A Hint of Shabbat 🎶

Zamru Ya

Zamru Ya - Jacqueline Rafii and Rabbi Josh Warshawsky

How do we cut through the noise?

Dear Friends,

If you know me and you email with me, you know that come Wednesday, my email signature switches from "Thanks" or "Sincerely" or "Shavua Tov" to "Shabbat Shalom". Once we hit "hump day", we know Shabbat is not far behind. We're now closer to the coming Shabbat than we are to the previous one. 

The idea of Shabbat, of taking a day each week to rest, really the entire concept of a "weekend" comes from our Jewish tradition. The first chapter of the Bible teaches about the creation of the world and the idea that the Holy One rested after six days. The world wasn't complete after those six days, it had only just begun! We learn from this that rest is a part of the work! We cannot work nonstop. We must take time to recharge. And that recharge allows us to have the strength to continue the work when Shabbat ends. This idea of rest within work is inherently Jewish. And so time and cycles guide our entire being. Each week cycles through until we reach Shabbat, which gives us new opportunity to energize for the work required in the days ahead. And we have truly have a lot of work to do. Racial justice work, the work of meaning what we say when we say Black Lives Matter. Healing work, real reparatory work.

One of the things I am missing the most right now is being able to sing together, especially on Shabbat. When we sing during the week, in Hebrew a song is called a "Shir - שיר" but on Shabbat when we sing it is called a "Zemer - זמר." As many of you know, I love the Hebrew language and the Hebrew alphabet, and the many intricate, beautiful, and intentional connections between different letters and words. When read backwords, the word "Zemer - זמר" is "Remez - רמז," a hint. On Shabbat when we sing there is a hint of elevation, of holiness, of the Divine. A hint that lifts us higher and higher. The root word "Zemer - זמר" also means "to cut, prune, or trim." Shabbat allows us to cut through the noise of everything that has happened during the week, to allow us to rest and re-energize to pick up the work in the week to come. 

A few years ago, I had the privilege and honor of working with Jackie Raffi at Shomrei Torah Synagogue. We co-wrote this melody to a few lines from Psalm 98, and called it “Zamru Yah,” and we were finally able to record it through the gift of the internet. This week, I hope singing and Shabbat can bring you rest, a hint of elevation, and renewed energy to take on all that lays ahead.

Shabbat Shalom,
Josh