In today’s cultural context, we are increasingly pressed for time, encouraged to multitask, prompted to respond quickly, asked to produce immediate results, and engaged in multiple directions. Unless we are outstanding at creating boundaries, prioritizing, focusing deeply, and practicing vigilant self-care, we run the regular risk of depleting ourselves of our very selves. We have so much within ourselves to offer, but without a practice of getting in touch with our core and “re-filling the tank” we diminish that light
and essence. An oft quoted line from Emerson reminds us that “what lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.” What comes from within us is what Rumi called our “second knowing.” Rumi wrote of two kinds of intelligence, characterizing what is “already completed and preserved inside” of us as “a fountainhead from within.” And long before these words were penned, Torah instructed us to “re-ensoul” ourselves weekly with Shabbat.
In Shmot/Exodus 31:16-17 we first read the words that have become familiar to us in liturgy and song – V’shamru b’nei Yisrael et haShabbat … Shavat vayinafash. We are instructed to keep and observe Shabbat throughout the generations as a continuing covenant, a sign forever, between us and the One we most simply call God. Why? Because creation – doing, making, working, producing – occurred for six days and on the seventh day, on Shabbat, God “vayinafash.” This word is often translated as “rested,” but if we look at the Hebrew root we find the word Nefesh, which means soul, breath or life-force. As Rashi says in his commentary on this passage, “God restored God’s own soul and breath by taking a calming break from the burden of the labor.”
Our tradition gives us many instructions about how to observe and keep and remember Shabbat, and even if we only do one of these on a given Shabbat, “vayinafash” seems essential. How might we re-ensoul ourselves? Many restorative practices exist and Judaism has a long tradition and deep well of
contemplative practice
.
Anyone looking for a re-ensoulment practice is welcome to join us for our contemplative Shavat Vayinafash service on Shabbat morning,
May 17th/Iyar 17
at 10:30 a.m. and at other Little Minyan events. More information can be found on our
calendar
.
