I'm not religious and don't believe in a literal god, heaven, or hell. I am curious about Judaism (and other spiritual paths) because of the traditions and philosophies. Some books help with this journey and some derail it, but rarely does a book feel holy (not in that way). This book, short as it was, feels like one that I'll read many times, each time gleaning something new ( )

It's like a long love poem written to and for the sabbath. ( )

Heschel's Sabbath sounds much nicer than my personal experience of it; but that's my problem, not his.

Some quotes:
"[The Sabbath] is a reality we meet rather than an empty span of time which we choose to set aside for comfort or recuperation." [p. 59]
"This is the task of men: to conquer space and sanctify time." [p. 101]

In the aftermath of the holocaust we cannot avoid returning to the fundamental question: "How is it possible to be in the world"

Why is this era different from all prior eras? The text of this work tasks itself with answering the (implied) Four Questions. The answer to the First, "How is it (still) possible to be in the world," appears in the form of a justification of existence in Place and Time. The response, though appearing to derive directly from the Pentateuch and subsequent commentaries, is modern in the sense that it seems to possess an awareness of the doctrine of the immanence of the Body of the Savior. Repudiating Kierkegaard's retreat into the pure facticity of the Incarnation of Christ, Heschel's Immanence consists of an infinite retreat into Time itself. From this perspective, the Incarnation is made ridiculous (sacrilegious), for then it would not have been enough for G-d to bring the Decalogue into existence but the Lord of Hosts would have been insecure to need repeat this declaration a second time. And a second insistence is non-trivial. The doubt of Moses' redoubled-declaration to the Israelites which consisted of the Word and (repetition) striking of the stone (twice) is used as justification for exclusion from the land of promise. Furthermore, the insistence on the incarnation as a futile repetition undermines SK's "ultimate" religious irony by substituting a greater one (already the response was: "more ironic had he not been recognized at all"). Now the irony in the Incarnation of Christ is that He has come into existence in the first place, as if arriving at a party helplessly overdressed (in a body). (This pratfall is why already in John the crucifixion at Calvary is re-conceived as a Sacrifice)

In the same sense that Kierkegaard remains among the most modern Lutherans by retreating from most all contentious criteria and abiding in the immanence of the incarnation, Heschel's meaning of the Sabbath is already a retreat from all material promise (the 'dust of the earth' too reminiscent of ashes), and dismisses symbol/object to abide in the infinite retreat of Time.

how is it possible to be in the world:

"Is it possible for a man to plow at the time of plowing, sow at the time of sowing, harvest at the time of harvesting, thresh at the time of threshing, and winnow at the time of winnowing—what is to become of Torah?”

retreat from symbol/object:

"The sense of holiness in time is expressed in the manner in which the Sabbath is celebrated. No ritual object is required for keeping the seventh day, unlike most festivals on which such objects are essential to their observance, as, for example, unleavened bread, Shofar, Lulab and Etrog or the Tabernacle. On that day [..] symbols are superfluous: the Sabbath is itself the symbol.

Immanence in time:

"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 a 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. [...] For where shall the likeness of God be found? There is no quality that space has in common with the essence of God. [...] The likeness of God can be found in time, which is eternity in disguise. [...] That the Sabbath and eternity are one—or of the same essence—is an ancient idea. —The Sabbath is an example of the world to come.“

This address is interwoven with an answer to the second question, which accompanies any immanence in a given place and time: "What is to be done?" Heschel's response appears less eloquent here, vacillating between stoicism and critical theory on the basis of an underlying distrust/misgiving. Heschel appears to desire to approach the vision of a 'solution' with undeserved credence, though this reveals a function of the Sabbath conceived as a shard of eternity in the Benjaminian sense.

[A] day on which we use no money, a day of armistice in the economic struggle with our fellow men and the forces of nature—is there any institution that holds out a greater hope for man’s progress than the Sabbath? [...] Nothing is as hard to suppress as the will to be a slave to one’s own pettiness. Gallantly, ceaselessly, quietly, man must fight for inner liberty. 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 solution of mankind’s most vexing problem will not be found in renouncing technical civilization, but in attaining some degree of independence of it.

Against "would you not pull a sheep out of a pit on the Sabbath":

"The glorification of the day, the insistence upon strict observance, did not, however, lead the rabbis to a deification of the law. “The Sabbath is given unto you, not you unto the Sabbath.” The ancient rabbis knew that excessive piety may endanger the fulfilment of the essence of the law. “There is nothing more important, according to the Torah, than to preserve human life … Even when there is the slightest possibility that a life may be at stake one may disregard every prohibition of the law.” One must sacrifice mitzvot for the sake of man rather than sacrifice man “for the sake of mitzvot.""

--> and then, curiously, going even further in the opposite direction

A pious man once took a stroll in his vineyard on the Sabbath. He saw a breach in the fence, and then determined to mend it when the Sabbath would be over. At the expiration of the Sabbath he decided: since the thought of repairing the fence occurred to me on the Sabbath I shall never repair it.

retreat from a concept of holiness prior to historical consideration ("no natural history but historical nature"):

"There is no mention of a sacred place in the Ten Commandments. On the contrary, following the event at Sinai, Moses is told: “In every place where I cause My name to be mentioned I will come unto thee and bless thee” (Exodus 20:24). The awareness that sanctity is not bound to a particular place made possible the rise of the synagogue. The temple was only in Jerusalem, while the synagogue was in every village. There are fixed times, but no fixed place of prayer."
[...] Holiness in space, in nature, was known in other religions. New in the teaching of Judaism was that the idea of holiness was gradually shifted from space to time, from the realm of nature to the realm of history, from things to events. The physical world became divested of any inherent sanctity. There were no naturally sacred plants or animals any more. To be sacred, a thing had to be consecrated by a conscious act of man. The quality of holiness is not in the grain of matter. It is a preciousness bestowed upon things by an act of consecration and persisting in relation to God. [...] In the Bible, no thing, no place on earth, is holy by itself."

Though the implication is that it would be possible to construct an Un-holy site in this manner as well. Are the sites of the camps condemned? (Horror to consider that they would not be, yet perhaps greater horror to consider that they would...)


QUOTES

Indeed, the splendor of the day is expressed in terms of abstentions, just as the mystery of God is more adequately conveyed via negationis, in the categories of negative theology which claims that we can never say what He is, we can only say what He is not.

When today we wish to bring a word into special prominence we either underline it or print it in italics. In ancient literature, emphasis is expressed through direct repetition (epizeuxis), by repeating a word without any intervening words. The Bible, for example, says: “Justice, Justice shalt thou follow” (Deuteronomy 16:20); “Comfort ye, comfort ye My people” (Isaiah 40:1). Of all the Ten Commandments, only one is proclaimed twice, the last one: “Thou shalt not covet … Thou shalt not covet.”

perhaps there is yet more to this short volume, however this reviewer neglects the remainder of the four questions (incompetence) ( )

This is a great little book from the Jewish perspective on Sabbath. Highly applicable to followers of Christ needing to find rest.

God is over time is over man is over space. Sabbath is how we turn our attention away from space to commune with God through time. Beautiful book, beautiful prose, beautiful practice. Best read in companion with Brueggeman’s Sabbath as Resistance to really wrestle with cultural criticism. ( )

Considering the book's reputation, I expected a lot more. The prose was long winded and sometimes the author stated something that doesn't really make sense, logically, but presented it as being the logical conclusion of his argument. It took me years to finish it because I kept falling asleep. ( )

Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all their multitude. And on the seventh day God finished the work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all the work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it, because on it God rested from all the work that he had done in creation. Genesis 2:1-3 NRSV

Considered a classic of Jewish spirituality, The Sabbath: Its Meaning for Modern Man is an elegant and beautifully-written treatise seeking to renew a sanctification of time. Rabbi Heschel distinguishes between space and time, the former within the realm of man, the latter lies within the realm of God.

This theological study possessed so many "aha" moments, I found myself frequently highlighting the various arguments. Not surprising, I discerned a number of connections with our Christian theology. ( )

The prologue and epilogue are LOADED. Everything in between is also pretty good. Definitely interesting perspectives, there are truths that I can gleam for my own life. This book also helped me understand how sabbath became an object of worship for some people. ( )

I've intended to read this book for years, but I didn't expect it to be what it is: Jewish philosophy. It's not a practical book on practicing Sabbath, but meditations on the Sabbath by one who has experienced it. It has some strong insights, and I think it might merit a reread down the line, but I didn't love it. ( )

This is a short, rather interesting reflection on the institution of the Sabbath, as in "remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy". It was written by a Jewish scholar, so is specifically related to the Sabbath as celebrated by Jewish people. But, it has some interesting ideas and concepts that people of other faiths might find helpful as they try to understand and relate to their Creator.

The lives of men, according to Heschel, are primarily lived on a structural (physical) plane, i.e. we build things, we manage things, we fix things, we sew and reap crops, we write/plan/calculate, and so forth. All we create, even our mightiest structures, e.g. the pyramids, or our most elevated ideas, eventually decay back to nothingness. Time is different. Time is eternal. The structural is consumed by time, but time never changes, it just goes on...eternally. Something like that.

So, although we work in the structural world for six days of the week, we can escape to the temporal when we celebrate the Sabbath. Creation was done and continues to be done in time. So the Sabbath becomes a day of re-creation, a day of holiness ("...and on the seventh day, God rested...and called it holy"), and also a day, because we are living it in time and in holiness, where we deepen our relationship to and celebrate our relationship with our Creator. In so doing, we attain glimpses of eternity.

I am, of course, missing a lot, and perhaps making some stuff up (and didn't have a clue what he was talking about when he likened the Sabbath to a Bride to be celebrated at the wedding feast). Properly read, this book would be studied, i.e. re-read, notes taken and so forth. I won't be doing that, in part because the book is due back at the library muy pronto. But it is interesting to contemplate how the world might differ if we all took off one day from our normal pursuits—many of us, one day off from being assholes—and considered our relationships with our Creator, and consequently with each other, since we are each of us a little piece of our Creator's work—all many parts, but just one body kind of stuff. That's not going to happen any time soon, of course, because the love of money—allegedly the root of all evil, or so Paul would have it—has pretty much trumped everything else in our modern world. But just think, if each of us reduced our personal assholism by just one seventh, how much better a world we would share with each other. ( )

I read this book because it seemed to have an interesting perspective on our relationship with time. The good news is, it does! One thing that the author returns to over and over is the idea that we are focused on dominating the literal space around us during most of our lives; however that ignores the temporal aspect of life, which we should attend to via the Sabbath. I think that's a powerful idea, that the temporal and spatial aspects of our lives are both important and both require our attention.

I'm not Jewish, at all, and as such share very little of the cultural, religious, and literary context of the author. He talks a lot about stuff in the Bible, and I'm never quite sure if he believes in the Bible being the literal word of God - so a lot of his textual analysis falls on uncomprehending eyes, unfortunately. Some of his more off handed comments about the roles of women felt a little off, too, as a secular reader in 2018.

This book has certainly given me a new perspective through which to look at my own relationship with time, and is also just very calming to read. I certainly don't regret reading this at all. ( )

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! ( )

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! ( )

Absolutely beautiful book about the concept of "sacred time" as opposed to "sacred space." It resonated a lot with me, even as an atheist, because it was focused on how we choose to perceive the reality of time around us. Whether you think sacred time is blessed by a supernatural being, or if, like me, you believe that is a gift we give ourselves, this book has something in it for you. Gorgeously written. ( )

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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! ( )

Abraham Heschel draws an image of the Sabbath from both the Hebrew Bible and the rabbinic interpretations of the scriptures to expound on the idea of the Sabbath being a sanctification of eternal time rather than temporal place. The Sabbath in this sense is not seen so much as a day of rest but as a completion of creation, a necessary part of the whole. The culmination of Heschel’s idea of Sabbath is that Sabbath connects the finite nature of the world with the eternity of time.

The origin of Sabbath rest, according to Heschel, comes from god’s resting on the seventh day of creation. The seventh day however is not just denoted by rest in scripture but by three distinct actions on God’s part; rest, blessing, and a hallowing of the day. Thus the seventh day is not simply a day of rest, but a day with a special significance, not just good as the first six days were, but holy in and of itself. Heschel also describes how the Sabbath did not come about after creation was finished, but as an integral part of the creative order. The day of rest is not a day set aside from creation but an act of creation itself. ( )

The Sabbath is 101 pages long, plus there are a few pages of prologue and notes, and it is an extremely compelling 101 pages. Heschel shows us how the Sabbath is an aspect of “sacred time”, and not “sacred space”. He demonstrates within the history of the Sabbath, how Jews have built a foundation of “sacred days”, and how time is sanctified through the Sabbath. Time is an extremely important element in Judaism, from seasons to agriculture, to holidays and rituals, time is the force behind everything, from sunrise to sunset, days to weeks, weeks to months months to the year.

I found The Sabbath to be a profound book, a compelling book, and one that offers so much to ponder within its short length. Heschel offers the reader a unique and extremely strong perspective that they can cling to, and one that can bring them spiritual fulfillment. ( )

NO OF PAGES: 118 SUB CAT I: Shabbat SUB CAT II: SUB CAT III: DESCRIPTION: The thesis of this book is that Judaism is a religion of time, not space, and the Sabbath symbolizes the sanctification of time, so that "the Sabbaths are our great cathedrals."NOTES: SUBTITLE: Its Meaning for Modern Man

Shabbat