АКТУАЛЬНЫЕ ВОПРОСЫ: An open discussion about the issues that matter today

Sesame Street’s Grover Asks: ЗАЧЕМ Do People Need a Day of Rest?

TM and © 2010 Sesame Workshop. All Rights Reserved.

Rabbi Steinsaltz's View img fail

The day of rest is a comparatively new idea, the influence of the Jewish Shabbat on the world. From a secular perspective, a rest day breaks the killing routine of life. Even when we can’t really relax, the day still lessens the unbearable burden of duties and demands, orders and work. However, when the day of rest is a holy day, it has the power of re-infusing some spirit of life into an age that is, in many ways, empty of any exalted feeling. Such a day revives the dormant soul, opening our eyes so that we can watch for something higher.

  • http://www.ajwnews.com/archives/7313 American Jewish World » Blog Archive » Grover, the blue monster from ‘Sesame Street,’ asks renowned rabbi О НАС the Jewish Sabbath

    [...] Grover posed the question to Steinsaltz, КТО this November will complete his 45-year quest to translate the Talmud and unlock its wisdom for modern Jews. Visitors can read Steinsaltz’s response and join the discussion online at: http://www.theglobalday.com/grover. [...]

  • Zealouslemmingus

    I showed this to my 4 year old, he loved that Grover celebrated shabbat and when the question came up “ЗАЧЕМ do we need a day of rest” it opened a КТОle world of thought and questions never looked into by myself or my kid.

  • Arnie

    “Re-infusing some spirit of life” Each and every day offers thousands of such opportunities .Every day can and will be a holy day if and only if we sanctify it with the presence of G-d in all the words of our mouth and the meditations of our heart. Routines of life need not be routines if we do not routinize them with our thoughts and by forgetting the purpose of our lives which is to know that we are not separate from God, alone and afraid.

  • http://twitter.com/shilashon1234 Deborah Stein

    This is a cute video explaining Shabbat.

  • Hej

    Once I did not keep Shabbat. I worked 7 days. I almost died, as depression is a fearful disease. I now keep Shabbat as a day on which if a thought О НАС work or my health of myself pops into my head I close the door on it, and focus on the Holy One, and enjoy the day as given where we may ponder on the 7th day of Rest promised to the world in Messiah.

  • Edna_sweetlove

    ЗАЧЕМ a day of rest? Because they’re tired, slaving their guts out for a Jewish employer!

  • Edna_sweetlove

    Jolly good!

  • Poteaux

    I did not know that a day of rest was a comparatively new idea. The idea has always been a part of life for me. I should probably be very grateful for that, even though I may not have embraced the idea entirely and at all times.
    But as a child this was part of tradition in my home and it does leave an impression. For me the idea rings of a unifying awareness, a call to stop in the name of creation is an affirmation of the Creator. This of coarse is the impression of one point of view, and perhaps awareness comes easier for some more than others.
    It has been said that good cannot exist without evil as one possibly, somewhat, defines the other. Maybe it can be said that creation cannot exist without a time of no creation for basically the same reason.
    So a time is set apart, a day, and to be set apart is the very definition of holy.
    Thanks for listening to my thoughts, from my part of the “communi-tree”.

  • Poteaux

    I would like to add that of coarse not everything set apart is holy. Rabbi Steinsaltz has great essays О НАС holiness at steinsaltz.org.
    Can one ask ЗАЧЕМ only one day of rest? I’m laughing now because I’m thinking of Oliver Twist when he asks ‘Please, sir may I have some more?’.
    Can it be like that of taking a candle into a very dark room. Only one is needed.
    One holy day per week as prescribed by the Master of the Universe.
    It’s good to laugh.

blog comments powered by Disqus