Faith & Values Sen. Lieberman
Finds His Answer In Silence
His new book about observing the Sabbath points the way to rediscovering the deeper purpose of a day of rest.
By David A. Patten W
HEN U.S. SENATORS LEAVE THE CAPI- tol on Friday nights, they typically crowd into limousines with their entourage of assistants and rush off to a fundraiser or to a soiree. Not Joe Lieberman.
the senior senator from Connecticut strolling
from
Capitol Hill to his Georgetown home, a couple of Capitol policemen in tow for security. What accounts for this unusual scene? By
Friday night,
Lieberman’s work is over: The day of rest has begun.
An observant Jew, Lieberman has never imbibed the strange
absinthe of Washington power that so often induces moral amnesia. Lieberman credits his observance of God’s Sabbath — which by rab- binical tradition has been interpreted to preclude driving — for helping him keep his perspective. Now, as he prepares to retire from stalwart
46 NEWSMAX / SEPTEMBER 2011
After sunset on a Friday you’ll see back
service as the epitome of thought- ful moderation, Lieberman is offer- ing the nation he loves a present to remember him by.
It’s a book he’s written entitled, The Gift of Rest: Rediscovering the Beauty of the Sabbath.
“In some really personal ways I feel the opportunity that I’ve had to write this book on the Sabbath may be one of the most signifi cant opportuni- ties I’ve had in my life- time,” Lieberman tells Newsmax in an exclu- sive interview, “because of how important I think the gift of rest is.” Lieberman goes beyond extolling the virtues of Sabbath observance to offer practical advice on how a person of any religious persuasion, or
none at all, can benefi t from the commandment: “Remember the Sabbath, and keep it holy.” Lieberman tells Newsmax he wrote the book “to offer the gift of rest to everybody who will read this book — knowing, of course, that not everybody will observe it in the
traditional Jewish way that I do. [For observant Jews, the Sabbath begins Friday eve- ning at sundown and ends on Saturday at sundown.] “But regardless of one’s religion, or frankly wheth- er one considers oneself religious, there’s a power- ful message and purpose to the Sabbath. The gift of rest is desperately needed in our world today, where people work so hard almost every day, and yearn for meaning and fi nd it hard to locate it in our popular culture.”
The avuncular Lieberman under- stands, however, that going cold turkey when you’re plugged into a global information network can be discombobulating. Start with some- thing small, he suggests, and give rest a chance to restore your perspec- tive. Just spend the day, or part of a day, without the TV, BlackBerry and iPhone competing for your attention. Spend more time conversing with your children or your spouse, he says. “Truly none of us is indispens- able 24/7,” he counsels. “We may think so, but we’re really not.”
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