form of holy ambience, in which he will stay throughout the Sabbath? I'm referring to a unique meditative state, a special á state, which will result in man's development and to a significant improvement of his functioning.
I'm convinced that if the sanctification is performed properly, there would be formed, around the sanctifier, that holy ambience which would initiate his development and improvement.
The fact that sanctification is placed at the commandment's beginning, points to its significance and there is a reasonable concern that without it, all the Sabbath has to offer would be missed. The sanctification should be regarded as a symbolic act by which man enters the above-mentioned meditative state.
When is the most suitable time to sanctify the Sabbath? The answer to that would be – upon its commencement - the eve of the Sabbath (Friday evening).
The Sabbath rest
Man requires this rest in order to enable him to enter and stay in Sabbath's holiness. In other words, he has to distance and separate himself, spiritually and physically, from those activities which exist and preoccupy him on weekdays.
The physical separation: is a separation from the various activities which he carries out on week-days.
The spiritual separation: is a separation from week-days' tensions, pressures, conflicts and irritations.
A typical entry into holiness on Sabbath's eve.
1. Separating the sacred from the secular –
a. Distancing one's self from week-days' physical activities
b. Distancing one's self from everyday tensions and inducing calmness and inner peace.
2. Thel feeling of holiness, induced by the recollection of God's sanctification of the seventh day of creation.
3. Man's sanctifying the Sabbath in this initial atmosphere of holiness.
4. Man's entry into a profound, holy atmosphere, which is the special meditative state referred to above.
Adar Avraham is a Holocaust survivor and has resided in Israel since 1948.
In his book he expresses concern to the dangers which ambush Man today, as to the continuous rampant "Jewish tragedy" .
His sensitivity to the fundamental problems
of Man and the genuine need to find a proper
and efficient solution to these dangers and
tragedy, have lead him to present
this improved way of life to humanity.
As he reviews his past from the deportation to the concentrations camps till now, he senses an unseen directing hand which brought him to discover and publish this unique way of life, which is described in his book and in this website.