HALLOW THE HOLLOW
In this week’s Parsha, Ki Sisa, HaShem instructs us to keep the Shabbos by cease from doing any creative activity just as He ceased all of His creation before the seventh day of creation. When articulating this mitzvah the Torah writes the reason as being ‘because Shabbos is a sign that attaches HaShem to His people’.
The question is that all mitzvos attach us to HaShem. In what way is the Shabbos distinct?
To appreciate the beauty and the function of Shabbos let us use the following model as the Maharal explains.
I want to create a box out of virgin wood, wood that has never been cut into boards. My first step is to cut down a large tree whose diameter is satisfactory for my purposes. After falling the tree I cut the trunk one more time leaving me with a portion of the tree that is three feet tall. After placing it on the ground with one flat side down and the other flat side up I proceed to cut the right side of my log followed by cutting off the left side. I now have in front of me a block of wood that has four flat sides; top, bottom, right and left. I then cut the front of my block and then the back of my block. I finally have my six sided block from which I shall make my box.
The next and final component of my box is creating an absence of wood in the center. Although I already have a six sided wooden block it serves no purpose yet. Without a hollow center, those six sides serve no purpose. I then proceeded to hollow out the inside thereby making a hollowed space in which I can store my possessions. Once that is accomplished my block becomes a box. My purposeless block now becomes purposeful. Every side of the box now serves a valuable function. The top protects my object from above and the right side protects my object from intrusion from the right and so on.
Behold! The dimension that gave purpose to everything was the absence of material. The material world in which we live serves itself in a cyclical pattern, but it cannot go higher. The functions of the animals are limited to feeding itself, protecting itself and procreating a new generation which will in turn do the same. The cycle continues with no greater purpose. The same is true in plant life. Purpose and meaning begin where the material ends.
Material serves the purpose by affording it the space and logistics to accomplish but the accomplishment will not be material. The wooden sides of our box have purpose as they protect the space which they surround.
We see this model reflected in the different ways which people conduct their lives. There are folks who are workaholics in which every moment of their day they are engaged in their business endeavors, almost 24/7. There is no space during which they can give purpose to work they do. When asked if they work to live or live to work the answer is invariably that they live to work. The question then becomes why work? For what purpose do they work? Is there a greater accomplishment that their work will yield?
Whereas, if they work to live the question becomes for what do they live? If the answer is of greater value than their work then their work is purposeful. If the investment of their energies and talent will yield something more valuable than the sum total of the work, their work has purpose.
HaShem instructs us that our work should remain limited to the six days of creation so that on the seventh day, Shabbos, we give meaning to the other six days. Shabbos is the day of cessation of work. It is the day on which we can disconnect somewhat from the material world and touch the transcendent. There is no greater meaning than connecting to HaShem.
Shabbos’ distinction is that it is the space in which we attach ourselves to Him.
Have a wonderful Shabbos.
Paysach Diskind