Shabbat Shelakh: Telling Time in Jewish

לַכֹּ֖ל זְמָ֑ן וְעֵ֥ת לְכׇל־חֵ֖פֶץ תַּ֥חַת הַשָּׁמָֽיִם׃ 

A season is set for everything, a time for every experience under heaven (Kohelet 3.1)

Before clocks and calendars, our people knew where we were in time by the sun, and by the Shabbat. On our ritual documents until today, traditionally we identify a day by its position in the week vis-a-vis Shabbat; today, then, is the sixth day of Shabbat Shelakh 5785. Thus, Shabbat is the orientation around which our week revolves.

Before the modern era, every Jew knew what Shabbat it was, regardless of their level of observance, because that was the social norm. For those accustomed to daven (the Jewish form and content of prayer) there are further supports to help us keep track of when we are. The way one chants the prayers reflects time of day, day of week, and, often, what Festival or holy day period is upcoming.

And then there’s the haftarah. Sometimes it reflects a theme from the parashah; often, it is coded to remind you what is happening in the world. This Shabbat’s haftarah is an extension of this ancient idea: this Shabbat we will hear our Juneteenth Haftarah. Very much in line with ancient tradition, this Jewish way of approaching the world in which we live and make meaning adds profound depth and possibility for us.

As the writer Kohelet knew, “there is a time for everything”: for singing and for silence, for gathering stones and for refraining from gathering stones, and for death and for life. These are difficult times. It helps to hold on to each other, to show up for bagels and study together when we can, and to remember to count the days in Jewish.