Teaching Team
The Joy of the Sabbath
A teaching from the Sabbath table of Reb Nachman of Breslov
One Friday night at the Sabbath table of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov, his disciples were gathered around when Reb Nachman turned to one of them and asked, “Are you joyous on the Sabbath?”
The disciple answered, “I feel religious reverence on the Sabbath.”
Reb Nachman replied, “This is not the proper path. The main thing is joy.” He explained that fear of God and concern over religious details can only be elevated to a level of spiritual merit through joy. He taught that a person should do everything possible to experience joy on the Sabbath. He said, “A man need not be wealthy, but he should spend a little extra for the Sabbath. Even a simple, poor, family-man can make himself happy with tasty food such as fish and good soup on the Sabbath. The main thing is to feel joy.”
The disciple felt even more depressed on hearing this. He felt badly because he had not attained Sabbath joy. Reb Nachman read his thoughts and said, “Now I have given you something to be depressed about.”
Then the disciple understood that he should not worry about being joyous to the point of depressing himself. He said to his rebbe, “I have a great desire to be filled with joy on the Sabbath.” Though he did not feel particularly joyful that Sabbath, he did feel a deep longing to be joyful.
Reb Nachman turned to his disciples and said, “Did you hear what he said? He spoke well!” If a person does not feel joy, he should at least feel the desire for it. This is half the battle.
Reb Nachman went on to encourage his disciples to sing Sabbath table songs. He said, “Do not pay attention to your inhibitions. Others sitting at the table may not want to sing along. Ignore that. Strengthen yourself and sing with joy. Conduct everything at your Sabbath table with a spirit of joy. The main thing on Sabbath is joy!”
(Paraphrased from Rabbi Nachman's Wisdom)
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Visitor Feedback:
Thank you so much for this!
I love to sing on Shabbat! I get my guitar out and I sing from our hymnals. Sometimes I have to change some words, but it is joyous!
I love it! I look forward to Shabbat when I can sit down and play with joy! Instead of 'When we all get to Heaven' I sing 'When we all get to Zion'. If you haven't heard it go get a hymnal and sing 'A Shelter in the Time of Storm' - great one! On the chorus I sing 'Y'shua is a rock in a weary land...'
What a blessing.
Paul Dunlap | November 15, 2007 12:29 PM
Even though I can not play an instrument, I know that music can help you find joy on Shabbat. I turn on some Cd's that 'help' to put me into a worshipful tone and Praise Adonai and His only Son, Yeshua HaMashiac, Amen
Paul Elder | November 17, 2007 4:37 PM
I very much agree that for the Sabbath, we should be joyous. Singing is just one of the ways we can do it, though; but then, I admit that a good round of music can make my Sabbath. :) Making God's day a delight is much dependent on attitude: evaluating what it means to you and remembering that keeping no part of Torah was every supposed to be just an act of simple reverence, but one of love; something we derive joy from doing to the glory of Adonai and His Son Jesus. :)
Thank God for Shabbat.
Ken | November 19, 2007 12:34 PM
I thankyou for your thoughts and I would share something
that has been uppermost in how I share and spend my Shabbot
....I was asked by a friend and prayer partner what I thought and believed she should do because she was in charge of the Food Bank (Pantry) for her church and they gaved out food on the Sabboth...I shared with her my experience with the Lord...
When asked to work on the Sabboth( I was employed at a Christian book store) I lay before the Lord, as I lay there
He showed me a hand and said" did I not heal a hand on the sabboth?, As long as you are ministering to those who come to you and you see your work as a ministry go and be blessed". I honored those words and when God told me to leave my employment, on the first of September I said..not now. I had been working at he store now exactly seven years to the day. There was a new owner and I thought ,I'll give them 2 wks notice....on my way to work I fell to my knees on the side of a busy main street and thought "ok Lord" got up went to work and the day went on and I said nothing..Funny Ha HA my ankle was swollen and I couldn't stand...I had not twisted my ankle.I was out of work for about a week. I developed a terrible head ache ...went to my eye dr and he said I neede surgery, I thought I'll give notice to my employer when I return from surgery....I went back to work.
I was about to go to a conferance in Canada and I was told I had to have the other eye operated on. I decided to have it done on my return. These proceedures were all successful and seemingly minor...On my return to work we had a Chrismas party for staff and I chose that time to resigne.
I could have avided all this turmoil had I chosen to HEAR the Lord. We must move when He speaks. It would not only save us a lot of unneccessary grief but we would not hold up our blessing or a plan He may have for another. A year later the store close, the store had became alace of business and no longer a ministry. When you are doing the Lords work...feeding the hungry, caring for the widow or the Fatherless,go and be blessed..I am happy and learning how to not only observe but observe the Sabboth in joy.
SHALOM............Sara Jean
Sara Jean Chinn-Coles | November 19, 2007 11:35 PM
How can one find so much [joy] in the weekly Sabbath[s] when there is so much [false] teaching about it? For one,the weekly Sabbath[s] are NOT on Saturday as taught! But the weekly Sabbath are lunar; in other words, Genesis 1:14-15 uses the word [MOADIM!] The phases of the moom proclaim His Holy Sabbaths, weekly and yearly. Exodus 20:8-11, "Remember the Sabbath Day and keep it Holy." is speaking of His Sabbaths and NOT the "pagan Gregorian" man made church calendar Saturday, which is named after a[DEMON.] The NEW F.F.O.Z. calendar [IS]-[A] lunar calendar and for this month they are right on! All so-called Jewish calendars show day #1 of the months, 7-days later is the Sabbath, as in 7-14-21- and 28th of the month. If YAHSHUA did-not keep [HIS OWN SABBATHS,] Mark 2:27-28; then HE sinned! Because it was [HIM] in EX 20:8-11 that said; "Remember the Sabbath day and keep it Holy!" And you want to say; He didn't? [Yes, I need help to understand this!] Bill 5;10 PM 11/25/07
DTL RESPONDS: My heart breaks for you. You are correct when you say "There is so much false teaching about the Sabbath." It seems that you have absorbed most of it. I am sorry to say that you have been fed a lot of bad information. The lunar Sabbath theory is simply not true. There is no credible scholarship behind it. And yes, Yeshua did celebrate the Sabbath in concert with first century Judaism, so if the lunar Sabbath is true, then you are following a false Messiah.
BTW, the Master's name is pronounced "Yeshua," not "Yahshua." The "Yahshua" innovation is a fiction that arises from the Sacred Name movement. This is linguistically, historically and scripturally demonstrable. You need to be more careful about the sources you are learning from. May HaShem give you peace.
Bill | November 25, 2007 4:11 PM
Hello from Russia!
Can I quote a post in your blog with the link to you?
Polprav | October 16, 2009 12:43 PM