"And you shall observe My Sabbaths. I am the Lord, your God. (Vayikra 19:3)"
Teshuva Through Shabbos
I once asked a Ba'al Teshuvah what had inspired him and his family to become Torah observant Jews, what was the catalyst for them to change their lives. He shared with me his story:
"My weekends used to be a nightmare. I would work hard all week trying to earn a living for my family. When Friday would finally arrive, I would go to the bar on the way home with some co-workers. When I would get home, I would take a nap without even seeing my children. After a few hours, I would wake up. My friends would come by. We would hang out, drink and joke around until late into the evening. We were rowdy. My house would become like a bar!
"Eventually, everyone would leave, and I would go to bed sleeping until late the next morning. When I would wake up, I go out to watch a football game with my friends. Screaming and cheering and drinking. By the time the game was over, and I get home, my entire family was asleep.
"My wife was lonely. My children were becoming like strangers. I would feel disappointed and bitter realizing that my behavior was destroying my family, alienating myself from their lives. And, everything would start again. It was a terrible cycle. I was full of regret. But, I didn't know what to do.
"One Saturday morning, a religious family passed by my window on their way home from shul. The children were holding their father's hands. They were smiling as they were talking together. There was a radiance illuminating their faces. My mind started comparing how this family spent their weekends to how I was. I was jealous. I wanted what they had. I wanted my family back.
"I told my wife that I thought we should start keeping Shabbos. Not only was she open to the idea, but she was also excited about it. Our family began keeping Shabbos according to all the laws and traditions.
"Almost immediately when we began keeping Shabbos, we started feeling a stronger sense of emunah, faith, and we were inspired to become completely Torah observant Jews."
Shabbos Empowers Emunah
The seforim hakedoshim explain, that the observance of Shabbos has the power to increase someone's emunah, faith, and that, in turn, impacts and enhances all of the other mitzvos that they do. Therefore, there are many stories like the above one.
When someone observes Shabbos, they are committing at least one day a week to Hashem and their yiddishkeit, their spiritual well-being. They ensure that for at least one day a week they disconnect from their devices, they don't worry about work or errands or anything else related to everyday life. They rest and focus on self-reflection, a chesbon hanefesh. This process inevitably leads to contemplation. They consider how there is a Creator of the Worlds, Hashem, who constantly is infusing this world with life and sustenance, and who has provided the yiddein with an incredible opportunity to connect with Him through His mitzvos and Torah. They become self-aware of their purpose in this world. Their emunah is strengthened.
This process is one of the primary purposes for Shabbos, as we say in the Shabbos davening: "to remember the creation of the world". The Sefer HaChinuch (Mitzvah 32) explains that the mitzvah of Shabbos is rooted in the idea of turning away from the daily burdens of this world, to focus on your relationship with Hashem, in order that your emunah should be strengthened, impacting all areas of your yiddishkeit.
Eliminate Doubts
The Yetzer Harah is constantly trying to hinder your avodas Hashem, by introducing and infusing doubts in your faith. Shabbos inherently has the power to help eliminate those doubts and to fortify yourself from the Yetzer Harah's cunning efforts.
We clearly see this, when a Jew begins observing Shabbos for the first time, they immediately start becoming more faithful, more observant, more committed, even though not all their questions have been answered. They are motivated and inspired by a burning desire born from their newly awoken sense of emunah, faith.
This is aligned with Chazal when they taught (Shabbos 118b) that if someone keeps Shabbos according to its laws, even if that person was an idol worshiper like the Generation of Enosh, Hashem forgives them. Shabbos can transform even an idol worshipper.
This power exists in every detail of the mitzvah of Shabbos, even in the most mundane aspects like the meals (seudos) on Shabbos. The Zohar (Yisro 88b) describes the Shabbos meals as "meals of faith." The Hebrew word for "meal" is "seudah" which is rooted in the same word as the Hebrew word for "help". The Shabbos Seudos helps empower one's emunah.
This opportunity of strengthening one's emunah during the meals, is even more potent when you speak divrei Torah at the table, talk about ideas of emunah, and sings songs that praise Hashem. This will impact and have a lasting impression on one's faith that will carry them forward through the week ahead.
The Spiritual Wars
My ancestor, the great tzadik Reb Itzchak Issac of Kamarna explains (Shulchan HaTahor 242:2), that the Wars of Gog U'Magog that Chazal teaches us will precede the arrival of Moshiach, will be a spiritual war. Every yid must wage the battle, fight the war against the philosophies and cultures that deny Hashem's existence which have begun to pollute the hearts of minds of the world, that is permeating today's society. This is what Chazal teach us (118a) that anyone who enjoys and partakes in the three meals on Shabbos will be saves from the Wars of Gog U'Magog. They will survive this spiritual war and their emunah will remain intact. That is the power of Shabbos.
Faith From Keeping
This is what the pasuk means: "You shall observe My Sabbaths" - and If you keep Shabbos properly, than, as the pasuk continues, you will know that - "I am the Lord, your God." You will have emunah, faith, in the reality of Hashem as your god.
With Hashem's help, everyone should recommit themselves to keeping Shabbos properly, to utilizing this special time to focus on their own spiritual growth and self-awareness. Through these efforts, may everyone's Emunah be strengthened with their entire family. Amen.
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