The power of Shabbat.

A certain father had a family of children, who were forever quarreling. Then he fell ill. Days before he died, he asked one of them to bring him a bundle of sticks. Handing the bundle to each of his sons in turn, he told them to try to break it. Although each one tried his best, none was able to break the bundle.

The Father then untied the bundle and gave the sticks to his sons to break one by one. This, they did very easily.

"My sons," said the father, "do you see how certain it is, that if you are united with each other, it will be impossible for your enemies to injure you. But if you are divided among yourselves, you will be no stronger than a single stick in that bundle.

This is what Shabbat does for a family. It makes every member of the family feel loved, important, indispensable and part of an unbreakable unit.

When Shabbat comes, Jewish law dictates, you must live on this day as though all your work has been completed.

This is not denial, it is called, LIVING in the now. It means that one day a week, we don’t think about, “making” a living; we actually are, “living”. One day a week we remember that we are more than work. We have a soul. We were sent to earth on a mission. There is something infinitely valuable about our existence, irrelevant of our financial or worldly situation.

The Talmud described a fascinating exchange between the Roman Governor in Palestine during the second century CE and the great Jewish sage, Rabbi Akiva. The Romans, like the Greeks, could not appreciate the concept of Sabbath in which you would allow all of your slaves a “day off” of labor.

“What makes this day different than any other day?” the Roman Governor Turnusrufus asks Rabbi Akiva.

Rabbi Akiva responds: “What makes you, different than any other person?”

“The Emperor has so willed. He bestowed upon me special honor.”

“And the Emperor of the world, has chosen this day, as a unique and holy day, bestowing upon it special honor.”

“But perhaps you have confused the days? How are you sure that in all this time you have not misplaced the seventh day”?

“The river Sambatyon will prove it!” responded Rabbi Akiva.

Rabbi Akiva was referring to a legendary river, named Sambatyon, which means Sabbath in Greek, apparently located in Syria, Afghanistan or Ethiopia. This river was un-navigable on weekdays because it flowed with strong currents carrying along stones with tremendous force, but it rested on the Sabbath.

A Roman historian living earlier than Rabbi Akiva, Pliny the Elder (24–79 C.E.) described the river in his work “Natural History.” He writes that the river ran rapidly for six days in the week and rested on the Sabbath.

Rabbi Akiva was not only referring to a physical river, but also to a metaphoric river. Life may times, is a journey through a tumultuous river, hurling heavy stones on us. Then comes Sabbath, and the river rests. No rocks flying at you. On Shabbat, our river becomes tranquil and serene.

This is the power of the Shabbat. In a world which is changing by the week, or by the day, or by the minute, and sometimes by the second, on Shabbat, we focus on that which is eternal in our lives. Our aspirations to become better people, our love to our spouse and children, our relationship with our soul and with our G-d, our need for prayer and study, our yearning for reflection and transcendence.

Shabbat, when observed properly, is truly a spiritual oasis in time and space.