Every so often, I am asked as to whether it is permissible to leave the television on during Shabbat.
I respond by drawing an analogy to a family that purchases an expensive item on Amazon, and when the box arrives, the child sits on the box and says to his mother, “Wow, Mom, this is such a great box! I love it. Thank you so much for this new box!”
The child sees value in the box, which is worth next to nothing – without realizing that there is something many times more valuable inside the box.
The same is true of one who leaves the television turned on and watches it during Shabbat.
This is not one of the 39 melachot (categories of activity forbidden by the Torah on Shabbat). Halachically speaking, it is far worse to drive, to turn on lights, and even to remove a bad leaf of lettuce from one’s salad on Shabbat.
But if a person sees Shabbat as only a time for eating, sleeping, relaxing and socializing, and not a time for spiritual invigoration and inspiration, then he is like a child enjoying the Amazon box without bothering to open it and see what’s inside.
The Zohar teaches that a talmid hacham, a Torah scholar, is compared to Shabbat. Somebody who immerses himself in Torah learning withdraws from the vanities of the world, from the things that the people around him are involved in, so that he can reach higher and connect to Hashem. Instead of pursuing the vain pleasures of the world, he devotes his free time to Torah study. This is what Shabbat is for. Throughout the week, we are involved in all kinds of activities, and we are exposed to all kinds of things. We hear and see all the nonsense of the society around us, the values and the ideals that are so foreign to Torah, and to the culture that seems so alluring but is in truth so empty. Shabbat is our time to withdraw, to receive inspiration, to connect with Hashem, to redirect our attention onto that which is really meaningful and really important.
The Torah in Parashat Ki-Tisa emphasizes the special importance of observing Shabbat, and explains: כי אות היא ביני וביניכם לדורותיכם, לדעת כי אני ה' מקדשכם – “For it is a sign between Me and You for all your generations, to know that I am Hashem who makes you sacred” (31:13). Shabbat is the reminder that Hashem makes us sacred, that we are special, that we are different, that we are not like other peoples. We turn off our screens, we spend our time with our family and with our community in the synagogue, so we can reach higher. This is what Shabbat is supposed to be. This is the special gift of Shabbat.
So if somebody leaves the television on, he might technically still be observing Shabbat, but he is enjoying the box, without opening it to access the valuable merchandise inside.
The Talmud Yerushalmi teaches that it was difficult, in a sense, for the Rabbis to permit שאילת שלום – greeting people – on Shabbat. Meaning, although this is allowed, the Rabbis strongly considered forbidding it.
How could this be? Isn’t Shabbat specifically a time for socializing, for getting together and spending time with friends?
The answer is that once we understand what Shabbat is about, then, in principle, it should not be a time for socialization. Shabbat is a time to connect to Hashem, to build our relationship with Him, and so, theoretically, it is not a time for socializing. As a practical matter, of course, the Rabbis most definitely did not forbid socializing on Shabbat, and, to the contrary, we should make every effort to be friendly and to build our friendships on Shabbat. But the Yerushalmi’s statement teaches us that socializing must not divert our attention from the essence of Shabbat. If Shabbat becomes only about eating, sleeping and socializing, then we’re enjoying the box instead of what’s in the box.
Shabbat is a precious gift – especially in our generation. Let us ensure to use it the right way, as a time to be uplifted, to be inspired, and to build our connection with Hashem.