Sabbath

Alexander Liss

07/20/04

Vortexes of thoughts, conversations, obligations, and activities hold mind of an individual and prevent critique, challenge and restructure of bounds of own life. The same is true about a society on a small scale as a group, or on a large scale as a nation.

In the Jewish Culture, there is a tool, which allows temporary escape from this. It allows realization that one is not defined and is not limited by these vortexes. This tool is a temporary withdrawal from these vortexes and relaxation to a degree that new perpetually emerging vortexes could be detected as such and quickly calmed.

This tool takes different forms.

In one form, it is a standard prayer. One takes time, separates oneself from activities and “thoughts of a moment” and focuses on pronouncing a standard well-known text. When the mind wanders, it could get a hook on prayer's music, poetry, meaning, or an appearance in a prayer book, etc. There are many hooks in prayer to keep mind out of the place, from where it was removed for this particular occasion. This form is practiced alone or in a group.

In another form, it is a day of rest organized every seven days. Economically, it is not justifiable; this should not be a surprise - economic activity is only one among many activities of a person, and it should not be the most important one. This form usually is practices together by a community.

The unique form practiced by an entire nation is Yom Kippur - a special day one's a year, where all activities are quieted to large degree.

This system of tools was successfully applied for many years. They are perpetually adjusted to current circumstances. This system of perpetually applied and perpetually adjusted tools is an important part of perpetually changing Jewish Culture.

Other cultures adopted some of these tools and adjusted them according to their nature. This is not a one-time event this is a perpetual process. In spite of all visible tensions between the Jewish Culture and some of these cultures, these cultures actually rely on the Jewish Culture's adjustment of these tools to current circumstances. When the Jewish Culture falls behind, they fall behind. Ideas are traveling across boundaries and these ideas are traveling as well.