While I sat at my daughter’s piano lesson, I flipped through an instruction book called ChordTime Piano: Jewish Favorites, by Faber & Faber. One of the songs was called “Shabbat Shalom,” and those two words made up the entire lyrics of the piece. Just a simple tune in E-minor: Sabbath peace.
I flipped to the back of the piano book, which listed Jewish holidays. Here is what the entry for Shabat said, “The Sabbath is celebrated on the seventh day of each week, beginning at sundown on Friday night and lasting until Sunday Saturday night. It is considered the most important Jewish holy day.”
Really? More important that Moses and Passover? More important than Esther and Purim? More important than Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement? What kind of crazy religion elevates rest over repentance?
I need to speak to the Man in charge.
Oh, He’s resting?
He sends word: “It’s all good.”