Always Already There: Shabbat and the Illusory Search for God

Shabbat is a day of rest from the work of the week, and a time to dive deep into the soul. But what if the work of the week is spiritual work and Shabbat is about stepping back from the ways we usually seek out God? 

Through rich hassidic teachings of the Sefat Emet (R. Yehudah Aryeh Leib Alter), we will explore Shabbat as a paradigm to illuminate ways we do and don't, should and shouldn't, try to find God in our lives and in our world. We'll trace the origins and impact of this profound theology that at once embraces and rejects the spiritual quest.