In Parshat Behar-Bechukotai, we are told that every 7 years, we should stop working our lands and let it have a Shabbat (shemitah). We are also given rules that we have a one year sabbatical from working, but some years two. We learn about the yuval—after 7 cycles of 7 years—we will be leaving it alone for not only the 49th year, but the 50th as well. Why does it need to be called Shabbat for Hashem, why doesn’t the Torah just say, “Don’t touch the land that year?”

When we call this a Shabbat for Hashem, we are showing that Shabbat is not just on Saturday. Shabbat is something that can be done for Hashem every day. While Shabbat can mean different things to different people, there is one purpose of Shabbat that can not be denied—to connect with Hashem. Hashem rested on the 7th day and so do we. It is a day that we can recognize God’s creation and become closer to Him. It is a day that God is telling us that despite our mistakes, like eating from the “tree of knowledge” (we all have our own “tree of knowledge incidents”), He still wants to connect to us. Shabbat is more than just taking a Saturday-off. Hashem wants us to get closer to Him. It is not only on Shabbat that we should recognize Hashem, but during the hours of our regular weekdays.

We should be bringing Shabbat into our lives each and every year. Sometimes, we need a reminder to reconnect with Hashem and we have Shabbat, shemitah, yuval and other holidays but we must make that effort and start connecting daily to Hashem.

I give you all a bracha that you should connect with Hashem easily through Torah, mitzvot and your actions each and every day!

By Shira Sedek