Can You Disconnect for 24 Hours? The Truth About Shabbat in the Digital Age

There are those who say that they “keep Shabbat”, but do not refrain from using their phone or computer on Shabbat.

Many have expressed with genuine pain:

• “What do you want from me? Should I fall into depression? I’m alone at home the whole Shabbat!”

• “The laws of Shabbat are so hard. Can’t they be relaxed a little? The movie in the background is what keeps me sane.”

True Emotional Health Concerns

We do not rule halachah for individuals with real mental health conditions — especially if they have reasonable cause to believe that keeping Shabbat fully will endanger their life.

Anyone in that situation must consult a qualified Rabbi, who will rule based on the principle that saving a life outweighs Shabbat. But to be honest, such cases are a tiny minority, if they exist at all.

However there are those who without technology, say that Shabbat feels sad, lonely, miserable, and tear-filled.

Is that what Hashem wants? Of course not.

Shabbat Is a Gift, Not a Burden

“I have a precious gift in My treasure house,” said Hashem when He gave the Jewish people Shabbat.

Where have we ever heard of a precious gift that endangers its recipient’s mental health? That idea is absurd. So what’s going wrong?

Following are the main obstacles that prevent people from keeping Shabbat fully — and practical ways to overcome them.

1. “It’s So Hard to Get Used to Full Shabbat Observance!”

Often, the biggest problem is simply habit.

Even religious people who got used to texting on Shabbat find it very hard to stop — especially when fear whispers, “Your friends will forget you!” or “You’ll be totally alone.”

However, most people have family, friends, neighbors, and communities. There is no logical reason a 24-hour disconnection should isolate a person on an island.

Take courage from the countless thousands who began keeping Shabbat in the middle of their lives and never regretted it.

As Oded Menashe said in an interview with Hidabroot: “Anyone who wants to express an opinion about Shabbat or family purity should keep them twice according to halachah — then we’ll talk. I’ve never seen a single person say afterward, ‘I tried it and it’s not for me.’ Not even one.”

2. “Without Technology, the Loneliness Will Destroy Me.”

For those who live alone, Shabbat might seem harder — but only seem.

True, you can’t chat with people online during Shabbat, but movies and social media do not provide real companionship — only an illusion of it.

Without that illusion, you’re forced to seek real solutions:

• Consider spending Shabbat in a yeshiva, seminary, or community center.

• Contact organizations that help place guests with host families for Shabbat.

• Maybe you can invite guests!

• Try attending a nearby synagogue for all the Shabbat prayers. You may discover spiritual structure — and make social connections.

Loneliness is painful any day of the week. Think creatively so you can both keep Shabbat and enjoy genuine company.

If at times you must spend Shabbat alone at home, meet the oldest anti-loneliness invention in human history: Reading material.

From Shabbat leaflets to inspiring biographies of great rabbis, to books permitted on Shabbat (no secular studies, wars, or forbidden kinds)… there is endless nourishment for the mind.

(Photo: shutterstock)

3. “It’s Hard to Stand Out.”

Some people have no issue keeping every detail of Shabbat — as long as it’s private. But becoming unavailable for 24 hours scares them.

What will colleagues think? Friends? Family members who are not religious? They feel embarrassed to tell people they will be unreachable from sunset Friday until Saturday night.

To those who feel this way, consider the following true story: A well-known American freelancer (a contributor to Forbes and highly successful — earning nearly an Israeli mid-range monthly salary for a single article!) wrote in her book for freelancers: “In every work contract, I state that I am a Sabbat-observant Jew. I am completely unavailable and do not use technology from Friday sunset until Saturday night.”

She doesn’t look Jewish. She doesn’t have a Jewish name. She lives in Washington State — not in Israel. If she can declare to paying clients that they will not receive even a single message from her on Shabbat… are you sure you can’t?

4. “I’m Bored to Death on Shabbat!”

What if you are with family, not afraid of the new habits, not afraid of people’s reactions — but you are terrified of the monotony?

Your inner voice whispers: “Life is worthless without Netflix. Without WhatsApp. Without constant stimulation.” If the fear of boredom is so powerful that it feels existential — that itself proves how desperately you need Shabbat.

Put halachah aside for a moment. Is it normal for a human being to be unable to survive 24 hours without a phone or a screen?

How do you imagine humans lived 200 years ago? Were their lives one long scream of despair from cradle to grave because they didn’t have Facebook or Channel 2?

Rav Yisrael Salanter once said: “The world says: When you cannot pass through, you must turn back. But I say: When you cannot pass through — you must pass through.”

If disconnecting from technology feels like “impossible” —
that is exactly what you must do. On the other side of that “impossible” mountain waits the precious gift God prepared for His children and only for them: Shabbat.

Give Shabbat a chance, and you will discover how much she gives back.