The Shabbat Day: A Sanctuary in Time

“…Six days of fruitful labor, One day of fragrant rest…”

In a world of restless rushing and ceaseless clamor, the seventh day arrives like a quiet crown, a day divinely designed for delight, devotion, and deliberate rest. Shabbat is not merely the absence of labor; it is the presence of purpose. It is the weekly witness that YHWH, Maker of heaven and earth, governs creation—not man, not market, not machine. From the first sunset of this sacred span, the hurried heart is invited into holy hush.

Shabbat calls us to cease, to still, to sanctify. The commandments do not murmur suggestions; they majestically mark a covenant. “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy” is not a nostalgic notion but a living law. To remember is to return, to root our lives in the rhythm YHWH Himself wove into the very fabric of creation: six days of fruitful labor, one day of fragrant rest. This cycle is not cultural, nor merely ceremonial. It is cosmic, creational, covenantal.

How splendid and serene the Shabbat table becomes when the week’s weary work is set aside! Candles cast their gentle glow, bread lies braided and blessed, and hearts hum with hymns of hope. Families gather in gracious gratitude, savoring both simple sustenance and the subtle sweetness of sacred time. It is a day of stillness and song, of Scripture and soul-refreshing silence.

Yet Shabbat is not passive idleness. It is active adoration. To rest is to reign with YHWH over the works of our hands, acknowledging that all provision and all power belong to Him alone. To study Torah on this day is to step into a celestial conversation, where the words of YHWH wash over the weary spirit like living water.

The nations may chase novelty, but the children of Israel guard this ancient gift. Shabbat remains the bright badge of belonging, a shimmering sign between YHWH and His people forever. In a world drunk on doing, it declares the daring truth that we are not defined by our deeds, but by our devotion.

So let this day be a harbor of holiness, a palace of peace, a delight of divine design. Set aside the screens, silence the clamor, still the striving. Light the lamps, lift the prayers, let the Torah speak. In the quiet sanctum of Shabbat, heaven brushes earth and the eternal whispers once more: It is very good.

May every reader find in this day the rest that renews, the joy that justifies, and the love that lasts beyond sunset’s sigh.

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With a candle’s flicker and a scroll’s smile,
I remain your ever-pondering pen,

~ Dame Wisdom Scroll ✒️


Caleb Lussier

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Henk Wouters 3 d

poetry.