In the past century, the Sabbath has fallen on hard times. It is thought of as just another day or as a time to squeeze in some extra errands or recreation that you may have missed during the workweek. The weekend passes in a blur of often meaningless activity. Combining personal and political memoir with history and broadly informed religious reflection, this book is a practical how-to guide, with simple suggestions for introducing the Sabbath into your own life. It will be a very personal book, yet also one animated by reflections on history and larger social trends. It will also include profound reflections of both classical and modern Jewish sages, from the Talmud and the ancient Jewish prayer book, the Siddur, to Maimonides, to Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel and Rabbi Soloveitchik.
The Gift of Rest: Rediscovering the Beauty of the Sabbath
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Book Description
The Sabbath is a gift that Senator Joe Lieberman, as an observant Jew, received from his parents who, in turn, received it from their parents, who received it from generations of Jews before them. According to ancient tradition, the line of transmission extends back to Moses at Mt. Sinai, who received the Sabbath as the fourth of the Ten Commandments. In this book, Lieberman will offer the gift of Sabbath observance—a gift that has anchored, ordered, and inspired his life—to readers of all faiths.
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Editorial Reviews
Review
“What a wonderful book! Reading it helped me to recapture the wonder and excitement I experienced when I first became a Sabbath observer some thirty years ago. Senator Joe Lieberman and David Klinghoffer provide insights that can enrich anyone's life, not just weekly but daily.” (Michael Medved, nationally syndicated talk radio host, author of The 10 Big Lies About America)
“What a wonderful service Joe Lieberman has rendered his frazzled fellow Americans by reminding them of God’s gift of the Sabbath. The Gift of Rest has certainly convicted this too-busy Baptist to mend his ways and once again embrace a weekly ‘day of rest.’” (Richard Land, President of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission)
“Joe Lieberman’s modest memoir of a notable political career, lived wholly within the frame of the eternal Jewish Sabbath, is unique in its zestful picture of how he does it in this day and age.” (Herman Wouk, bestselling, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Caine Mutiny)
“The Gift of Rest is a charming, beautifully written inspirational gem, as well as a fascinating insider’s look at how spirituality and faith intersect at the highest echelons of political power.” (Jonathan Kellerman, bestselling novelist)
“This charming, personal, and informative book by the popular Senator Joe Lieberman ‘is my love song to the Shabbat,’ the Jewish Sabbath, and what it can mean for non-Jews as well. This discovery and rediscovery of the Shabbat offers an intimate glimpse into the mind and heart of a decent and thoughtful person, written in non-technical prose, and which cannot fail to inspire a sensitive reader. Read it and cherish it. It will add a new dimension to your life.” (Rabbi Dr. Norman Lamm, Chancellor of Yeshiva University, Rosh Hayeshiva (Head) of the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary)
“Senator Lieberman’s The Gift of Rest is itself a gift of faith. In these few pages, Senator Lieberman reminds us that the God-given day of rest—whether we call it Sabbath or Sunday—should be honored by all believers. As Pope John Paul II taught: we cannot work with God all week, if we do not rest with God on His Sabbath! Senator Lieberman’s reflections help each of us to remember just how to rest in God’s presence on His day.” (Timothy M. Dolan, Archbishop of New York)
“Joseph Lieberman does not just acknowledge the Sabbath as a break from the working week. As an observant Jew he relishes and bathes in the spirit of it. While most other faiths do not embrace the formal rituals of Judaism, there is much here that we can admire and that will remind Christians of what we have lost as respect and love for the Sabbath has diminished. This is a book about faith that both informs and transforms the reader.” (Cecil O. Samuelson, President, Brigham Young University)
“What a beautiful book about a beautiful concept—a day of rest as a gift to humanity. Senator Lieberman’s account of the Sabbath brought back fond memories of my own past while inspiring me to try to return to the values embodied in the Sabbath.” (Alan Dershowitz, author of The Trials of Zion)
“This deeply sincere and highly readable composition is certain to help people rethink their concept of Sabbath and prod them to rest.” (Publishers Weekly)
“The author deftly weaves his experience as an observant Jew on Capitol Hill into the readable exposition. Appealing for true believers and politicos alike.” (Kirkus Reviews)
“What a wonderful service Joe Lieberman has rendered his frazzled fellow Americans by reminding them of God’s gift of the Sabbath. The Gift of Rest has certainly convicted this too-busy Baptist to mend his ways and once again embrace a weekly ‘day of rest.’” (Richard Land, President of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission)
“Joe Lieberman’s modest memoir of a notable political career, lived wholly within the frame of the eternal Jewish Sabbath, is unique in its zestful picture of how he does it in this day and age.” (Herman Wouk, bestselling, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Caine Mutiny)
“The Gift of Rest is a charming, beautifully written inspirational gem, as well as a fascinating insider’s look at how spirituality and faith intersect at the highest echelons of political power.” (Jonathan Kellerman, bestselling novelist)
“This charming, personal, and informative book by the popular Senator Joe Lieberman ‘is my love song to the Shabbat,’ the Jewish Sabbath, and what it can mean for non-Jews as well. This discovery and rediscovery of the Shabbat offers an intimate glimpse into the mind and heart of a decent and thoughtful person, written in non-technical prose, and which cannot fail to inspire a sensitive reader. Read it and cherish it. It will add a new dimension to your life.” (Rabbi Dr. Norman Lamm, Chancellor of Yeshiva University, Rosh Hayeshiva (Head) of the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary)
“Senator Lieberman’s The Gift of Rest is itself a gift of faith. In these few pages, Senator Lieberman reminds us that the God-given day of rest—whether we call it Sabbath or Sunday—should be honored by all believers. As Pope John Paul II taught: we cannot work with God all week, if we do not rest with God on His Sabbath! Senator Lieberman’s reflections help each of us to remember just how to rest in God’s presence on His day.” (Timothy M. Dolan, Archbishop of New York)
“Joseph Lieberman does not just acknowledge the Sabbath as a break from the working week. As an observant Jew he relishes and bathes in the spirit of it. While most other faiths do not embrace the formal rituals of Judaism, there is much here that we can admire and that will remind Christians of what we have lost as respect and love for the Sabbath has diminished. This is a book about faith that both informs and transforms the reader.” (Cecil O. Samuelson, President, Brigham Young University)
“What a beautiful book about a beautiful concept—a day of rest as a gift to humanity. Senator Lieberman’s account of the Sabbath brought back fond memories of my own past while inspiring me to try to return to the values embodied in the Sabbath.” (Alan Dershowitz, author of The Trials of Zion)
“This deeply sincere and highly readable composition is certain to help people rethink their concept of Sabbath and prod them to rest.” (Publishers Weekly)
“The author deftly weaves his experience as an observant Jew on Capitol Hill into the readable exposition. Appealing for true believers and politicos alike.” (Kirkus Reviews)
About the Author
Joe Lieberman is a United States senator representing Connecticut. As the 2000 Democratic vice presidential candidate, he became the first Jew in American history to run for national office on a major-party ticket. With close ties and a wide fan base among Evangelical Christians, a popular speaker at churches and conferences, Lieberman counts top Evangelical leaders including Pastor John Hagee, Joyce Meyer, and Rick Warren as his friends and supporters.
Senator Lieberman lives in Stamford and Washington with his wife Hadassah. Together they are the proud parents of four children—Matthew, Rebecca, Ethan and Hana—four granddaughters, Tennessee, Willie, Eden and Madeleine, and a grandson, Yitzhak.
David Klinghoffer is a senior fellow at the Discovery Institute in Seattle. He is the author of five books including Why the Jews Rejected Jesus: The Turning Point in Western History (Doubleday, 2005), Shattered Tablets: Why We Ignore the Ten Commandments at Our Peril (Doubleday, 2007), and the spiritual memoir The Lord Will Gather Me In: My Journey to Jewish Orthodoxy (Free Press, 1999), a National Jewish Book Award finalist. A former senior editor of National Review magazine, he has written for the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, Commentary, The Weekly Standard, and many other publications.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
19 of 19 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Senator Joseph Lieberman takes us along with him as he experiences Saturday, the Jewish day of rest. Despite his grueling schedule he takes 25 hours out of every week to celebrate Shabbat with his family, friends and synagogue congregation. The Senator explains every step of the Sabbath - food preparation, prayers, teachings etc., and gives instructions to both Jews and Christians on how to make 'Simple Beginnings' in bringing this essential day of rest into our lives. Of particular interest were many anecdotes from his political life on how he balances the demands of his work with that of shunning cars, computers, television and the internet on the Sabbath. Senators Kerry, Graham, Dole and McCain, Vice President Al Gore and Presidents Clinton and George W. Bush figure in these interesting anecdotes.
22 of 23 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
Full confession. I can preach--with the best of them--about the importance of balance in life. (Some are now calling it "harmony.") I'm a recovering workaholic and I share my most embarrassing, idiotic three-week workaholic marathon in the Team Bucket chapter of my book on the Management Buckets. In my workshops, I ask participants to put their hands on their hearts and pledge allegiance to the core competency of work/life balance.
Gulp. Then...I pick up and read U.S. Senator Joe Lieberman's new book about rediscovering the beauty of the Sabbath. I'm pretty sure I don't mention the Sabbath when talking or writing about work/life balance. Double gulp.
How about you? Sen. Lieberman says he has embraced the fourth commandment. "Most of the time," he writes, "it feels less like a commandment and more like a gift from God."
He adds, "For me, Sabbath observance is a gift because it is one of the deepest, purest pleasures in my life. It is a day of peace, rest and sensual pleasure." (Never heard my Baptist parents, preachers or friends ever use those words about the Sunday rules we railed against.)
Well...this is a tough sell--convincing you to read this book. But I'll try. Former U.S. Supreme Court Justice William Brennan once said, "I can do a year's worth of work in eleven months but not in twelve." Ditto, perhaps, the six-day week?
Lieberman's plain-spoken, transparent--and phenomenally interesting book--hooked me in the first paragraph:
"It's Friday night, raining one of those torrential downpours that we get in Washington, D.C., and I am walking from the Capitol to my home in Georgetown, getting absolutely soaked. A United States Capitol policeman is at my side, as we make our way up Pennsylvania Avenue from the Capitol building toward our distant goal, a four-and-a-half mile walk. Before leaving my Senate office I changed into sneakers, but now they are full of water."
What's the deal? Lieberman, a "religiously observant Jew," takes pleasure in the Sabbath gift of rest given by God from Friday sundown to Saturday sundown. He shuts down his car and his Blackberry. Calls go to the home phone answer machine. He and his wife enjoy instant coffee on Saturday morning from the pre-heated water prepared on Friday afternoon. The whole deal, to an evangelical workaholic Christian like me, sounds bizarre.
But then...the sheer beauty and meaning of the synagogue services wonderfully described by Joe (sorry, that's a little too familiar, but he befriended me so warmly in his book) arrested my senses and my spirit. I slowed down. I savored each chapter. Slowly. I read long portions out loud to my wife, Joanne. We laughed. We got misty-eyed and hungry for the God we love. I heard Him speak to me. Wow...this just doesn't fit the read-a-book, review-a-book program.
My friend Joe again: "When I said the Sabbath is sensual, I meant that it engages the senses--sight, sound, taste, smell and touch--with beautiful settings, soaring melodies, wonderful food and wine, and lots of love. It is a time to reconnect with family and friends--and, of course, with God, the Creator of everything we have time to `sense' on the Sabbath. Sabbath observance is a gift that has anchored, shaped and inspired my life.
"So, you might ask, if it's such a gift and pleasure, why not just get in the car with the policeman and take an easy, eagerly offered ride home? The book you hold in your hands is my answer to your question."
And the answers are worth the reading. For Christians who pretend to know their Old Testaments as well as their New Testaments, you'll enjoy this journey of surprising delights and discover fascinating and quotable insights about the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob--and what happens in synagogues today to connect the centuries. The humor is charming. Sen. Lieberman's heart is disarming. Mostly though, the case for Sabbath rest is transforming.
Gulp. Then...I pick up and read U.S. Senator Joe Lieberman's new book about rediscovering the beauty of the Sabbath. I'm pretty sure I don't mention the Sabbath when talking or writing about work/life balance. Double gulp.
How about you? Sen. Lieberman says he has embraced the fourth commandment. "Most of the time," he writes, "it feels less like a commandment and more like a gift from God."
He adds, "For me, Sabbath observance is a gift because it is one of the deepest, purest pleasures in my life. It is a day of peace, rest and sensual pleasure." (Never heard my Baptist parents, preachers or friends ever use those words about the Sunday rules we railed against.)
Well...this is a tough sell--convincing you to read this book. But I'll try. Former U.S. Supreme Court Justice William Brennan once said, "I can do a year's worth of work in eleven months but not in twelve." Ditto, perhaps, the six-day week?
Lieberman's plain-spoken, transparent--and phenomenally interesting book--hooked me in the first paragraph:
"It's Friday night, raining one of those torrential downpours that we get in Washington, D.C., and I am walking from the Capitol to my home in Georgetown, getting absolutely soaked. A United States Capitol policeman is at my side, as we make our way up Pennsylvania Avenue from the Capitol building toward our distant goal, a four-and-a-half mile walk. Before leaving my Senate office I changed into sneakers, but now they are full of water."
What's the deal? Lieberman, a "religiously observant Jew," takes pleasure in the Sabbath gift of rest given by God from Friday sundown to Saturday sundown. He shuts down his car and his Blackberry. Calls go to the home phone answer machine. He and his wife enjoy instant coffee on Saturday morning from the pre-heated water prepared on Friday afternoon. The whole deal, to an evangelical workaholic Christian like me, sounds bizarre.
But then...the sheer beauty and meaning of the synagogue services wonderfully described by Joe (sorry, that's a little too familiar, but he befriended me so warmly in his book) arrested my senses and my spirit. I slowed down. I savored each chapter. Slowly. I read long portions out loud to my wife, Joanne. We laughed. We got misty-eyed and hungry for the God we love. I heard Him speak to me. Wow...this just doesn't fit the read-a-book, review-a-book program.
My friend Joe again: "When I said the Sabbath is sensual, I meant that it engages the senses--sight, sound, taste, smell and touch--with beautiful settings, soaring melodies, wonderful food and wine, and lots of love. It is a time to reconnect with family and friends--and, of course, with God, the Creator of everything we have time to `sense' on the Sabbath. Sabbath observance is a gift that has anchored, shaped and inspired my life.
"So, you might ask, if it's such a gift and pleasure, why not just get in the car with the policeman and take an easy, eagerly offered ride home? The book you hold in your hands is my answer to your question."
And the answers are worth the reading. For Christians who pretend to know their Old Testaments as well as their New Testaments, you'll enjoy this journey of surprising delights and discover fascinating and quotable insights about the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob--and what happens in synagogues today to connect the centuries. The humor is charming. Sen. Lieberman's heart is disarming. Mostly though, the case for Sabbath rest is transforming.
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful
By L. Dunkelman
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
When I picked up this book my concern would be that politics would find its way into the text, especially since Senator Lieberman has been in politics since he was in twenties. I was pleased to discover that there is very little politics in the book. For non-Jewish readers, the Senator has painted a wonderfully detailed portrait of the Sabbath and he offers insights into the different aspects of the holiday. For Jewish readers, the Senator lays out a framework that describes the struggle with the demands of public office and the religious command of keeping the Sabbath. The Senator has found a path that enables him to do both and even if some of us may not be lucky enough to own two homes and two temple memberships, he has drawn out a path to keep the Sabbath in almost any circumstance.
Intertwined in the discussion, the Senator gives us a brief, but meaningful, autobiography of his life and we are introduced to his grandparents, his parents, his children and, of course, his second wife, Hadassah.
All in all, the book keeps its promise of the title. The Sabbath is truly a gift.
Intertwined in the discussion, the Senator gives us a brief, but meaningful, autobiography of his life and we are introduced to his grandparents, his parents, his children and, of course, his second wife, Hadassah.
All in all, the book keeps its promise of the title. The Sabbath is truly a gift.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Sabbath - a special time
This book is an excellent presentation of the Shabbath - both from a Jewish perspective as well as the immense benefits the Sabbathy has for the rest of us. Very well written. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Terry Leno
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Gift of Rest by Joe Lieberman
I have been reading Lieberman's book - very inspiring! It arrived in excellent shape and good time! We are very satisfied!
Published 1 month ago by Anna B. Birky
3.0 out of 5 stars
A modest but rich sharing about the Sabbath
I liked the tone of the writing of Senator Lieberman.
I learned that within the Torah lies the destiny of our species as it applies to all traditions. Read more
I learned that within the Torah lies the destiny of our species as it applies to all traditions. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Donald J. DaRos
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent book
Although written examining the Sabbath thru the eyes of a Jew, it should be read by Christians also. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Vera B. Benjamin
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent book that shows us specific ways to rest on the Sabboth. It...
A Jewish/Cahtolic friend recommended the book. I have always admired Joe Lieberman so I bought it. Even though I am a Christian, we are still commanded to keep the sabbath holy. Read more
Published 2 months ago by KDG
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great book!
I used this as a textbook for a Basic Judaism class that included even non-Jews. The reaction was fabulous. I truly recommend this book!
Published 3 months ago by alan
5.0 out of 5 stars
powerful book
This is a powerful book that I recommend to anyone regardless of religious or political affiliation. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Mo
5.0 out of 5 stars
This was a great read
While I have not read the entire book so far it is great. I get books on my kindle which I asked hubby for Christmas a few years back because I had been hit and was not visually... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Listlady
5.0 out of 5 stars
Easy Read with a lot of insight
While this book is a very easy read, took me just about an hour to read, it is full of insights into the life of a practicing Orthodox Jew in a modern world. Read more
Published 4 months ago by David L. Cairns
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Gift of Rest
Not being of the Jewish faith and of the understanding of their traditions and celebrations I found this book to be interesting and informative on both matters.
Published 4 months ago by Diane Weir
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