On
most days of the Jewish year (including Yom Kippur) the middle section of the Amida
prayer remains unchanged in all services except for musaf. Shabbat is
different. The opening paragraphs of the “Holiness of the Day” blessing on
Shabbat are different in each service. On busy weekdays, the unchanging prayers
are an anchor; the holiday are laden with enough meaning even if the Amida
lacks variety but on Shabbat we have time, and the prayers themselves are an
important element of our day. Not only are the prayers different but there is a
logical progression from one to the next. I never noticed that progression
until I read an essay by Rabbi Gordon Tucker on the subject. My treatment is a little different from his
but without having read his essay, I might never have given the issue any
thought.
On Friday night, we begin “You sanctified the
seventh day in Your name, the culmination of the creation of heaven and
earth." God here acts alone, only He worked to create the world and only
He rests and sanctifies the Sabbath; this is a cosmic Sabbath that exists with
or without us. Recalling the Sabbath of the universe, we acknowledge that the
world and resources exist not only for our benefit. We may use them but also
must protect them.
In the morning, God is joined by “Moses who rejoiced
in his portion” and we are enjoyed to keep the Sabbath as an element of
Israel’s covenant with God. The prayer notes that the Sabbath was given in the
Ten Commandments but quotes a verse emphasizing the covenant: “The people
of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, observing the Sabbath
throughout their generations, as a covenant forever.” We have moved from creation to revelation, from primordial time to
historical time.
In Musaf, we are aware of the shortcomings of the present and look
forward to the future, but in Mincha, the future has already arrived. We say
"You are One and Your name is One” a phrase
recalling the end of Aleinu. The people of Israel are one, live in Israel and
keep the Sabbath., Truly a vision of redemption!
On
Friday evening, we began with the hope and anticipation of the cosmic Sabbath.
On Saturday morning, the light of Torah gives us a framework for our work and
rest, a connection to something larger than ourselves. In the bright noontime,
we see the flaws of the present and look towards the future. And on Saturday
afternoon, just before we are returned to the profane world, we have a glimpse
of redemption, in hopes that it will motivate us to direct our efforts in
worthy directions.
I
quote Rabbi Tucker:
In the romantic dusks of Friday and
Saturday evenings, we may dream idyllically of past and future. But in the
bright light of Shabbat morning, we are to recognize that only through human
actions, only through the gift [of Torah] can God’s promises be fulfilled… We
had no hand in creation. But through
revelation of Torah we may acquire a saving role in redemption. (in My People’s Prayer Book, Vol. 10:
Shabbat Morning, p. 14)
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