One Day a Week, You Just Get to Be
Rabbi Angela Buchdahl says the day of rest was meant for everyone, even animals, and still offers a break from a production-first life.
Freakonomics Radio Network · What If Being a Stranger Is Actually Your Superpower? | Better in PersonWhen she was asked what Judaism means by the Sabbath, Rabbi Angela Buchdahl, the leader of Central Synagogue in New York, did not start with rules or rituals. She started with history.
Before the Torah, the Jewish scripture made up of the first five books of the Bible, she said, people labored every day just to live, growing food and doing what had to be done. Against that world, the Sabbath was possibly the greatest idea Jews brought to the world. “One day a week, you should stop working and laboring and creating and producing,” she said. “You just get to be.”
What she meant, she explained, is that people exist for more than output. The day of rest, she said, is how you “sanctify time by setting it apart and making it different” from all other time. It was also never meant for Jews alone. The rest extended to workers and even animals, she said, because the reason people are here goes beyond production.
That point matters especially now, she argues, in a capitalist society where production can start to look like the whole purpose of life. She added that she is not against capitalism, only against treating it as the be-all and end-all of existence.
Sanctifying time sounds lofty, but she described it in practical terms. The ancient rule is against doing work, and out of it grew practices such as no errands, no money, no electricity, and no phones. The idea, she said, is to unplug from everything that feels like work.
She learned that from her own home. About 20 years ago, she and her husband decided to observe Shabbat, the Jewish Sabbath, more strictly than either had growing up. They told their children there would be no phones, and they built a regular Shabbat community. That circle, she said, has in some ways saved her Jewish family and saved her life.
Her suggestion was modest: “if we took even just an electronics Sabbath,” unplugging for a day, we could practice being human rather than producing.
Questions people ask
Do observant Jews really avoid electricity and phones on Shabbat?
Many do, but practices vary widely. Traditional observance prohibits kinds of work interpreted to include switching electricity on and off, and many families extend that to phones, computers, and driving. Other Jews observe Shabbat in less strict ways, such as sharing a Friday night meal or setting aside time without work email.
Where does the Sabbath come from in Jewish tradition?
It comes from the Torah, where God rests on the seventh day after creation and commands the Israelites to rest on the seventh day. The commandment appears in the Ten Commandments and is repeated throughout Jewish law. Over centuries, rabbis defined 39 categories of creative work to be avoided.
What is an easy way to try an electronics Sabbath?
Many people use the day for rest, shared meals, time outdoors, and a break from screens, and say they sleep better and feel closer to family. A regular screen break can also lower stress about work email and news. Starting small, like no phones at dinner or on a Saturday walk, is a common way to try it.