“On the seventh day there shall be a Shabbos of complete rest”
The Torah tells us
“On six days work may be done, but on the seventh day there shall be a Shabbos of complete rest, a sacred occasion. You shall do no work; it shall be a Shabbos of the LORD throughout your settlements.” -Leviticus (23:3)
We see from the verse the importance of finding a balance between work and the servitude of the Lord. While it is true that man must toil six days a week in order to earn his livelihood – as the Torah says in Genesis 3:19, “through the sweat of your brow you shall eat bread” – it nonetheless is the need of every human to connect to their creator, though the burden of work can at times prevent them from doing so. It would seem that this curse, the necessity to work while earning a living, is more than just a curse on the ability of man to secure his physical sustenance; rather, it is a curse on his spiritual state as well – as the burden of earning a livelihood prevents man from being with a clear mind to connect to his creator, and thus elevate his soul.
Out of his abundant mercy, God created Shabbos, a time for man to rest his brow and to take pause from the trials and tribulations of life. It is with this gift that gives humanity the ability to connect with God and build a relationship that we, both us and God, so covet. With this reflection, and the recognition of the great gift that is the Shabbos, may we take the time within our hectic week to cultivate that relationship and live in the image of God, thereby building civil society in the process.