How can “stopping” be the most powerful way to serve Hashem? Shabbos is built on a daring idea: we rest because Hashem “rested.” Not because Hashem gets tired—He sustains reality every second by His רצון—but because Shabbos trains us to copy Hashem in the one place we usually refuse: control. Other mitzvos aren’t “because Hashem does it,” but Shabbos is different—it’s meant to make us similar to Him in the act of ceasing.
Then comes the image that reframes everything: malchus is like a mirror, reflecting whatever stands opposite it—like the moon reflecting the sun. The moon has no light of its own; it shines only by facing the source. And streetlights can drown out that brightness—meaning a noisy life can drown out reflection. Shabbos creates the “dark sky” where reflection becomes visible: Shabbos itself reflects the אור of Hashem into the world, and it trains us to do the same. Practical takeaway: pick one “mirror-point” this Shabbos—patience, kindness, restraint, gratitude—and treat it as your single job: face the Source, and reflect.
Hosted by Rabbi Ari Klapper and produced by Eli Podcast Productions, this episode is part of the Real Judaism series, available on RealJudaism.org. Don’t forget to subscribe and share to stay connected with our daily lessons and timeless Torah insights!
