I grew up shomer shabbat--observing all the rules of Shabbat. No TV. No driving. No spending money. OK--we turned on the lights. My dad was a Reform Rabbi. But by and large we were pretty observant when it came to Shabbat.
I hated it. I felt cut off from the world. No one else in our town was shomer shabbat. Everyone else went to the movies, birthday parties and to the local farmers market and craft fair. The worst part--not being able to watch Saturday morning cartoons. My brother and I would stand outside our neighbor's huge picture window and watch cartoons through the glass. How sad is that? Standing out in the cold in the Pacific North West mist early on a Saturday morning to watch Tom and Jerry? To tell the truth we were also outside because inside was no fun. Dad was at Shul. Mom was tired and stressed. She wanted peace and quiet. We wanted to be entertained. We wanted kid shabbat menucha/Shabbat rest--to veg out in front of the TV.
I have kids now. My husband and I are both rabbis. We have made different choices for our family. No TV during the week but TONS of TV on the weekend and especially on Shabbat. I cannot tell you the bliss I feel (on the rare Shabbat morning that I am not working) when my 7 year old is watching Sponge Bob in the basement and I am sleeping and resting and reading in bed. My husband can read the paper and sip coffee. The baby plays quietly on the floor. The house is quiet. Everyone is content. We are relaxed. I can reflect on how much I love my family, my congregation and my life. I can give thanks for all of my blessings.
We need to rethink Shabbat. We need to create Shabbat traditions for our families that work for contemporary Jews. We need to keep Shabbat and protect Shabbat. This means making Shabbat rest relevant and meaningful in our lives. According to our creation story Shabbat was built into the foundations of creation. It is as essential as the sun and moon, oceans and plants. Bereshit/Genesis teaches us that on the 7th day God took a deep breath and rested. This is what we need to do--rest. Just rest. Figure out what that means for you and do it-rest!
I want Shabbat. I need Shabbat. Being shomer shabbat in the traditional ways is not an option for us. It would make me crazy. And that is the last thing our world needs--a crazy Rabbi Mommy.
