The Holy Shabbos (the Sabbath Day) means many different things to different people. But we must realize what the Authentic Jewish Shabbos is really about.
First, we must grasp that the Shabbos is Holy. Very Holy. It isn’t a “national rest day” or anything like imposter Jews make it out to be. Yes, we do rest on Shabbos, but that is not the essence of Shabbos. Yes, we do eat delicious foods on Shabbos, but eating these delicacies is not the essence of Shabbos. The essence of Shabbos is to enhance and upgrade our realization that HASHEM is our Creator, the Creator of everything and we are here to serve Him in devotion. Everything about Shabbos is to lead to this realization.
Of course, we absolutely must keep all the laws of Shabbos as elucidated in the Shulchan Aruch and all later Authentic Halachik authorities. No rounding corners about this in any way. Heaven forbid. But we must use our minds to realize that we are doing this to deepen our realization that HASHEM is our Father and King and we are here to serve Him.
Someone who intentionally defiles the Holy Shabbos by doing something that is forbidden is judged to the worst capital punishment – Skillah (usually translated as stoning). This is because Shabbos encompasses the root ideology of Authentic Judaism. That HASHEM has created everything, and He is our Father, and He is our King.
The Talmud tells us that even though a person who is distant from Authentic Yiras Shmayim (fear of Heaven) and was prone to lie, on Shabbos, he was afraid to do so. That’s how even simple Jews of yesteryear used to feel.
Rabbi Avigdor Miller OBM frequently used to call the Shabbos “The Day of the Clear Mind”. We must cleanse our minds of all the garbage that has accumulated over the last 6 days and realize the Important Truths of life.
If you want to really feel the Holiness of Shabbos, here is a “get rich quick” scheme to do so: Don’t Talk about anything not connected to Torah and Shabbos. Don’t even mention cars, business, your cellphone, etc. Keeping your mouth closed is a long-tested therapeutic behavior to feel Kedushah (Holiness).
Have a great and Authentic Shabbos!
Here is a nice Niggun about doing the right things on Shabbos –