After having established the tasks of the lights in the firmament and having created the human being in the own image and likeness of the Almighty, the Creator introduces a specific period of time in this world that He separates in a very special way. This period of time consisting of 24 hours from sunset to sunset once a week is called shabbat – Hebrew word for recess. This is the only day of the week that has been blessed.

When the Eternal made a separation between light and darkness (1:4, 18), between waters and waters (1:6, 7) and between day and night (1:14), He used the Hebrew word badal – בדל  –which means to divide, to separate, to set apart, to differentiate, to exclude. But when He separates the seventh day from the rest of the days of the week, He uses a different word – kadash, קדש   – which means to set apart for a divine use or purpose, to dedicate, to bestow, to sanctify, to consecrate. While the word badal is used for all the other areas of the creation, the word kadash is focused on the Eternal. When something is set apart using the word kadash, it means that this “something” is dedicated to the Eternal to be of His sole possession and over which He has all rights. When something has been dedicated to the Eternal, it cannot be used by anyone else or for anything else than the divine service.

The Shabbat, the seventh day of the week, Saturday, has been reserved for the Almighty from the very beginning of the creation. It is His day and He has reserved all the rights to do what He pleases with it. This is the reason why mankind has the obligation of honoring that day in a special manner. Thus, this day becomes a temple in time during which man can worship the Eternal by ceasing his intervention in creation, just as He did, and relate to Him in a very special way and receive from His glory.

I cannot find anything in the Scriptures that says that Shabbat has been taken from mankind and given exclusively to the people of Israel. Our great Rabbi said: “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.” (Mk. 2:27 NKJV). Shabbat was made for Adam – the human being – and his descendants.

The Eternal separated the Shabbat and held His hand from creating. In this way, He taught Adam – the human being – how to sanctify the Shabbat by not intervening in the creation during that day. Adam was created in the image and likeness of the Eternal; that is why he did as his Heavenly Father and rested on the seventh day, dedicating it for the glory and sole possession of the Eternal.

Get ready to stop your weekly activities during 25 hours before the sunset of the next sixth day of the week (Friday). Cook all the food you will need for the Shabbat before sunset. Buy everything you need before sunset so you can enjoy all the goodness that comes from the Eternal. Turn off anything that is not essential for living and make a real break. Begin a time of relationship with the Eternal through prayer, worship and good meals, study of the Torah and rest at the congregation and at home. Then, you will experience some of the purpose of this day that was introduced the day after the creation of man. Only the one who steps in the Shabbat to sanctify it will be able to understand and experience the great blessing that the Eternal has given precisely on that special day.

The one who learns to remember and to keep the Shabbat will experience spiritual growth and will have a good foundation to become the man he was destined to be.