You may have heard, we are going to try something different. For the month of February we are going to begin our Kabbalat Shabbat service at 6:30pm instead of our regular time, 8pm. The reason for this experiment is to enhance our Shabbat experience.
“The Sabbath is the most precious present mankind has received from the treasure house of God. All week we think: The spirit is too far away, and we succumb to spiritual absenteeism, or at best we pray: Send us a little of Thy spirit. On the Sabbath the spirit stands and pleads: Accept all excellence from me …”
― Abraham Joshua Heschel, The Sabbath
Over the years, many synagogues have adopted earlier service times, still 8pm for Kabbalat Shabbat, has been our tradition for a long time. It is my understanding that Conservative synagogues chose this later time in order to accommodate many congregants who commuted to and from cities and were only able to gather later, thus choosing this more convenient time to pray.
Traditional congregations host their services as Shabbat begins, regardless of the time and return home for their Shabbat dinner. When Shabbat begins late, many welcome Shabbat early and still gather for Shabbat dinner after divining.
Hospitality has always been a big part of our Friday night experience, whether you meet friends before the service or like to hang out in shul for the Oneg Shabbat. Sadly, fewer people within our community are finding 8pm ideal. An earlier time will offer us an opportunity to create a new rhythm for our Shabbat experience while developing more time for home hospitality following our service.
Why are we trying something so different? Is this a matter of convenience for my family? Not really. We usually begin our Shabbat dinner at 6:15 and I start my twenty minute walk to shul at around 7:15 in order to be spend some time preparing for the service and to greet the other early arrivals. I return home at around 10pm to a very quiet, sleeping home. So why, this will be a big adjustment for us, my family likes the extra sleep, now they’ll have to join me or wait for me.
Why? I believe we all need to look for ways to improve, and to enhance our lives. Shabbat is the day that God gives us to elevate our spirit, inform our love of Judaism and express our passion for God, nurturing the best of our nature.
Perhaps an earlier start will encourage younger families to attend and participate in our service and they too can enjoy a relaxing Shabbat dinner with family and friends.
As the old saying goes, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it?” We’re attempting this change because something is “broke”. For sure we are presenting a challenge to the congregation. We’re challenging you to take a deeper look at the gift of Shabbat. This is a reset, a glimpse into what could be.
According to the Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heshel “Unless one learns how to relish the taste of Sabbath … one will be unable to enjoy the taste of eternity in the world to come.”
Yes, we are presenting you with a challenge, change can be difficult. This change is intended to help us raise our expectation of ourselves. Let’s try something different. You may not think you need it but once you experience Shabbat in all of its glory, your heart will be filled with gratitude and your spirit will be renewed.
Worship the Lord for Joy and Gladness,
Cantor Bruce Rockman