When the power at my house went out last Thursday night, it was an instant reminder of my technology dependency. I am almost ashamed to admit that I hardly knew what to do with myself. After spending about a minute in shock, I stumbled my way in to the living room and sat down. A few of my roommates were already there, and for a brief moment, we all admired the tranquility of the darkness. But before any real conversation could take place, they pulled out their respective smart phones and became thoroughly engrossed in them.
Watching them focus intently on these miniature devices, I became nostalgic for the few times that authentic bonding took place during previous power outages. During these instances, a lack of distractions forced me to engage with people face-to-face; a type of interaction that has suffered as technology has grown. And all of this reminded me of Shabbat, a time dedicated to, among other things, rest and family. In my mind, it is also an opportunity to unplug from the constant information flow of news headlines, status updates and everything in between.
However, as an admittedly lackadaisical observer of Shabbat, I sometimes wonder about where to draw the line. Last week, I did not use the internet or watch television. I did go to work on Saturday morning. But that’s because Shabbat for me centers on (slightly) disconnecting. That is my interpretation, and not checking e-mail or Facebook is incredibly relaxing.
In another Shabbat-related post, Ben Sales notes that there are many Shabbat interpretations throughout the Jewish world. But I ask: Should this variation be encouraged? And in these interpretations, which is more important, ritual observance or the general premise of rest? One would undoubtedly receive different answers from different sources. No matter where you stand, they are some interesting questions to keep in mind.
