The Torah describes the Creator spending six days (however we might understand that) in work and creation, and then on the seventh day, the Divine rested and relaxed. The word that is usually translated as relaxed is “va’yinafash” – a word that incorporates the root of the word for soul. The Divine soul needed rest, and so do ours.

In North America, especially in the US but also here in Canada, a cult of productivity has developed over the last two hundred years, with the ascension of extractive capitalism. The idea is that we are only worthy inasmuch as we produce – always working, always busy, always creating. The six days go on forever, and there is never a break. If we have to stop, it’s only to recuperate so we can work even harder, and it’s kind of shameful to admit that we need it.

Jewish tradition has always emphasized the importance and value of rest as its own good, not just something we have to do in order to work more. We are told that we have six days every week to create and build and do all the things we need to do, and on the seventh day, all of that must cease, in honour and remembrance of Creation and the first Shabbat. We also have the concept of “shmitta” – letting go. Once every seven years, the land was to be left fallow, all debts were to be cancelled, everything and everyone was to take a break from the constant grind.

We don’t really observe Shmitta anymore, although lately I have seen various attempts to reclaim it, as part of the resistance to the idea that humans are made only to toil and produce. With the increasing visibility of disabled people, and as more and more of us become disabled thanks to COVID-19 and its lingering effects, there needs to be some serious rethinking of this pernicious idea. As I’ve mentioned many times, every human is worthy and precious, whether they can create “value” or not.

So make sure you build rest into your busy life, not just to be able to keep going, but because you deserve it, and it’s part of the Divine order. If the Creator’s soul was better for taking a break, surely ours will be, too.

I will be putting this concept into practice as I take a couple of weeks off with my family. This blog will be back on August 10th. Enjoy your break, too!