Rabbi Aḥa and Rabbi Tanḥum bar Rabbi Ḥiyya, quoting Rabbi Yoḥanan, offer a beautiful and practical answer, drawing on the words of the prophet Ezekiel: "Sanctify my Sabbaths" (Ezekiel 20:20). But how?
According to these sages, we sanctify it "with food, with drink, and with clean garments." It’s about creating a space of joy and abundance, setting the Sabbath apart from the ordinary work week. It's about nourishment, both physical and spiritual. This idea is linked back to Exodus 31:13: "For it is a sign between Me and you, to know that I am the Lord…"
And what does that sign signify? "I am the Lord," the text continues, "reliable to pay you a good reward." It's a promise, a reassurance that observing the Sabbath, setting aside this time as sacred, will be met with divine blessing.
But Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba adds another layer to this understanding. He uses an analogy that really hits home. In the everyday world, a worker earns their wages by toiling and getting dirty. The employer compensates them for their labor, even for the mess they make. But, he says, the Holy One, blessed be He, isn't like that.
Instead, God says to Israel, "Do not sully yourselves with anything bad, and I will give you a good reward.” It’s not about earning God’s favor through hardship and struggle. It’s about refraining from what harms us, from what diminishes our souls.
This idea is rooted in verses like Leviticus 11:43, "Do not make yourselves detestable," and Leviticus 19:28, "You shall not make a cut in your flesh for the dead…I am the Lord." These verses speak to avoiding practices that defile the body and spirit.
And again, we are reminded, "I am the Lord – reliable to pay you a good reward in the World to Come." The reward isn’t just material; it's spiritual, eternal. It’s the promise of wholeness and connection in the Olam Ha-Ba, the World to Come.
So, what can we take from this? Perhaps the key to sanctifying the Sabbath, and indeed our lives, is not just about doing things, but about refraining from things that diminish our holiness. It’s about choosing nourishment over defilement, joy over sorrow, and trust in God's promise of reward. It's a powerful reminder that sometimes, the greatest acts of devotion are the things we choose not to do.