Shabbat: Remembering God

Many Jews perceive Shabbat observance as a series of endless restrictions, most of which seem difficult to comprehend. This often leads to a sense of overwhelm, causing some to give up before they even begin. However, did you know that Shabbat observance actually consists of two distinct parts?

When the Ten Commandments are repeated in Parashat Va'etchanan, they are almost identical to those in Exodus. A notable difference is found in the fourth commandment, where Moses changes the word “Zachor” (remember) in “Zachor et Yom HaShabbat” to “Shamor” (safeguard), altering the phrase’s meaning from “remember the Sabbath day” to “safeguard the Sabbath day.”

The commentaries explain that when God gave the Ten Commandments, He uttered both "Zachor" and "Shamor" simultaneously, expressing two different but equally important components of Shabbat. The first aspect is to remember Shabbat— to recall the significance of the seventh day of the week. Shabbat is designed to remind us of the seventh day of creation when God completed the heavens and the earth. Primarily, Shabbat is about remembering God as our Creator.

The second component is to safeguard Shabbat, to preserve the sanctity of the day. To ensure that Shabbat remains a time when we can focus on our Creator, God provided a list of restrictions that create the time and space necessary for us to remember Him. Essentially, God is asking us to "clear our calendar" for Him, so we can give Him our undivided attention.

By remembering Shabbat, we fulfill a central aspect of its observance. We do this through various positive actions, such as lighting Shabbat candles before sunset, reciting Kiddush over a glass of wine, enjoying Shabbat dinner, and engaging in other practices that encapsulate the joy of being chosen by our Creator.