Man's proper spiritual improvement -The Sabbath
It may be said that the essence of the Sabbath is the most significant and valuable gift which man received from his God. In the following lines, we will clarify and prove all we want to know about this wondrous and important divine day.

There is a divine purpose to man, based on the realization and implementation of true Good. God, who created the universe by the principle of the very best, provided us with all the necessary tools at our disposal. Being an imperfect creation and therefore doing Evil as well as Good – man finds it considerably difficult to actualize this purpose.

 The divine process for proper spiritual development

If the tools for our proper development exist within us, and are not correctly activated due to our flaws, it is logical to suppose the existence of a divine process for its initiation. Where then, might it be found? Owing to this development's decisive importance, it is logical to seek it in the divine event of greatest importance to man, which is His singular revelation before the people of Israel on Mount Sinai.

 In this most significant event, did God leave behind some gift, some treasure, some hidden message, which if identified and understood, would initiate man's proper spiritual development and pave the way to the efficient actualization of his purpose? We will see further on that it is so.

What is the most valuable thing which man received in this extraordinary event? The Ten Commandments, of course. Following an in-depth examination, I found that the Sabbath commandment incorporates the desired initiation process (details will appear in the following pages).

Yes, fortunately, we received from our Creator, through His love for us, such a process many years ago. A process which, although concealed, can certainly be deciphered. A process that awaits being discovered and properly implemented. Therefore, I will not be far from the truth if I say that the primary goal of this divine revelation was to bring man to develop and function properly.

 Taking all this into account, it may be said that the essence of the Sabbath is the most significant and valuable gift which man received from his God. In the following lines, we will clarify and prove all we wanted to know about this wondrous and important divine day.

The Sabbath

This commandment appears in the Pentateuch in two places: Exodus 20: 8-11 and Deuteronomy 5: 12-15. Before delving in detail, we will quote the Sabbath commandment according to Exodus. The additions in Deuteronomy will only be marked.

"Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:  But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy  daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:  For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it."

The process contains four stages:

1.  The sanctification of the Sabbath: "Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy".

2.  The rest during this day.

3.  Recalling the exodus from Egypt (Deuteronomy 5: 14-15).

4.  The spiritual activity, recurring each Sabbath.

Sanctifying the Sabbath

What did God wish to achieve by having man sanctify the Sabbath? Probably something which would not have been achieved by having God sanctify the seventh day. It may be a type of effect which man alone can create.

 Is not the true goal of man's sanctification of the Sabbath, to create a form of holy ambience, in which he will stay throughout the Sabbath? a unique meditative state, a special α state, which will result in the dissolving of the various spiritual blockages and thus enable the beginning of the development process for the realization of man’s purpose, with all it entails? 

 I'm convinced that if the sanctification is performed properly, a holy ambience would form around the sanctifier, that would initiate his development and improvement.

The fact that  sanctification is placed at the commandment's beginning, points to its significance and there is a reasonable concern that without it, all the Sabbath has to offer would be missed. The sanctification should be regarded as a symbolic act by which man enters the above-mentioned meditative state.
When is the most suitable time to sanctify the Sabbath? The answer to that would be – upon its commencement - the eve of the Sabbath (Friday evening).
 

The Sabbath rest

Man requires this rest in order to enable him to enter and stay in Sabbath's holiness. In other words, he has to distance and separate himself, spiritually and physically, from those activities which exist and preoccupy him on weekdays.

  The physical separation: is a separation from the various activities which he carries out on week-days.
   The spiritual separation: is a separation from week-days' tensions, pressures, conflicts and irritations.

A typical entry into holiness on Sabbath's eve.

1. Separating the sacred from the secular –

a. Distancing one's self from week-days' physical activities

b. Distancing one's self from everyday tensions and inducing calmness and inner peace.

2.  Thel feeling of holiness, induced by the recollection of God's sanctification of the seventh day of creation.

3.  Man's sanctifying the Sabbath in this initial atmosphere of holiness.

4. Man's entry into a profound, holy atmosphere, which is the special meditative state referred to above. 

Further details relating to the Sabbath

Remembering the exodus from Egypt

God commanded us to recollect, every Sabbath, the exodus from Egypt in order to melt the sensation of enslavement, thereby raising our self-esteem. The holy Sabbath's unique atmosphere is ideally suited to it.

Why was man offered a weekly recurring improvement process?

Based on the principle that what we received from our Creator is the best and most proper, a weekly frequency will be that which offers us the best means of developing. We must also consider that this improvement process encompasses man's entire life span. 

What is the meaning of the expression "Keep the Sabbath"?

By all that was said up to this point, the sole answer would be to keep the essence of the Sabbath, meaning, staying in its holiness with all the advantages this implies. The expression: "Keep the Sabbath day to sanctify it" (Deuteronomy 5:12) in the Ten Commandments in Deuteronomy clearly points to what must be kept on the Sabbath.

The estimated reason for the heavy penalties imposed on not "keeping the Sabbath"

Keeping the Sabbath constitutes the initiation of the divine process of actualizing man's purpose and is therefore a highly important and fundamental activity. It was in order to raise its chances of being implemented, that the Lord determined these heavy penalties.

The Sabbath of Creation – its repose and divine sanctification

What could have been the reason behind God's reference to His own repose and sanctification of the seventh day of creation? Apparently, it was to transmit a message to benefit humanity. In this case, the message's essence could only be encouragement for man to sanctify this day himself and rest on this day.

Sabbath's essence – a summary

At this stage we can note that Sabbath's essence lies in bringing about our proper long-term spiritual development, through the principle of staying in a state of sanctity (a unique α state). This will lead to melting away our spiritual inhibitions, to our timely spiritual maturity, raising our self-esteem, expressing love and the doing of Good. Thus, we will be enabled to efficiently implement our purpose, for which we were created the way we were.

How does Judaism guide us to keep the Sabbath?

This religion guides us to keep that explicit activity, specified in the Commandment - the repose of the Sabbath. Very clear rules were fixed for this activity, defining which actions are allowed and which are prohibited.

Unfortunately, there are no religious guidelines, and therefore no actual activities related to man's sanctification of the Sabbath. There is indeed a content referred to as the "Kiddush" (sanctification), recited on Sabbath's eve and on the following day, in which God's sanctification of the seventh day of creation is mentioned.. However, this neither mentions, nor contains a Kiddush, whose utterance by man will evoke the creation of the holy atmosphere.

 In the Sabbath prayers too, the sanctification of the Sabbath by man goes unmentioned and un-expressed. What is referenced several times in the prayers is the God's sanctification of the seventh day of creation.

Therefore very sad conclusion can be reached: that the people of Israel did not actualize Sabbath's essence at any period.

Despite this, a reasonable chance exists that a religious person will sense Sabbath's holiness at some level, by remembering God's sanctifying the seventh day of creation. Periodically staying in this holiness may grant whoever attains this atmosphere, something of that improved spiritual development, with which this chapter is concerned. 

 
Improvement of man’s functioning by means of the Sabbath

In man's periodical repose in Sabbath's holiness, there is a kind of continual process of spiritual improvement. It is logical that following this stay, man's functioning will improve in the following week. If we also take into account the acceptance of creative and correct ideas – the improvement will be even more pronounced.

 This improvement will decline as the distance from the Sabbath day increases. However, we should not forget that as this happens, he already approaches the next Sabbath, at which another step of improvement will occur. In time, man will improve the quality of his β consciousness in the remaining six days, and due to this his everyday functioning will also improve. Additionally, in time, the negative factors harming his functioning will vanish.
The enhancement will occur through an increasing mix of α in his everyday β consciousness.

Entering and residing in the Sabbath's Holiness

Prior to entering
Choose an efficient content, as your means of sanctifying the Sabbath. It is highly advisable that it will be one you can visualize.
Remember! This content should create the ambience of holiness around you, so select it with care and memorize it.
Note: Initially, this atmosphere might not be perfectly maintained throughout the entire Sabbath, however it will improve in time. Whenever you sense that you have exited this holy ambience, you can resume it through this exercise. In time, the appearance of the Sabbath will constitute a ‘code’, immediately inducing your entry into holiness.

Entry

 The time is Sabbath eve, after separating ourselves both physically and spiritually from weekdays’ activities and instituting peace within us.

Find yourself a quiet corner. Seat yourself at ease on a chair with your eyes shut and both feet touching the floor.

Release yourself from any tensions still in you.

Create a 'state of need’ of entering into holiness.

Recollect God's sanctifying the seventh day of creation.

Feel an initial atmosphere of sanctity due to this recollection. Remain in this ambience for some minutes.

Sanctify the Sabbath with your selected content. Imagine and feel it.

Imagine and feel a wondrous holy ambience enveloping you from every direction, sending you into a deeper meditative state than ever before. The serenity is deeper; the unity between yourself and the world is more perfect. Your visualized images are sharper and brighter, your creative ability is greater and you feel a special closeness to the divine.

While residing in holiness, imagine  functioning as a positive mature evolving human being.     Determine that it is reality and   fulfill this role in your everyday life from now on with no time limit.

Your Sabbath activities

 After entering holiness, open your eyes and stay in it throughout the entire Sabbath, carrying out the following recommended activities. These will be such that would not provoke an early exit from this holiness. We shall divide these activities into two groups: general and special.

The general one
Will contain activities customary to the Sabbath, in the fields of singing, praying, studying, and more.

The special activity
 Will contain the exercises specified below. It is recommended you execute them with your eyes shut.

The exodus from Egypt

 This exercise is meant to dissolve man's sense of slavery by recalling the exodus from Egypt and so rising man's self-esteem, which constitutes a completion of keeping the Sabbath. It can be done individually or as a group exercise, with one person reading its content slowly and clearly while the others visualize it.

See yourself as one of the children of Israel marching towards freedom. See the columns of fire and the cloud of glory leading the way.

See yourself at the shore of the Red Sea, with the Pharaoh's chariots and horsemen approaching. See the columns of fire separating them from the people.

See Moses cast his arm across the sea and part it. Hold this image in your mind for a while. Examine it; admire this tremendous sight. Feel an elation of spirit, an elevation of your self-worth, great joy and happiness.

See yourself crossing the Red Sea on dry land, with water towering to your right and left. Look again and again at this splendid image. Admire the scope of this miracle.

See behind you, the Pharaoh’s chariot and horsemen, but the pillar of fire separates you, ensuring no harm can come to you and to the remaining people..

See the children of Israel and you among them at the other shore of the Red Sea.

See Moses cast his hand, the sea return to its earlier state and the Egyptian army drowning in the waters.

Feel great excitement, an elation of spirit and great happiness at this miracle and the mercy bestowed on the nation in general and on you in particular.

See the nation and yourself in it, kneeling and breaking into prayer in gratitude for this miracle and mercy

Feel that something within you has improved. Feel that the emptiness and boredom have disappeared, your horizons have widened and you see things more clearly; Feel your self-worth to be higher; Feel close to other people - you are able to appreciate, love and help them solve their problems. Feel a need to thank your Creator for this improvement within you.

Note: You can create similar exercises in the same format, using the other special events depicted in the Bible and experience them on the Sabbath. For example: God’s revealing Himself before the people on Mount Sinai and bestowing the Ten Commandments; God’s revelation at the Burning Bush, and more.
 The exit from holiness will occur naturally as we exit the Sabbath.