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koreilly's review
3.0
Not a religious person but interested in the idea of one day of the week being saved for forsaking the physical realm in search of something higher and the first half of this book touches on that in really interesting ways before getting bogged down in specific Jewish Theology that didn't really appeal to me personally.
richardnixon's review
4.0
i think that this book made some very good points at the beginning. although, it began to get repetitive after the half way mark, it was overall inoffensive. i liked the stories about different rabbis throughout history and wished that there was more of them. 3.5
hudikatz's review
4.0
Palace of Time not Space. Judaism theologically is anti materialist yes. In practice, we have a lot of work to do on this front. Can sanctifying time and having a world of perfection once a week exist with the urgency of Climate Change? Can we say that sadness is a sin one day a week? A book Jews should read, it takes a few hours. but isn't revolutionary
adammuly's review
5.0
This is a beautiful book. Although from a Jewish perspective, it gives readers—Jewish or not—a look into the love of Sabbath that has characterized practicing Jews for multiple millennia. The perspective Heschel presents on time and it’s interaction with space in creation is thought-provoking. It gives one the desire to sanctify time, as he asserts is the purpose of humanity. This truly is an inspiring book.
dngoldman's review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
5.0
Abraham Joshua Heschel's "The Sabbath" is a profound exploration of the spiritual and existential significance of the Sabbath in Jewish tradition. Heschel's writing, both poetic and intellectual, offering a narrative that is deeply accessible yet layered. His central thesis posits the Sabbath as an integral component of creation, an "active essence" that enables a life of freedom and fulfillment. Heschel challenges the reader to consider the Sabbath not as a mere intermission in our labor but as a sacred time that sanctifies our existence. He eloquently argues that the Bible presents "a religion of time aiming at the sanctification of time."
To gain control of the world of space is certainly one of our tasks. The danger begins when in gaining power in the realm of space we forfeit all aspirations in the realm of time. There is a realm of time where the goal is not to have but to be, not to own but to give, not to control but to share, not to subdue but to be in accord.
Life goes wrong when the control of space, the acquisition of things of space, becomes our sole concern. … Selling himself into slavery to things, man becomes a utensil that is broken at the fountain.
Contrary to the self-help genre, Heschel's perspective is that the Sabbath is not a day for personal rejuvenation but rather a day we work towards, a holy cessation. This practice, according to Heschel, does not negate civilization, technology, or possessions but fosters a sense of independence from them, urging us "to work with things of space but to be in love with eternity." The book's message is a powerful reminder of the potential for the sacred in our everyday lives, inviting a reevaluation of our relationship with time and space.
ruths_rambles's review
challenging
informative
reflective
slow-paced
3.5
fascinating but the writing style is repetitive, and tbh so is a lot of the content.