Finding the Shabbos Within

By Rabbi Noson Sternhartz

Excerpts from Likutei Halachos, Hilchos Shabbos, Halachos 6 and 7

The paradigm of Shabbos is a potent remedy for all the confusions that may beset us, whatever their cause. Amid all the conflicting desires, emotions, and evil thoughts that we may experience, we must search for the aspect of Shabbos. This is the nullification of the self to the Ultimate Reality. Thus, the Torah instructs us, "Remember the day of Shabbos and sanctify it" (Exodus 20:8). Similarly, [our sages observe,] "Remember it from the first (echad) [day of the week, by always counting] toward the Shabbos" (Mechilta, citing the view of Rabbi Yitzchak, ad loc.). [The latter phrase also may be understood to mean, "Remember the Divine Oneness (Echad) on the Shabbos. For Shabbos is the aspect of "sit and do not act," the aspect of rest (sh'visah) and cessation.]

This is good advice for all the difficulties we may encounter: we should simply nullify ourselves for a time, and remind ourselves of the Ultimate Reality. Anyone in the world, without exception, can accomplish this, and thus merge into the Infinite Divine Light. It is impossible to explain this further; for "everyone must understand according to what remains in his heart" (Zohar I, 103b). Nevertheless, all Israel believes that this is the ultimate spiritual goal, and our hope for all eternity. Every person, whatever he may be, whatever may happen to him, can nullify himself to God, even in the midst of his confusions and problems. This is the paradigm of Shabbos, the paradigm of rest (sh'visah) and cessation. Through this, we can destroy all disturbing thoughts, all intellectual entanglements and false wisdoms, and direct all of our doings toward the Ultimate Reality that is beyond time and change. This is the aspect of Shabbos and the principle that "the mind is nourished first." That is, our eating and mundane activities, even the necessity of attending to our physical needs, should be directed to the Shabbos alone: to true wisdom and the Essence of the mind.

All this is implicit in [Rebbe Nachman's mystical tale,] "The Exchanged Children." At the end of the story, it describes a garden [which no one can enter without being pursued by invisible terrors and confusions]. This alludes to the Garden of Eden. However, the hero vanquishes these terrors and confusions by standing beside [the statue of the unidentified human form, which symbolizes] the Shabbos. Thus, our sages state that the Shabbos protected Adam, even after he had tasted the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge (Zohar II, 138a) (Likutei Halachos 6:5, 8).

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The main strategy for taming the mind is the practice of "sitting and not acting" in thought (see Likutei Moharan 11:122). Even if you already have allowed your thoughts to wander and your mind has strayed [into evil or disturbing realms], if you seek to undo your error by struggling with your thoughts, you will only become more deeply entangled. Therefore, the best advice is to "sit and not act" in thought, at least from now on. In the midst of your mental turmoil, let your mind stand still and rest by disengaging your attention from the flow of thoughts. [Ultimately] this requires complete nullification of the ego. This is accomplished by remembering God's Presence, and effacing yourself completely before the Infinite Light. This is the paradigm of Shabbos. You should strive to remember the Shabbos constantly, drawing its holiness upon yourself even during the week [i.e., in the realm of the profane]. Then you will discern the openings in the very midst of your confusing thoughts.

The practice [of self-effacement] is beneficial to all [even if, at first, one succeeds only intermittently]. However, a great master like Rabbi Yehoshua Ben Chananiah [whose debates with the Sages of Athens the Talmud recounts in Bechoros 8b] was capable of nullifying himself at every moment through the paradigm of Shabbos. Therefore, he was able to enter the gates of the Sages of Athens [who symbolize egoistic thinking] and defeat them utterly (Likutei Halachos 6:8; also cf. Likutei Moharan I, 23-31, concerning Rabbi Yehoshua and the Sages of Athens).

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On the Shabbos we are forbidden to discuss our mundane affairs [i.e., business matters and the like]. Rather, we should speak words of Torah and prayer and praises to God, singing the songs (zemiros) of Shabbos, and thanking God whole-heartedly and with great joy that He mercifully has conferred upon us this precious gift of the Shabbos from among His hidden treasures (cf. Shabbos 10a).

For the Shabbos transcends speech - yet all speech comes forth from the Shabbos. It is the supernal silence above speech, the paradigm of "the fence for wisdom (chochmah) is silence" (Avos 3:13). Kabbalistically, this corresponds to the Sefirah of Kesser ("Divine Crown"). In terms of our Divine service, it corresponds to the quality of waiting. For speech is bound up with the Sefirah of Chochmah (wisdom), as the verse states, "God will give wisdom, from His mouth..." (Proverbs 2:6). However, [wisdom and speech] spring forth from the Sefirah of Kesser, the transcendent silence, the "fence for wisdom." This is why we must be silent before we speak, when we need to collect our thoughts. Similarly, we must pause between words, however slightly. As our sages state, "If a word is worth one coin, silence is worth two" (Megilla 18a); for silence is both the source of speech and its tikkun (spiritual rectification). This concept also is suggested by the verse that refers to "a wise man (chacham) among the silent, understanding whispered mysteries" (Isaiah 3:3). Thus, speech is elicited from the paradigm of the Shabbos that corresponds to the Sefirah of Kesser, the aspect of the "covering of coverings," which is the mystery of silence.

On the Shabbos, it is forbidden to speak anything but words that come forth from the supernal silence, words of mindfulness (yishuv ha-da'as), words of faith through which one may cleave to the Infinite One; as the verse states, "I will make known my faith with my mouth" (Psalms 89:2). [That is, our words bear this quality of da'as because they are rooted in the level of faith that transcends intellect.] Therefore, on the Shabbos, we praise God by singing, "A psalm, a song of the Sabbath day: it is good to praise God..." (Psalms 92:1,2) [for all praises and words of holiness emerge from the silence of the Shabbos] (Likutei Halachos 7:43, abridged).