You are in a small boat in what had become suddenly stormy seas.
You are rocking in the waves, darkness all around with just bursts of lightening to illuminate the heavy blackness engulfing your small boat. You are scared; your heart is racing as you quickly shove out the water that is pouring into your boat. What to do? Where are you? The situation seems helpless and bleak, yet suddenly as your boat is pushed over the waves you see it. A light in the distance flashing on and off, you sit up. “Could it be?” You quickly realize it is a lighthouse, “land must be nearby!” you think happily. You now have a destination to go towards. Your eyes never leaving the flashing light beckoning you closer, you steer your boat through the angry waves and harsh winds. You can do it now; you are not fatigued because you know where you are going. You are not drifting aimlessly any more. And finally, you do, reach the safety of dry land… thanks to that lighthouse which led you there, through the darkness, through the storms and through the confusion of that frightening night.
Let’s think about our lives. I know personally, sometimes I feel so
overwhelmed and busy. I’m trying to create this, do that. I feel like a ship on a stormy sea, bouncing about. I need something to light up the way so I can know what I am supposed to do.
Shabbat is like that lighthouse, giving us light so we can find our
direction, so we can figure out where we are going. In previous
lessons, we discussed our purpose in this world. What is it?
(To make this world a better place by bringing goodness and
G-dliness to the world.) But we live in this real world, and we have to work,
we have to go to school, there are many things in our stormy
waters that may make us forget our purpose. So Hashem gave us
a special time, a time separated from all that chaos, so we can
slow down, not do any work, and focus on Hashem, and on our family.
