Rabbi Yaakov Raskin | Shabbat – the one day that changes the other six

One of the most popular health and wellness influencers is Dr Mark Hyman. He is a 15-time New York Times bestselling author, the host of The Doctor’s Farmacy podcast, and has over 3.8 million followers on Instagram. He is a prominent leader in “functional medicine”, which focuses on treating the root causes of chronic disease, using food as medicine. One of Dr Hyman’s most powerful lessons is that health is not just about our habits, exercises, biometrics and diets, it’s about our mindset.

The reason most diets and health plans fail, he says, is because we are approaching them backwards. Rather than focusing on what makes us healthy, and integrating those foods or habits into our lives, our culture looks at which foods and lifestyle choices are unhealthy, and looks at removing or eliminating those. There is a phenomenon called “loss aversion”, which says that the psychological pain of losing something feels about twice as intense as the joy of gaining an equivalent thing. So one reason it’s hard to change is that we look at our diets as “taking away” what we enjoy, rather than looking toward what we gain from the healthy choice.

While I am a rabbi and not a registered dietician (although my wife is), the above lessons apply to our mental wellness and spiritual wellness. Maytal Merary, a researcher at Bar-Ilan University, has recently published a groundbreaking study that analyses the letters of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson. Referencing a wide array of examples drawn from across the Rebbe’s published letters, Merary uncovered six steps by which the Rebbe guided people with anxiety, depression and intrusive thoughts and back toward a baseline of active joy.

They are, in short:

1. Separate your inner, trusting, self from intrusive thoughts. 2. Divert your attention away from such thoughts. 3. Immerse your mind in positive alternatives, especially the study of Torah and Chassidut (Jewish mysticism). 4. Identify the habits or situations that tend to trigger, or give rise to, these distracting thoughts, and take care to avoid them. 5. Focus on purposeful action and on fulfilling your individual mission in life. 6. At every step, choose to direct your cognitive, emotional, and behavioural work toward active joy.

In other words, the Rebbe’s advice could be rephrased in the following way. You aren’t defined by what you are thinking. You can choose not to think thoughts as they appear. You can replace negative thoughts with positive thoughts. You are not a prisoner of your circumstances. Move from positive thoughts to positive activities. Joy and optimism imbue your thoughts and activities with greater energy and greater success.

I share the above because it is relevant to topics I have written about previously, namely the Shabbat. When reading about the things that Shabbat entails – refraining from work, commercial and agricultural activities, and other prohibitions – people said “this seems too hard”. They saw their weekly routine and then naturally looked at all the things they would lose out on if they were to observe a day of rest.

However, I propose looking at the Sabbath through a different lens. Look at the things we gain from a weekly pause that are good for us – not only from a religious or spiritual perspective, but from an emotional and psychological one. Our Sabbath traditions encourage mindfulness, introspection and connection with family. We sing beautiful songs with life-affirming melodies. One of the greatest benefits that people find when they begin observing the Shabbat is that removing technology like phones for 24 hours is like a weekly detox. We also have communal meals with family and friends. In our hectic world, how often do we get that chance to connect with others and nourish ourselves in ways that really count.

These material benefits align with traditional teachings about the significance of the Shabbat. Jewish mysticism teaches that, on Shabbat, all the accomplishments of the previous week achieve fulfilment and elevation, and from the Shabbat all endeavours of the upcoming week are blessed. Keeping the Shabbat secures G‑d’s blessing for success for our entire week, and infuses purpose and meaning into our weeklong existence.

On Shabbat, Jewish tradition teaches that one receives an “additional soul”. This comes from the teachings of Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish, who said: “The Holy One gives a person an additional soul on Shabbat eve and, at the conclusion of Shabbat, removes it from her, as it is stated: “G-d ceased from work and was refreshed” (Beitzah 16a:12)

The Gemara (Brachos 57b), it says that Shabbat is like 1/60th of the World to Come. It is a weekly taste of what the world will look like during the messianic era: “ In that time there will be no hunger or war, no jealousy or rivalry. For the good will be plentiful, and all delicacies available as dust. The entire occupation of the world will be only to know G‑d.” ( Mishneh Torah, Kings 12:5)

At a recent Shabbat dinner in Kingston, a 73-year Jewish woman and her daughter joined the meal. While they are proud Jews, they had never before had such an experience. When the evening came to a close, they said that there was something special about the meal. While the food was tasty and the guests were kind, they said that there was a certain something in the air. Something elevated, something unique, something they couldn’t put to words. This is what the Jewish people call “the shabbos spice”. It’s that taste of the world to come.

If a weekly day of rest seems daunting to commit to all at once, start by taking small steps. Find one hour to consciously put away your phone. Invite family and friends over for a meal. The Shabbat is our weekly reminder to pause, take stock of the important things in life, and reconnect with why we are even here in the first place. In a fast-paced world, our ancient Shabbat rituals offer a way to connect – with ourselves, our communities, and G-d.

On July 31, Chabad Jamaica will be hosting our final Shabbat meal of the summer in Negril. If you’re interested in joining, please reach out to info@jewishjamaica.com.