Uh Oh, He’s Complaining Again…

Maybe it’s the time of year. The winter months have been dragging on and the promise of summer seems impossibly distant. This could be the reason why so many of my posts around this time in the calendar consist of me complaining or whining about something.

Case in point: my infamous Purim Screed™ posts. You can visit them again in order: here, here, and here.

Happily, that’s all behind me. Because I’m no longer on the pulpit, I can observe Purim as I wish—concentrating on Esther’s questionable life choices, wondering how Mordechai’s narcissistic personality disorder is going, and thinking about how Vashti has been faring in the Shushan Witness Relocation Program.

Nope, I can move on to other pressing issues to get upset over.

This time, I’d like to submit what I believe are two of the most inaccurate and needlessly polarizing words in our Jewish lexicon: “Shomer Shabbes.”

For those not in the know, this well-known expression usually refers to a person’s so-called traditional observance of the laws of Shabbat. Under this definition, a person who is Shomer Shabbes would not drive, use electricity or any powered device, conduct business or go to work, along with a host of other specific actions prohibited by a strict reading of Jewish law. On the surface, it’s pretty simple.

“Hey, would you like to go to the movies on Saturday?”

“I can’t. I’m Shomer Shabbes. I prefer to sit in the dark and think about Esther’s questionable life choices until I can turn my phone back on and read my email.”

In fact, (big surprise) I have always hated this expression. It’s misleading, divisive, and a simplistic representation of what we as Jews should prioritize. It suggests that among a group of Jewish people, this guy is a “good Jew” while that guy is a “bad Jew.” This term says nothing about a person’s character, motivation, theology, morals, or acts of tikkun olam. Rather, at best, it labels an individual’s surface, front-facing behavior. One classic example: congregants who insist that their Jewish professionals must be Shomer Shabbes, with the quick disclaimer, “But, you know, it’s not like anyone is driving by your house checking if the lights are on or off. What you do in your home is your business.” (See, we’re only interested in the illusion of piety–please help us maintain that image.)

This, of course, has nothing to do with fellow Jews who find great meaning and spirituality in observing Shabbat in this manner. Refraining from using technology and avoiding the proscribed actions as listed in the Torah are truly a sacred path towards setting aside one holy day of the week.

But using the term Shomer Shabbes, however, suggests that this is the one, true way to observe Shabbat. So it should come as no surprise at all that Jewish people of differing backgrounds are constantly looking down on each other over whether they’re truly Shomer Shabbes. (He’s not really Shomer Shabbes–I noticed that he didn’t pre-tear his toilet paper.)

I would challenge every Jewish person I know—including many Jewish professionals—to add this expression to my list of Jewish Terms that I Would Like to Retire. The last thing we need are more categories that keep us apart.

So, Shabbat Shalom. And I definitely promise to be more upbeat for my next post.