Fencing in the Rose: How Shabbat’s Boundaries Set Us Free

There’s a powerful line we sing in Shabbos zemer “Ma Yedidut”.  When singing about the beauty of Shabbat, we say “Kashoshanim suga,”,  Shabbat is “like roses that are fenced in.” 

Think about that—a rose, fragile and beautiful, needs a fence to protect it. Shabbos is no different. It’s sacred not just because of what it is, but because of the boundaries we put around it.

Without those fences, Shabbat would lose its magic. It would just become another day off. It’s those very limitations that give it meaning, transforming it into an island of peace in a noisy, chaotic world.

Shabbos forces us to stop. It says: Enough. You’re done. Now it’s time to rest. And when we accept that, we experience a unique calm. It’s a taste of Olam Haba—when the hustle is over and there’s nothing left to do. Just enjoy.