Is Partial Shabbat Observance Worth Anything?

Good week.

This is not true at all. Although it is very unfortunate that you do not observe Shabbat fully, I would be happy to help you with advice and support to achieve complete Shabbat observance, and I hope that this will indeed happen. However, every transgression you avoid has immeasurable reward for every abstention from work on Shabbat; you will receive much reward, and no transgression cancels a mitzvah, and the reward for those who keep Shabbat is indeed very great.

However, you need to reflect on this: when you come to the world of truth and see the magnitude of the reward you will receive for all the things you refrained from doing, how much you will cry and regret not having fully observed Shabbat; but then it will be too late, and that would be a pity.

Our Sages say, 'according to the pain is the reward' - the greater the difficulty, the greater the reward. The more you progress in observing Shabbat, the better it will be for you, and you will feel closer to Hashem, and you will be infinitely happy.

I will write a little about the great virtue of a Shabbat observer. Our Sages say that whoever observes Shabbat becomes a partner with Hashem in the act of creation. And who has heard such a thing that a person comes and participates in a matter whose work has already been completed? There’s nothing left to do, so what is this great action that allows one to achieve this? And if it is a great work, where do they find it to say this, that he becomes a partner? The Or HaChaim explains that at the time of creation, Hashem did not create any strength in the world except to exist for six days, and He created one day, which is Shabbat. On that day, He returns and imparts spirit to the world in a measure that maintains it for another six days, and so on. Except for this, the world would have been destroyed at the end of the six days and would revert to chaos, and Hashem would need to prepare it again. Through Shabbat, the world stands. Since Shabbat sustains the world for all six days, and after six days, another Shabbat will come and sustain it for another six days, you must know that the existence of Shabbat in the world is maintained by those who uphold it; if no one observes Shabbat, then there is no Shabbat, and if there is no observer, what does this do?

Therefore, whoever observes Shabbat, meaning maintains and safeguards its sanctity, through this Shabbat exists, and through it, the world is sustained. You see that a Shabbat observer sustains the world, and there is no greater partnership than this, by law and by halacha. Moreover, you should know that since the day of creation, the world has never lacked a Shabbat observer. There was a Shabbat observer, who was righteous, and after him arose Shed, his son, for he was a complete tzaddik. After him arose many tzaddikim, and when he fell, there arose the sun, a Shabbat observer, Methuselah, etc., Noach, and then Abraham, etc. From there, Shabbat observance has never ceased among Israel, and even in Egypt, there were Shabbat observers, as our Sages say, and it is fitting: Thus concludes their pleasant words. Our Sages also said that had Israel observed two Shabbats, they would have been redeemed immediately, for Shabbat is a taste of the world to come. If Israel merit to observe Shabbat, they will feel a taste of the world to come, and immediately they will merit the coming of the Messiah and the world to come, truly.

And you should know that when our righteous Messiah comes, he will point with his finger to the Shabbat observers, for whose merit Israel was redeemed. Furthermore, our Sages say that whoever observes Shabbat according to the law, even if he has committed idolatry, they forgive him, and the observance of Shabbat is weighted as all the mitzvot. The reason is that the observance of Shabbat is the clear evidence that a person believes in the Creator, who created everything in six days. Therefore, even if he fails in sin, he does not deny his Creator, and thus his repentance is accepted, and all his transgressions are forgiven. For surely, one who believes in the Creator wants to fulfill all the mitzvot, and through Shabbat observance, which displays a person's faith in the Creator, it is regarded as though he has fulfilled the entire Torah. Shabbat is the source of blessing, and all the abundance of the entire week flows from Shabbat, and a person will gain nothing from desecrating Shabbat, as is well known. Shabbat is the sign that we are the people of Hashem, as it is written in the Torah, 'Between Me and the children of Israel, it is a sign forever.'

Furthermore, our Sages said that Hashem made a covenant with Abraham, that because of circumcision and Shabbat, his children will not descend to Gehinnom. Our Sages also said that even Gehinnom rests on Shabbat, and it is known that séances cannot occur on Shabbat, since even the wicked rest on Shabbat.

I could elaborate further. But what the heart desires, time steals away, and I hope you will strengthen yourself more in this matter. Yet in any case, do not diminish your observance of Shabbat at all; your friends are entirely mistaken in this matter. Strengthen and encourage yourself and take these words to heart.

Blessings - Benjamin Shmueli