Podcasts about on shabbat

Beth Sholom Synagogue annually hosts the Peace of Mind program which brings combat stressed soldiers to Canada to complete their therapy as a unit. This week we welcomed our record 10th group. Every year we meet special men and this year was certainly no different. On Shabbat morning Rabbi Flanzraich delivers his thoughts to us and them.

The custom of the Sepharadim is to conduct the Birkat Kohanim service during the Shaharit prayer as usual in the house of an Abel (mourner) during the seven days of mourning. However, if the Abel himself is a Kohen, he should not recite Birkat Kohanim. He should instead leave the room at that point in the service, and not participate in the Beracha. If no Kohanim are present in the house of the Abel, or if the community follows the custom not to recite Birkat Kohanim in a house of mourning, then the Hazan recites the passage, "Elokenu V'Elokeh Abotenu Barechenu Ba'beracha Ha'meshuleshet…" in place of Birkat Kohanim. If a mourner who is a Kohen prays in the synagogue on Shabbat during the seven-day mourning period, then he should leave the synagogue at the time of Birkat Kohanim, rather than participate with the other Kohanim. However, if there are no other Kohanim present in the synagogue, then he should recite Birkat Kohanim. In such a case, refraining from reciting Birkat Kohanim would make a public spectacle of the Abel's status of mourning. On Shabbat it is forbidden for a mourner to observe "Abelut Be'farhesya" – public expressions of mourning, and he should therefore recite Birkat Kohanim in the synagogue on Shabbat if no other Kohanim are present. If there are other Kohanim, however, then his non-participation is not readily noticeable, and he should therefore not take part in the Beracha. A Kohen who is a mourner resumes his regular participation in Birkat Kohanim immediately after the seven-day mourning period. No distinction is made in this regard between mourning for parents and mourning for other relatives; in either instance, he resumes his participation in Birkat Kohanim upon the completion of the seven days. Summary: The custom among Sepharadim is to recite Birkat Kohanim in a house of mourning, but if the mourner is a Kohen he should leave the room and not recite Birkat Kohanim. On Shabbat during the seven days of mourning, a mourner who is a Kohen does not recite Birkat Kohanim unless there are no other Kohanim in the synagogue. The mourner resumes his participation in Birkat Kohanim immediately after the seven days.

Sara Labaton, the Director of Teaching and Learning at the Shalom Hartman Institute of North America, recently taught a group of local rabbis. She observed that the prophetic ideals of peace (lion lies down the with lamb, nations will beat swords into ploughshares, neither will they know war anymore) are so lofty as to be unattainable. Would we be better off looking towards rabbinic ideals of peace?The good news for rabbinic ideals of peace: not lofty. Not utopian.The bad news: rabbinic ideals of peace are small, local, and very imperfect.On Shabbat we will consider a fascinating source about a most imperfect, indeed troubling peace. Three things about this source are striking.One the genre. It is sheilah u'teshuva, a legal question and answer, a responsum. Not a genre we have studied before.Two, the author is Ovadia Yosef, zichrono livracha, who was the Orthodox Chief Rabbi of the Sephardi community in Israel and throughout the world. He was incredibly learned and inspired passionate devotion among his followers. When he died in 2013, 800,000 people attended his funeral, the largest funeral in the history of Israel.Three, the fact pattern. A young woman has sex outside of marriage, gets pregnant, and has an abortion. Later, she becomes very observant, marries a yeshiva bocher, gets pregnant, has a baby boy. She never tells her husband about her abortion. When their child is born, the husband wants to do a ceremony called pidyon haben, the redemption of the first-born boy. Since she had had an abortion, she was not eligible for the pidyon haben. But he did not know. Would it be better to tell the truth, and not have the pidyon haben? Or to perpetuate the omission, and have the pidyon haben that she was not eligible to have, in which case the ceremony would contain a blessing that should not have been said?Read this short, saucy case. What did Ovadia Yosef decide? Why? Do you agree with his decision? How would you assess pros and cons? What do we learn from his decision that could apply to our very different world?Is an imperfect peace worth pursuing? Is local peace an adequate response to a world on fire?

**This week's essay is dedicated in memory of Rosa bat Shafia** Parashat Ki-Tisa begins by completing the Torah's discussion of the construction of the Mishkan. In the previous Parashiyot, we read of the building and its furnishings, as well as the special garments worn by the Kohanim and the procedure required for their consecration. The Torah now completes its discussion by presenting a number of additional laws, such as the mandatory annual half-shekel tax ("Mahasit Ha'shekel"), the washing basin at the entrance of the Mishkan (Kiyor), the Ketoret (incense), the anointing oil (Shemen Ha'mish'ha), and the designation of Besalel as the chief artisan who would oversee the project. Having concluded its discussion of the Mishkan, the Torah then speaks of Shabbat, and the strict prohibition against its desecration. Rashi (31:13) explains that the command of Shabbat appears here to indicate that the construction of the Mishkan did not override the Shabbat prohibitions. Hashem was telling the people that as important as it was to build the Mishkan, the place where the Shechina (divine presence) would reside, this project did not supersede the laws of Shabbat, and so the work was to be discontinued on Shabbat. The Klausenberger Rebbe (Rav Yekutiel Yehuda Halberstam, 1905-1994) finds specific significance in the juxtaposition between the command of Shabbat and the immediately preceding verses. Just before the command of Shabbat in our Parasha, Hashem instructs that Besalel should lead the project to construct the Mishkan, and He lists all the various items which Besalel and his team were responsible for making. Near the end this list we find "Bigdeh Ha'kodesh Le'Aharon Ahicha, Ve'et Bigdeh Banav Le'chahen" – the priestly garments (31:10). The juxtaposition between these verses, the Rebbe explained, alludes to the importance of Bigdeh Shabbat – the special garments to be worn on Shabbat. Just as the Kohanim were required to wear special garments when they served in the holiest place – the Mishkan – so must we all wear special garments on the holiest day, Shabbat. Our special Shabbat clothes are our "Bigdeh Kehuna," our "priestly garments," that we are obligated to wear in order to properly respect the sacred day of Shabbat. The Klausenberger Rebbe notes in this context the famous tradition (Talmud Yerushalmi, Ta'anit 1:1) that if the Jewish People would properly observe one Shabbat, we would then be worthy of Mashiah's arrival. The reason, the Rebbe explains, is based on a passage in the Midrash (Bereshit Rabba 65:16) in which Rabban Shimon Ben Gamliel extols the extraordinary lengths that Esav went to for the sake of honoring his father, Yishak Abinu. While Esav was, in general, sinful, he excelled in the area of Kibbud Ab (honoring his father). Rabban Shimon mentions that Esav would prepare food for his father, and would then change into his fine garments before serving him, so he would look respectable. He ensured to wear special clothing when serving his father in order to show honor and respect. By the same token, the Klausenberger Rebbe writes, on Shabbat, Hashem comes into our homes, and we are spending the day with Him. It is only fitting, then, that we wear special, fine clothing in His honor. The merit through which Esav's descendants have been able to succeed and prosper, and keep us in exile, is his outstanding devotion to Kibbud Ab, his showing great honor to his father. The way we end this exile, then, is by showing this same level of honor to Hashem – and we do this through our Bigdeh Shabbat, by dressing in honor of Shabbat the way Esav dressed in honor of his father. "Dressing down" has become the norm in our society. People are no longer encouraged to dress formally for work, or for other events. While this policy may have merit in the context of the workplace, we must ensure not to embrace it with regard to Shabbat. On Shabbat, we become like Kohanim, as we are in the Shechina's presence, like the Kohanim in the Bet Ha'mikdash. Thus, like the Kohanim, we are obliged to wear our "Bigdeh Kehuna," our special garments through which we show our honor and reverence for the Almighty.

The Rama (Rabbi Moshe Isserles of Cracow, Poland, 1525-1572), in Orah Haim (242), records a custom to eat on Shabbat a type of food called "Muliyata," or "Pashtida," which is dough filled with a stuffing of meat or other food, what we would call sambusak. The reason for this custom, the Rama explains, is to commemorate the manna which fell from the heavens to feed Beneh Yisrael during their travels through the desert. This food consists of meat covered with dough on top and on bottom, resembling the manna which was covered by a layer of dew on top and another layer on the bottom. The Be'ur Halacha (Rav Yisrael Meir Kagan of Radin, 1839-1933) raised the question of why we commemorate the manna specifically on Shabbat – the one day during the week when manna did not fall from the heavens. Why would there be a custom to eat a type of food that resembles the manna on the one day when the manna did not fall? One answer that is given is that specifically because there was no manna on this day, it is necessary to make a commemoration to celebrate this miracle. However, the Be'ur Halacha cites a different answer from a work entitled Torat Haim, an explanation which he describes as a "Ta'am Hagun" ("proper explanation"). He writes that Shabbat represents the "Yom She'kulo Shabbat" – the next world, Olam Ha'ba, which will be a perfect world, kind of like an everlasting Shabbat. The Shabbat we observe each week is a kind of window into the next world, a glimpse of the delights and serenity of Olam Ha'ba, and for this reason we observe several customs that bring to mind the future world. Thus, for example, we eat meat and fish, commemorating the meat of the "Shor Ha'bar" animal and of the "Livyatan" fish which will be fed to the righteous in the next world. Likewise, we make Kiddush on wine to commemorate the special wine that G-d has prepared already at the time of creation to give to the righteous in Olam Ha'ba. The commemoration of the manna may similarly be seen in this light. Our Sages teach that there is a section of the heavens called "Shehakim," which comes from the verb "Sh.h.k." – "grind." It is so named, we are taught, because manna is ground in that section of the heavens, and is prepared to be fed to the Sadikim in the next world. Accordingly, it is possible that we eat food symbolizing manna not to commemorate the manna eaten by our ancestors in the desert, but rather to commemorate the manna that will be fed to the righteous in the future. On Shabbat, when we are given a glimpse into the everlasting Shabbat of the next world, we eat food resembling the manna that will be fed to those deserving of basking in the glory and enjoying the delights of the "Yom She'kulo Shabbat."

When three people eat bread together, they are required to recite the introductory Zimun before Birkat Ha'mazon. The concept of Zimun is that we prepare ourselves for the Misva of Birkat Ha'mazon. When it comes to other Misvot, we prepare for the Misva act by reciting a Beracha. For example, we recite a Beracha before putting on Tefillin, and we recite a Beracha before shaking the Lulab. The Misva of Birkat Ha'mazon, however, is itself a series of Berachot, and so we need something else to prepare us. We therefore conduct a Zimun to prepare ourselves for the Misva of Birkat Ha'mazon. Different customs exist as to the precise text of the Zimun. The accepted text (as practiced by Hacham Baruch Ben-Haim) is that of the Ben Ish Hai (Rav Yosef Haim of Baghdad, 1833-1909), according to which the leader begins by announcing, "Hab Lan Ve'nibrich Le'Malka Ela-ha Kadisha." The others then respond, "Shamayim." The leader declares at that point, "Bi'rshut Malka Ela-ha Kadisha," and the others again respond, "Shamayim." Then the leader proceeds with "Nebarech She'achalnu," and if ten people are reciting Birkat Ha'mazon together, he recites "Nebarech Elo-henu She'achalnu." On certain occasions, the leader makes certain additions after he announces, "Bi'rshut Malka Ela-ha Kadisha." On Shabbat, he adds, "U'bi'rshut Shabbat Malketa"; on Yom Tob, he adds, "U'bi'rshut Yoma Taba." On Sukkot, he adds the name of that day's Ushpizin. At a Sheba Berachot, the leader says, "Nebarech Elo-henu She'ha'simha Bi'm'ono…" Interestingly, the Yam Shel Shelomo (Rav Shlomo Luria, 1510-1574) considered instituting this addition also at a Siyum Masechet, but he ultimately changed his mind, and so this text is not recited at a Siyum. Summary: When three or more people ate bread together, they are required to recite the introductory Zimun before Birkat Ha'mazon. The proper text is as follows: Leader: "Hab Lan Ve'nibrich Le'Malka Ela-ha Kadisha." Others: "Shamayim." Leader: "Bi'rshut Malka Ela-ha Kadisha." Others: "Shamayim." Leader: "Nebarech She'achalnu…" Others: "Baruch She'achalnu…" If ten or more people recite the Zimun, the word "Elo-henu" is added after "Nebarech" and "Baruch."

One does not wear Tefillin on Shabbat or Yom Tov. See Shulchan Aruch 31:2, and Rama. This includes both the first day of Yom Tov and the additional day observed in the Diaspora. The custom among Sepharadim is not to wear Tefillin during Chol Ha'mo'ed Pesach or Chol Ha'mo'ed Sukkot, either. Among Ashkenazim, different customs exists in this regard of Chol HaMoed. Some wear Tefillin with a Beracha, some wear them without a Beracha, and some do not wear them at all. Tefillin are worn on Chanukah and Purim. On Purim, there is a custom to kiss the Tefillin during the reading of the Megila, when the reader reaches the word "Ve'ykar" in the verse, "La'Yehudim Hayeta Ora Ve'simcha Ve'sason Ve'ykar" ("The Jews had light, joy, jubilation and glory"), because the word "Ve'ykar" alludes to the Mitzva of Tefillin. (Ben Ish Chai, Hilchot Purim Halacha 9) Given that Tefillin may not be worn on Shabbat or Yom Tov, the question arises as to whether they are considered Muktze – an object that serves no functional purpose on Shabbat and may therefore not be handled on Shabbat. For example, if one wants to sit on a chair on Shabbat but his Tefillin were left on the chair before Shabbat, may he move the Tefillin so he can sit? Furthermore, if a Rabbi teaches a class on Shabbat about Tefillin, may he show the students Tefillin as part of his instruction? Halacha classifies Tefillin under the category known as "Keli She'melachto Le'issur" – utensils whose primary use involves activity forbidden on Shabbat. The law regarding such a "utensil" is that one may move it either to use the space it currently occupies, or to use the item itself for a permissible purpose. Therefore, in the aforementioned case of the Tefillin left on a chair, one may, indeed, move the Tefillin so that he can use the chair. Likewise, one may use Tefillin for a permissible purpose on Shabbat, such as if a Rabbi wishes to show the Tefillin to his students as part of his instruction of the laws of Tefillin. Summary: 1) One may not wear Tefillin on Shabbat or Yom Tov; different customs exist regarding wearing Tefillin on Chol Ha'mo'ed. 2) Tefillin are worn on Chanukah and Purim. 3) On Shabbat and Yom Tov, one may move Tefillin only for the purpose of using the space it occupies, or to use the Tefillin themselves in a manner permissible on Shabbat. See Halichot Olam, Helek 3, page 196. See Menuhat Ahava, Helek 1, page 263.

We are studying Perek Shira and we are now up to our second creation that says Shira, and that is the Earth. We quote a pasuk that might not be so familiar, from Yeshaya 24,16 מִכְּנַ֨ף הָאָ֜רֶץ זְמִרֹ֤ת שָׁמַ֙עְנוּ֙ צְבִ֣י לַצַּדִּ֔יק From the wing of the earth we have heard songs, do the will of the Righteous one. What does it mean that we heard songs from the wing of the Earth? Normally, songs come from the mouth, not from the wing. The Or HaChaim HaKadosh on Bamidbar 16,30 tells us that when the Gemara tells us that when Kayin sinned, it says, “ You're more cursed than the ground that had opened up its mouth.” The earth was punished because it swallowed the blood of Hevel and as a result the Earth's mouth was sealed and it could no longer sing a song like all other creatures. That's why it says, “ מִכְּנַ֨ף הָאָ֜רֶץ זְמִרֹ֤ת שָׁמַ֙עְנוּ֙ / From the wing of the earth we heard songs,” as if it's making noise in other ways, like a bird might make noise with its wings, but not with its mouth. When Moshe Rabbenu wanted to punish Korach, he said, “ If a creation will create. ” What does that mean? If h creation was once there, he will recreate. There once was a mouth there, but the mouth got closed. “Reopen it now and let this mouth swallow up Korach.” The Or HaChaim HaKadosh says this was a tikun . The earth made a tikun because the first time it swallowed the blood of Hevel, who was a Sadik , צְבִ֣י לַצַּדִּ֔יק and now he'll swallow up the rasha Korach and that fixed the earth. The earth made a tikun . Parenthetically, it says that Moshe Rabbenu was a gilgul of Hevel. It says Moshe was a shepherd , once upon a time –meaning in the times of Hevel. And Kayin came back as Korach, who was jealous. that's why it says, “ Hashem says, Im Tetiv/If you do good, Se'et/You will lift,” you'll carry the Aron. And if you don't fix yourself, your sin will be waiting by the mouth/the opening, and you'll will be swallowed up by the earth. So here, on round two, the earth fixes its sin. Rather than swallowing up the blood of Hevel, he sticks up for Hevel and swallows up Korach, who is Kayin. Beautiful. What's our message? Again, in every one of these pesukim, there's a mussar as well. The mussar is that you can sin, and you can fix it. And we can once again sing to Hashem, even though we might have lost the ability to sing. That's the first beautiful point on this pasuk. Beautiful point number two is that (again, the earth now is being used as praiser) it says that when Sanheriv's army was wiped out, miraculously, Hizkiyah was supposed to be Mashiach. He was a devout sadik and a Baal bitachon . He went to sleep at night and God brought the miracle, and he was supposed to become Mashiach. But the Middat HaDin/Justice said, David Hamelech said so many songs and he wasn't Mashiach,and this king Hizkiyah had this miracle and didn't sing afterwards and You're going to make him Mashiach? Therefore, he did not become Mashiach. At that point, the Earth said, “I will replace his song, I'll sing instead of him, and please make him Mashiach. That's what it means, מִכְּנַ֨ף הָאָ֜רֶץ זְמִרֹ֤ת שָׁמַ֙עְנוּ֙ צְבִ֣י לַצַּדִּ֔יק Please make the Sadik Hizkiyah into Mashiach. But it didn't work. It was too late. But the earth did try to stick up for the Sadik and sing a song. We can, once again, reignite this Mashiach-like happening. The Tosafot in Sanhedrin brings down from the Teshuvot HaGeonim that the Bnei Yisrael only say Kedusha on Shabbat. Based on this Tosafot , we all have a different type of Kedusha in our Shabbat Amida, whatever community you come from. Why? Because the pasuk tells us that the angels have six wings, and every wing corresponds to a different day of the week where they sing a song with that wing. Come Shabbat, there's no wing. So, God says, I have another wing that will create song for me. That's the מִכְּנַ֨ף הָאָ֜רֶץ /the wing that's down here on earth. That's the seventh wing. And that's the day of Shabbat. זְמִרֹ֤ת שָׁמַ֙עְנוּ֙ when we'll hear the songs from the Jewish people. That's the source that we sing songs on Shabbat, and on Shabbat we are elevated to be higher than the angels. The angels ran out of wings and we, the Jewish people, sing the songs of Shabbat. That's our opportunity to, so to say, bring a Messianic time. Shabbat is Me'en Olam Haba. On Shabbat, we evoke this force of the songs of the earth. Finally, one last beautiful piece: The Chida on his sefer Kikar LaAden ( siman ה ) has a commentary on Perek Shira, he brings there from Rav Shimshon Ostropoli, the following explanation. It says in Pirkei D'Rav Eliezer there that there are five letters that are called Sophiot – מנצפך - it spells Mansepach And it says, these are letters of Geula/redemption. You might have seen this concept when banging the Aravot five times according to the Sephardic custom. And it says, each time you bang, have one of these letters in mind. And we'll see in a moment why. It says Avraham Avinu said Lech Lecha, ל ך ל ך He had 2 ך s Yitzhak Avinu said ‘ כי עצמת מ מנו מ אד / You become much stronger than us, a phrase with two Mems Yaakov Avinu said, ה צלי נ י נ א /Save me, with two Nuns . And in Mitzrayim it says פ קד פ קדתי , with two Pehs . In the future we're going to have two Sadi's because it says איש צ מח י צ מח /the man of Semah, which is the Mashiach, will grow- there's the two sadis . So that's what we say, מִכְּנַ֨ף הָאָ֜רֶץ זְמִרֹ֤ת שָׁמַ֙עְנוּ֙ /We already heard the songs of the Mem the Chaf , the Nun and Peh .. צְבִ֣י לַצַּדִּ֔יק /We're looking forward to Sadik . We're looking forward to hear the Sadik , the Sadi letter that's going to bring the final Geula-And the earth is going to sing that. So this pasuk refers to Geula, Geula comes from singing songs and it connects itself to Shabbat. Another beautiful thought on this pasuk. And once again, we are fulfilling that we're involving ourselves in in-depth learning of Perek Shira. Have a wonderful day.

We're now on Tehilim 125,1: שִׁ֗יר הַֽמַּ֫עֲל֥וֹת (This is one of the songs of the steps that ascend to the Bet Hamikdash) הַבֹּטְחִ֥ים בַּיהֹוָ֑ה כְּֽהַר־צִיּ֥וֹן לֹא־יִ֝מּ֗וֹט לְעוֹלָ֥ם יֵשֵֽׁב׃ Those that rely on Hashem, they're like Mount Sion. They will not falter; They will last forever. Simply speaking, this is a mashal . Yerushalayim is surrounded by mountains, and we are like those protected cities that are surrounded by mountains, like the Swiss who were always neutral and protected because they had their Alps around them. But the next pasuk says יְֽרוּשָׁלַ֗͏ִם הָרִים֮ סָבִ֢יב לָ֥֫הּ /Yerushalayim has mountains around it, וַ֭יהֹוָה סָבִ֣יב לְעַמּ֑וֹ מֵ֝עַתָּ֗ה וְעַד־עוֹלָֽם׃ But Hashem surrounds His nation from now and forever. The sefer Ma'aseh Hashem ( Helek Ma'aseh Bereshit, chapter 10) quotes a pasuk from Devarim 4,4: וְאַתּ ֶם֙ הַדְּבֵקִ֔ים בַּיהֹוָ֖ה You are connected, Which we know from the Meshech Hochma (on U'Bo Tidbak )is the source for Bitachon. A person is connected to Hashem through bitachon. We also say in Shirat HaAzinu ‘ God surrounds us,' which Rashi says refers to the Ananeh Hakavod/the clouds of glory, or the Succah, which surrounds us in Hashem's protection. Lastly, David Hamelech said וַ֭יהֹוָה סָבִ֣יב לְעַמּ֑וֹ מֵ֝עַתָּ֗ה וְעַד־עוֹלָֽם / But Hashem surrounds His nation from now and forever. T hat's the depth of this pasuk, says the Ma'aseh Hashem. The people that were in Yerushalayim were protected, but when they left Yerushalayim, they were no longer in that area. There are mountains around it, and the mountains don't move. But if you leave, then you're no longer under the protection. However, the one relies in Hashem, wherever he is, he's still within the boundaries, because Hashem is with His people. He adds that the man who relies on Hashem remains in His boundaries. He never left them, even though he's in galut, because his boundary is that he's surrounded by Hashem! This really compliments another beautiful thought, a famous D'var Torah , regarding the Jewish people in the desert, specifically within the Ananeh Hakavod: We learn the laws of Shabbat from the Mishkan. On Shabbat you cannot demolish a house, but there's an opinion in the Gemara that it's only a problem to demolish the house if you plan on rebuilding that house in that spot; if you don't plan on rebuilding in that spot, then the demolishing is just destructive. The question is, when they took down the Mishkan, they never put it back in the same spot because they were always traveling. So if I'm learning out the laws of Shabbat from the Mishkan, in which they destroyed without rebuilding in the same spot, why would that be allowed on Shabbat? The answer that's given by the Baalei Mussar (including Rav Naftali Trop and Rav Chaim Shmuelevitz) says that the Jewish people in the desert traveled with the Ananeh Hakavod, and therefore wherever they were, they took down the Mishkan and they put up the Mishkan in the same spot . It might not have been the same latitude and longitude, but the spot was always the same- They were encamped and surrounded by Hashem's clouds. A mashal they give that it's like a child in his mother's arms, getting on an airplane and traveling. If you ask the child, Where are you? he'll say, “ I'm in my mother's arms ,” at takeoff, “ In my mother's arms. ” during the flight, “ in my mother's arms,” and the same when they land. He never moved because his location was his mother's arms. That's how the Jewish people were in the desert. That's the concept called Yesovevenu / we are surrounded . One might have thought that this was only in the desert, but that would be a mistake. וַ֭יהֹוָה סָבִ֣יב לְעַמּ֑וֹ מֵ֝עַתָּ֗ה וְעַד־עוֹלָֽם Hashem surrounds his people. forever. We're forever in those clouds of glory. Anyone that has bitachon is surrounded by Hashem's clouds of glory. There is a pasuk in Devarim 13,5 אַחֲרֵ֨י יְהֹוָ֧ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶ֛ם תֵּלֵ֖כוּ Follow Hashem your God . The Sifri says, this refers to the cloud. The Ramban, on that pasuk, says that this can apply today as well. Rav Yerucham Levovitz, in his sefer Da'at Torah on Shoftim page 240, says that even in our times we can fulfill this concept. There is a cloud that's directing us. There's a cloud that we follow. Every person in their own life can be directed by that cloud because with bitachon, we are surrounded. Rav Nosson Wachtfogel, the Mashgiach of Lakewood, said in the name of Rav Yerucham Levovitz that there's a cloud in every generation that Hashem directs us with. And he says, the difference is. in the generation of the desert, the cloud was revealed. We could see it. Today, we don't see it. The Shela HaKadosh on Parashat Baha'alotcha says on the pasuk, ‘W e should travel and encamp on the mouth of God,' that there's a good way to remember this- In whatever you do, say ‘ Im Yirtzeh Hashem, with Hashem's help ,' or ‘ B'Ezrat Hashem/with Hashem's help' … I'm going on this trip. I need Hashem's help . When I get there, I say, thank you Hashem, that I got here. In that way you're keeping Hashem on your mind and fulfilling this concept of following Hashem, even today, because the man that has bitachon is surrounded by Hashem's clouds of glory and is always protected, even more than Har Sion.

We're now on Tehilim 125,1: שִׁ֗יר הַֽמַּ֫עֲל֥וֹת (This is one of the songs of the steps that ascend to the Bet Hamikdash) הַבֹּטְחִ֥ים בַּיהֹוָ֑ה כְּֽהַר־צִיּ֥וֹן לֹא־יִ֝מּ֗וֹט לְעוֹלָ֥ם יֵשֵֽׁב׃ Those that rely on Hashem, they're like Mount Sion. They will not falter; They will last forever. Simply speaking, this is a mashal . Yerushalayim is surrounded by mountains, and we are like those protected cities that are surrounded by mountains, like the Swiss who were always neutral and protected because they had their Alps around them. But the next pasuk says יְֽרוּשָׁלַ֗͏ִם הָרִים֮ סָבִ֢יב לָ֥֫הּ /Yerushalayim has mountains around it, וַ֭יהֹוָה סָבִ֣יב לְעַמּ֑וֹ מֵ֝עַתָּ֗ה וְעַד־עוֹלָֽם׃ But Hashem surrounds His nation from now and forever. The sefer Ma'aseh Hashem ( Helek Ma'aseh Bereshit, chapter 10) quotes a pasuk from Devarim 4,4: וְאַתּ ֶם֙ הַדְּבֵקִ֔ים בַּיהֹוָ֖ה You are connected, Which we know from the Meshech Hochma (on U'Bo Tidbak )is the source for Bitachon. A person is connected to Hashem through bitachon. We also say in Shirat HaAzinu ‘ God surrounds us,' which Rashi says refers to the Ananeh Hakavod/the clouds of glory, or the Succah, which surrounds us in Hashem's protection. Lastly, David Hamelech said וַ֭יהֹוָה סָבִ֣יב לְעַמּ֑וֹ מֵ֝עַתָּ֗ה וְעַד־עוֹלָֽם / But Hashem surrounds His nation from now and forever. T hat's the depth of this pasuk, says the Ma'aseh Hashem. The people that were in Yerushalayim were protected, but when they left Yerushalayim, they were no longer in that area. There are mountains around it, and the mountains don't move. But if you leave, then you're no longer under the protection. However, the one relies in Hashem, wherever he is, he's still within the boundaries, because Hashem is with His people. He adds that the man who relies on Hashem remains in His boundaries. He never left them, even though he's in galut, because his boundary is that he's surrounded by Hashem! This really compliments another beautiful thought, a famous D'var Torah , regarding the Jewish people in the desert, specifically within the Ananeh Hakavod: We learn the laws of Shabbat from the Mishkan. On Shabbat you cannot demolish a house, but there's an opinion in the Gemara that it's only a problem to demolish the house if you plan on rebuilding that house in that spot; if you don't plan on rebuilding in that spot, then the demolishing is just destructive. The question is, when they took down the Mishkan, they never put it back in the same spot because they were always traveling. So if I'm learning out the laws of Shabbat from the Mishkan, in which they destroyed without rebuilding in the same spot, why would that be allowed on Shabbat? The answer that's given by the Baalei Mussar (including Rav Naftali Trop and Rav Chaim Shmuelevitz) says that the Jewish people in the desert traveled with the Ananeh Hakavod, and therefore wherever they were, they took down the Mishkan and they put up the Mishkan in the same spot . It might not have been the same latitude and longitude, but the spot was always the same- They were encamped and surrounded by Hashem's clouds. A mashal they give that it's like a child in his mother's arms, getting on an airplane and traveling. If you ask the child, Where are you? he'll say, “ I'm in my mother's arms ,” at takeoff, “ In my mother's arms. ” during the flight, “ in my mother's arms,” and the same when they land. He never moved because his location was his mother's arms. That's how the Jewish people were in the desert. That's the concept called Yesovevenu / we are surrounded . One might have thought that this was only in the desert, but that would be a mistake. וַ֭יהֹוָה סָבִ֣יב לְעַמּ֑וֹ מֵ֝עַתָּ֗ה וְעַד־עוֹלָֽם Hashem surrounds his people. forever. We're forever in those clouds of glory. Anyone that has bitachon is surrounded by Hashem's clouds of glory. There is a pasuk in Devarim 13,5 אַחֲרֵ֨י יְהֹוָ֧ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶ֛ם תֵּלֵ֖כוּ Follow Hashem your God . The Sifri says, this refers to the cloud. The Ramban, on that pasuk, says that this can apply today as well. Rav Yerucham Levovitz, in his sefer Da'at Torah on Shoftim page 240, says that even in our times we can fulfill this concept. There is a cloud that's directing us. There's a cloud that we follow. Every person in their own life can be directed by that cloud because with bitachon, we are surrounded. Rav Nosson Wachtfogel, the Mashgiach of Lakewood, said in the name of Rav Yerucham Levovitz that there's a cloud in every generation that Hashem directs us with. And he says, the difference is. in the generation of the desert, the cloud was revealed. We could see it. Today, we don't see it. The Shela HaKadosh on Parashat Baha'alotcha says on the pasuk, ‘W e should travel and encamp on the mouth of God,' that there's a good way to remember this- In whatever you do, say ‘ Im Yirtzeh Hashem, with Hashem's help ,' or ‘ B'Ezrat Hashem/with Hashem's help' … I'm going on this trip. I need Hashem's help . When I get there, I say, thank you Hashem, that I got here. In that way you're keeping Hashem on your mind and fulfilling this concept of following Hashem, even today, because the man that has bitachon is surrounded by Hashem's clouds of glory and is always protected, even more than Har Sion.

התוכן בהתוועדות דפורים תרצ"ו – שאז היתה הקביעות תענית אסתר מוקדם, ופורים ביום א' – סיפר כ"ק מו"ח אדמו"ר מה שקרה בפורים תרע"ט (אותה קביעות), שבעת הליכתם ביום חמישי אחר התענית הזכיר לאביו כ"ק אדנ"ע ע"ד המאמרים שאמר אדה"ז בפורים תקמ"ז (אותה קביעות), ונענה אביו ואמר: א"כ, צריכים לומר "נייע חסידות" (לא המאמר שהתכוון לומר), והוסיף לאמר: אויף שבת... וועלן זיין שיינע אורחים..., ואכן ביום השבת ובפורים אמר מאמרים שבהם נתבארו אותם ענינים שנתבארו במאמרים הנ"ל דשנת תקמ"ז. וסיים כ"ק מו"ח אדמו"ר, שעתה ישנם בלבולים ויה"ר שהשי"ת יסיר צדקת טענה זו. והנה, כיון שדברי צדיקים קיימים לעד, והטענות שישנם ענינים המבלבלים – לא חסרים גם עכשיו, וא"כ, בודאי שבקשתו של צדיק שהשי"ת יסיר צדקת הטענות ע"ד הענינים המבלבלים... בתקפה גם עתה. ומעצות לזה – ענין השמחה.א' השיחות דהתוועדות פורים ה'תשי"ז ל"הנחה פרטית" או התרגום ללה"ק של השיחה: https://thedailysicha.com/?date=22-03-2024 Synopsis In the year 5696 (1936), Purim fell out on Sunday, with Taanis Esther on the Previous Sunday; at the farbrengen that year, my father-in-law, the Rebbe, related that in the year 5679 (1919) he was travelling with his father the Rebbe Nishmaso Eden on Taanis Esther (which was on a Thursday that year, too), and he reminded his father, about the maamarim the Alter Rebbe had delivered on Purim of 5547 (1787 – when Purim was also on a Sunday). His father replied: If so, we need to say “new Chassidus” (and not the maamar he had been planning to say). He added: On Shabbat... there will be nice guests. Indeed, that Shabbos, and on Purim the next day, the Rebbe Nishmaso Eden delivered maamarim on the same topics as those of the Alter Rebbe's maamarim in 5547 (1787). My father-in-law, the Rebbe concluded that nowadays, one can validly complain about all the confusion that there is, and may Hashem remove the validity of this complaint. Being that “The words of tzaddikim endure forever,” and there is no lack of grounds to complain about things that cause confusion today, either – therefore, certainly the plea of a tzaddik that Hashem remove the validity of such complaints…remains in force now, too. And joy has the power to remove all confusion.Sichah from farbrengen of Purim 5717 For a transcript in English of the Sicha: https://thedailysicha.com/?date=22-03-2024

The Mishkan was finally complete. The nation looked at the magnificent work with great joy, and Moshe was proud. So proud, in fact, that he did something that he only did once more– just before his death: he blessed the entire nation. Actually, the erection of a Mishkan was the greatest blessing in itself. Hashem had promised the Jewish nation in Parshas Terumah, “Build me a Mishkan— and I will dwell among them” (Exodus 25:8). But Moshe felt that he, too, would add a blessing. וַיַּ֨רְא מֹשֶׁ֜ה אֶת־כׇּל־הַמְּלָאכָ֗ה וְהִנֵּה֙ עָשׂ֣וּ אֹתָ֔הּ כַּאֲשֶׁ֛ר צִוָּ֥ה יְהֹוָ֖ה כֵּ֣ן עָשׂ֑וּ וַיְבָ֥רֶךְ אֹתָ֖ם מֹשֶֽׁה׃ {פ} And when Moses saw that they had performed all the tasks—as יהוה had commanded, so they had done—Moses blessed them. https://www.sefaria.org/Exodus.39.43 והנה עשו…כן עשו, and behold they had done it…so they had done. The additional word והנה in this verse alludes to the speed with which the Tabernacle was built, something that was very pleasing to Moses when he looked at the components the people presented him with. https://www.sefaria.org/Or_HaChaim_on_Exodus.39.43.1 עוד ירצה באומרו עשו אותה לשון תיקון שתקנו אותה כמצטרך, ועוד מודיע שהשכיל בה שעשאוה כאשר צוה ה' בפרטי המשפט, והוא אומרו כאשר וגו' כן עשו. The addition of the word אותה in the line עשו אותה, testifies to the quality of the work. The artisans had put to use all their intelligence in constructing these parts and the result had proved successful. https://www.sefaria.org/Or_HaChaim_on_Exodus.39.43.2 עוד ירצה על פי דבריהם ז'ל (זבחים ס'ב.) כי יש פרטי המצות שאינם לעיכוב אלא למצוה ומנו חכמים דברים המעכבים זה את זה, והודיע הכתוב בכפל המעשה לומר שעשו כל אשר צוה אפילו דברים שאינם אלא למצוה מן המובחר: If we follow the approach of the Talmud Zevachim 62 that every commandment contains details which are not mandatory but which are desirable, the Torah tells us that the artisans performed even all those details which were not mandatory. This explains why the Torah repeated the word עשו, they did, i.e. the artisans did both what was mandatory and what was in effect optional. https://www.sefaria.org/Or_HaChaim_on_Exodus.39.43.3 ויברך אותם משה. טעם שהוצרך לומר משה ולא סמך על זכרונו בסמוך, לומר לא תהיה ברכה זו קלה בעיניך כי משה איש האלהים ברכם ודבר גדול הודיע הכתוב בדבר זה, ולטעם זה הוא שהודיע הכתוב ואמר ויברך אותם וזולת היות משה אין התורה מגדת אם יברך אדם לחבירו: ויברך אותם משה, Moses blessed them. The reason the Torah wrote the name Moses instead of simply 'he blessed them,' (seeing that his name was mentioned at the beginning of our verse) is to teach us not to take this blessing lightly. It is something very special to be blessed by a man of G'd such as Moses. If the people had been blessed by someone of lesser stature the Torah would not have recorded this as something we have to know so many thousands of years later. Normally, the Torah could have written משה ברך אותם, or: הוא ברך אותם. By placing the name Moses at the end of the line the Torah taught us the significance of being blessed by someone of Moses' standing. https://www.sefaria.org/Or_HaChaim_on_Exodus.39.43.4 ויברך אתם משה. אָמַר לָהֶם יְהִי רָצוֹן שֶׁתִּשְׁרֶה שְׁכִינָה בְמַעֲשֵׂה יְדֵיכֶם, וִיהִי נֹעַם ה' אֱלֹהֵינוּ עָלֵינוּ וְגוֹ', וְהוּא אֶחָד מִי'א מִזְמוֹרִים שֶׁבִּתְפִלָּה לְמֹשֶׁה (ספרא): ויברך אתם משה AND MOSES BLESSED THEM — He said to them “May it be the will of God that His Shechinah rest upon the work of your hands; ‘and let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us and establish Thou the work of our hands upon us'” (Psalms 90:17.) (Sifra, Shemini, Mechilta d'Miluim 2 15) This (from ויהי נועם onward) is part of one of the eleven Psalms (90—100) that are in the section beginning with, תפלה למשה; (Numbers Rabbah 12:9). https://www.sefaria.org/Rashi_on_Exodus.39.43.1 וִיהִ֤י ׀ נֹ֤עַם אֲדֹנָ֥י אֱלֹהֵ֗ינוּ עָ֫לֵ֥ינוּ וּמַעֲשֵׂ֣ה יָ֭דֵינוּ כּוֹנְנָ֥ה עָלֵ֑ינוּ וּֽמַעֲשֵׂ֥ה יָ֝דֵ֗ינוּ כּוֹנְנֵֽהוּ׃ May the favor of the Lord, our God, be upon us;let the work of our hands prosper,O prosper the work of our hands! https://www.sefaria.org/Psalms.90.17 כוננהו. כונן אותו, ושני פעמים ומעשה ידינו כוננהו א' על מלאכת המשכן שבירכן לישראל והתפלל שתשרה שכינה במעשה ידיהם במשכן ואחת שתהא ברכה במעשה ידיהם: establish it Establish it. The two times “and the work of our hands establish” [are mentioned are for the following purposes]: One is for the work of the Tabernacle, when he blessed Israel and prayed that the Shechinah should rest on the work of their hands in the Tabernacle, and one is that there should be a blessing in the work of their hands. https://www.sefaria.org/Rashi_on_Psalms.90.17.3 And Beautiful thought by Rabbi Mordechai Kamenetzky At first it seems that Moshe is reiterating the promise that Hashem Himself made. Hashem had promised to dwell in the midst of the Sanctuary that the Jewish nation would build. Why, then did Moshe repeat G-d's promise as a blessing? Is he blessing them that Hashem should keep His word? Or is he perhaps bestowing a more powerful message? A man once approached Rabbi Yehuda Assad for advice. “There is an old, run-down store in the downtown area of the city. I can get it a very reasonable price. I think that with my marketing skills I may be able to turn that location into a profitable venture. Do you think I should buy it?” Rav Assad made a face. “I don't think that it would be prudent to enter that part of the city for a business venture.” The man left somewhat dejected. A few days later another man entered the Rabbi's study with the identical question about the same property. “There is an old, run-down store in the downtown area of the city. I can get it a very reasonable price. I think that with my marketing skills, and of course with Hashem's help, I may be able to turn that location into a profitable venture. Do you think I should buy it?” This time Rabbi Assad nodded in approval. “I think you should make a go of it. I have no doubts that it will be a success.” When word got out that the Rabbi was behind this new endeavor, the first man stormed into his study quite upset. “Why did the you tell me not to buy the property and then tell my friend just the opposite?” he demanded. “My dear student,” answered the Rabbi, “there is a great difference. Your friend took in a partner. He said that with the help of Hashem he could make a go of it. When someone includes Hashem in his plans, I am sure that he will succeed!” For the first time since the exodus the Jews had become accomplished craftsman, artisans, tailors, and contractors. They built a magnificent edifice in the wilderness. Moshe knew that a feeling of self-gratification might accompany their accomplishments. Perhaps they may begin to think that it was their wisdom, their skills and only their abilities that made this beautifulMishkanpossible. So he blessed them with words that were meant to dissuade any such delusion. “May Hashem's presence rest in your handiwork.” Of course Hashem promised that he would dwell in theMishkan. Moshe's question was, “would the Jews let him in?” Would they make him a partner? Would they recognizeHashemas a significant factor even in the physical handiwork that they themselves had wrought? To that end, Moshe's blessing incorporated the standard for every action, accomplishment, and success that anyone achieves. May Hashem be a part of your success. May the Shechina rest upon your handiwork. ובמדרש וירא משה את כל המלאכה זו מלאכת בראשית, את כל מלאכת המשכן לא נאמר אלא להודיעך ששקולה מלאכת המשכן כנגד מעשה בראשית, מיד ויברך אותם משה, מה ברכה ברכן אמר יהי רצון שתשרה שכינה במעשה ידיכם מיד אמר (תהילים צ׳:י״ז) ויהי נועם ה' אלהינו עלינו ומעשה ידינו כוננה עלינו מפני שתחלתו (שם) תפלה למשה איש האלהים. וטעם מעשה ידינו נשיאות כפים שעשה אהרן ביום ההקמה שזה לשון עלינו, ומעשה ידינו כוננהו על ההצלחה במעשה ידיהם ולא כדעת רבי דוד קמחי ז'ל שפי' שהוא לשון כפול. A Midrashic approach (Tanchuma Pekudey 11): The words “Moses saw all the work,” refers to the מעשה בראשית, the creation of the universe; the Torah deliberately omitted adding the words מלאכת המשכן, “the work of the Tabernacle,” in order to teach us that this construction of the Tabernacle was equivalent in a sense to the construction of the universe itself. Immediately after Moses observed this he blessed the people saying: “may the Presence of the Lord, the Shechinah, come to rest on the work of your hands.” He continued immediately with the words of Psalm 90,17: “may the favor of the Lord, our G'd, be upon us; let the work of your hands prosper, O prosper the work of our hands.” The reason these words were appropriate is that the Psalm commences with the words “a prayer of Moses, the man of G'd.” The meaning of the words: “the work of our hands” is a reference to the priestly blessing bestowed upon the people by Aaron on the day the Tabernacle was put up. This is why the word עלינו “upon us,” Moses including himself, was appropriate. Finally, the last words in this blessing, the words ומעשה ידינו כוננהו, refer to the enduring success of the work the people had accomplished. This does not agree with the opinion of R' David Kimchi (רד'ק) who views these words as a repetition of what Moses had said before in order to reinforce his wish. https://www.sefaria.org/Rabbeinu_Bahya,_Shemot_39.43.2 בשבת אנו זוכים לתוספת קדושה בכל תחומי החיים, ברוח ובחומר, בתפילה ובסעודות, והמגמה להמשיך את הארת השבת לימות החול. ובאר האר'י ז'ל, שעל ידי אמירת 'ויהי נועם' (תהלים צ, יז – צא, טז) בתפילת ערבית של מוצאי שבת, הננו ממשיכים את תוספת הקדושה הרוחנית של השבת לימות החול, ומבקשים, שנועם ה' ישרה על מעשה ידינו. ועל ידי סעודת 'מלווה מלכה', אנו ממשיכים את הארת הקדושה לאכילה של כל השבוע. On Shabbat we are blessed with additional holiness in all areas of life, material and spiritual, as expressed through prayer and meals. Our goal is to extend the light of Shabbat to the weekdays. Arizal explains that by saying Vi-yhi No'am (Tehilim 90:17–91:16) in Ma'ariv on Saturday night, we extend the additional spiritual holiness of Shabbat to the weekdays, and ask that God's grace rest upon all our endeavors. Through melaveh malka we extend the light of holiness to our eating all week. https://www.sefaria.org/Peninei_Halakhah,_Shabbat.7.7.3 פסוק 'ויהי נועם', יש בו כונות עמוקות ונשגבות, וצריך שתכוין לפחות בפשוטן של דברים, דכונתו על פי הזוהר הוא: אף על פי שאין אנחנו יודעים לכוין בסוד המצוות והתפילות, השם יתברך הוא ישלים כונתינו, ויעלה עלינו כאילו כונו בכל הכונות הראויות לכוין, ועל ידי כן מעשינו במצוות ועקימת שפתינו בתפילות, תהיה כוננה לעלות למעלה לעשות פעולתה, ובסידור רבינו הרש'ש ז'ל מבואר, שצריך לכוין בפסוק זה, שאם חטאנו וגרמנו לסלק אור הקדושה שנמשכה עלינו על ידי מעשים טובים, הנה אתה האל ברחמיך תכונן ותתקן לאותם מעשים טובים, ותחזור להמשיך עלינו אור אותה הקדושה, שתי כונות פשוטות אלו יכוין האדם בכל פעם שיאמר פסוק זה קודם כל מצוה ועסק התורה, ויש מדקדקים לכפול בכל פעם פסוק זה, כדי לכוין כונה אחת באמירה ראשונה, וכונה אחת באמירה שניה, והוא מנהג יפה, משום דבלאו הכי יש טעם בפעמיים, ובכל קהילות ישראל נוהגים להוסיף ביום טוב מזמור של אותו יום טוב, אך החסידים בבית אל לא נהגו לאומרו: https://www.sefaria.org/Ben_Ish_Hai,_Halachot_1st_Year,_Vayigash_6.1

Parashat Vayakhel begins with Moshe Rabbenu assembling Beneh Yisrael to convey to them the commands for the building of the Mishkan . But before speaking about the Mishkan , Moshe first told the people that they must observe Shabbat each week. The Rabbis explained that the mitzvah of Shabbat is connected to the construction of the Mishkan because the 39 melachot , or categories of activity that are forbidden on Shabbat, are derived from the building of the Mishkan . The 39 types of work that were needed for the building of the Mishkan are the 39 types of work which are prohibited on Shabbat. We must ask, why is this the case? Why is it specifically these categories of work – the activities needed when the Mishkan was built – that the Torah forbids us to do on Shabbat? To understand this connection between Shabbat and the Mishkan , let us briefly look at a pasuk in last week's parashah , Parashat Ki-Tisa, regarding the mitzvah of Shabbat observance: ושמרו בני ישראל את השבת, לעשות את השבת לדורותם – “ Beneh Yisrael shall observe Shabbat, to make Shabbat for all their generations” (31:16). It is significant that the Torah here describes Shabbat observance as an action, as something that we are to do, or produce – לעשות . We would have assumed that we observe Shabbat by not doing , by refraining from certain things, by not going to work, by not driving, by not turning on our phones, by not cooking, and so on. To our surprise, the Torah commands us to “make” Shabbat – לעשות את השבת . What does this mean? The answer is that we are to make Shabbat a special day, a sacred day, a day of spiritual elevation. Someone who thinks that all he needs to do on Shabbat is refrain from the activities that are forbidden will not properly observe Shabbat. It goes without saying that abstaining from these activities is crucially important. But that is not enough. We need to “make” Shabbat by utilizing it not just for physical rest, but for kedushah , for spirituality, to grow and to deepen our connection with Hashem. We might draw an analogy to a spouse who simply checks off everything on the list of obligations to the other spouse. Practically, the spouse does everything required, but he or she does not invest time or emotional energy into the relationship, and does not work to build an emotional connection. Nobody would consider this person a good spouse. Checking all the boxes isn't enough. The couple is expected to build something far more special and far more meaningful than just a practical arrangement whereby each side fulfills certain responsibilities. The same is true of Shabbat. Even if we ensure to avoid doing everything that is forbidden on Shabbat, we haven't properly observed Shabbat unless we “make” Shabbat, turning it into a special day, a day of kedushah . This explains the connection between Shabbat and the Mishkan . Shabbat is to time what the Mishkan is to space. Just as the Mishkan is a special place of sanctity, distinct from everywhere else, so must Shabbat be a special time of holiness that is completely different from every other day. Shabbat cannot be just a Sunday without driving and without phones. It must be a Mishkan , a time when we reconnect with our families, with Torah, and with Hashem. Not coincidentally, the Torah begins this parashah by telling us that Moshe assembled Beneh Yisrael : ויקהל משה את כל עדת בני ישראל , Since time immemorial, Shabbat has been a time of gathering, when Jews come together for prayer, for Torah learning, and for spiritual elevation. A key component of “making” Shabbat is ויקהל , coming to shul for prayer and attending Torah classes. This is one of the important ways we make a Shabbat a sacred day. A second way is indicated by Moshe's instruction to the people in this parashah : לא תבערו אש בכל מושבותיכם ביום השבת – “You shall not kindle a fire in all your residences on the day of Shabbat” (35:3). Of all the many different Shabbat prohibitions, lighting a fire is the only one which is stated explicitly by the Torah. The explanation might be that the Torah here is teaching us to keep away the “fire” of stress and negativity on Shabbat. Throughout the week, we “light fire,” dealing with the stresses and struggles of life, and exposing ourselves to all the negativity in the media and social media. On Shabbat, all this needs to be kept out. If Shabbat is going to be our “ Mishkan ,” an experience of kedushah , we need to block out all the noise, all the tension, the controversies, the arguments, and the struggles. Shabbat must be a day of peace, joy and serenity, free of the “fire” of negativity. Let us make a commitment to not just keep Shabbat, but to “build” Shabbat like our ancestors built a Mishkan , making it a special day that uplifts us and rejuvenates both our bodies and our souls.

The work Ta'alumot Leb (vol. 3, 19:4) discusses the situation of a Berit Mila that takes place in the synagogue on Shabbat morning. It is customary at a Berit Mila for the Rabbi to recite the Beracha of "Boreh Peri Ha'gefen" and the special Beracha for the Berit over a cup of wine. On Shabbat morning, however, one may not eat or drink anything before reciting or hearing Kiddush, and the custom on Shabbat is to conduct a Berit immediately after the prayer service. How, then, can the Rabbi drink the cup of wine at the Berit, if he had yet to recite or hear Kiddush? The Ta'alumot Leb records the practice of a certain Rabbi who, in such situations, would ensure to drink a full Rebi'it (approximately 3.2 oz.) of wine from the wine of the Mila, and have in mind to fulfill the Misva of Kiddush with this cup of wine. In order to fulfill the Misva of Kiddush, one must hear or recite Kiddush "Be'makom Se'uda" – at a place where he then eats. This Rabbi would therefore make a point of drinking a Rebi'it of wine from the cup of the Berit Mila, so that he can fulfill the requirement of reciting Kiddush at the place where he then drinks wine. This practice demonstrates two important Halachot. First, it shows that one can use one cup of wine for two different Misvot. The Rabbi in this situation used the cup of wine for both the Berachot over the Berit Mila as well as for Kiddush. Although there is a rule of "En Osin Misvot Habilot Habilot," which forbids "bunching" different Misvot together, this rule applies only to performing two different Misva acts simultaneously. For example, during the times of the Mikdash, it would be forbidden for a Kohen to give the special Sota waters to two women at the same time. However, one may perform a single Misva act to fulfill two different requirements. Thus, one may use the cup of wine at a Berit Mila for Kiddush, as well. The second important Halacha reflected by this practice is that drinking a Rebi'it of wine suffices to fulfill the requirement of "Kiddush Be'makom Se'uda." A person who recites Kiddush on Shabbat morning fulfills his obligation even if he does not eat anything at the site of the Kiddush, provided that he drinks at least a Rebi'it of wine. It often happens that a Rabbi attends a Kiddush on Shabbat morning where he is invited to recite Kiddush on behalf of everyone assembled, but he does not intend to stay to eat. In such a situation, he should simply ensure to drink at least 3.2 ounces of the Kiddush wine, and he is thereby considered to have recited Kiddush "Be'makom Se'uda." This is the ruling of numerous Halachic authorities, including Maran (in Bet Yosef), the Rama, the Peri Hadash, the Hid"a, Rav Yaakov Kuli (in Yalkut Me'am Lo'ez), and the Shulhan Gabo'ah. It should be noted that if a person does not drink a Rebi'it of wine, then he does not fulfill the obligation of Kiddush unless he eats a Ke'zayit of baked goods. He does not fulfill his obligation by eating other foods, like fruits, vegetables, potatoes, and even rice. There is a dispute among the Halachic authorities as to whether one can fulfill the requirement of "Kiddush Be'makom Se'uda" by drinking a Rebi'it of grape juice. Rav Yosef Shalom Elyashiv (contemporary) is reported to have raised the question and leaned toward the stringent position, that grape juice resembles grapes in this regard, and it therefore does not suffice for the requirement of "Kiddush Be'makom Se'uda." Hacham Ovadia Yosef, however, after citing Rav Elyashiv's ruling, writes that he disagrees (listen to audio recording for precise citation). He maintained that grape juice is considered the same as wine, and thus one may fulfill the obligation of Kiddush on Shabbat morning by drinking a Rebi'it of grape juice, even if he does not eat anything. Summary: In order to fulfill the obligation of Kiddush on Shabbat morning, one must either eat a Ke'zayit of baked grain products or drink a Rebi'it (approx. 3.2 oz.) of wine or grape juice after reciting or hearing Kiddush. When a Berit Mila is held in the synagogue on Shabbat morning after the prayer service, the Rabbi should ensure to drink a full Rebi'it of wine from the cup of the Berit Mila and have in mind to thereby fulfill the Misva of Kiddush.

Welcome to Embrace Shabbat. The Yaarot Devash teaches that there are seven mazalot , which correspond to the seven days of the week, and Shabbat corresponds to a negative mazal . It is for this reason that other religions celebrate their Sabbath on Friday or Sunday, rather than Shabbat. They believe that connecting their day of rest to Shabbat will bring negativity upon them. However, as Jews, we believe that by celebrating Shabbat, we demonstrate that we do not believe in other forces, such as mazalot , controlling us. Rather, we know that it is HaKadosh Baruch Hu Who is in charge and determines the course of our lives. The Avudraham (as quoted in the Anaf Yosef in Ein Yaakov on Masechet Shabbat 119b) teaches that the mazal of Friday is named “ Tzedek ,” and it is accompanied by the angel Tzadkiel , a good angel. The power of this mazal remains in existence through the final moments of Erev Shabbat. The mazal of Shabbat is mahadim , from the root word edom - red. The Gemara teaches that one who is born under this mazal of redness has a bloodthirsty nature and will have a tendency to direct his energies to being a mohel, shochet, or murderer. Rav Wolbe explains that for such a person, his violent tendencies will not change. However, he can chanel it for a mitzvah , such as milah ; a positive action (though not a mitzvah ), such a preparing kosher meat; or murder. This mazal of redness is the mazal of Shabbat. The power of this mazal comes into effect right from the start of Shabbat and is accompanied by the malach is סמאל , a negative angel (it is preferred not to pronounce the name of this malach and therefore people refer to it as ס-מ ). The Avudarham explains the connection between these two angels and the famous Gemara in Shabbat: two angels accompany a person home from shul on Friday night, a good angel and a bad angel. The Avudarham explains that these two angles are the positive angel of Friday and the negative angel of Shabbat, who “change shifts” and walk a person home as Shabbat begins. When they reach his home, they check if the table is set, the bedroom is made up, and the candles are lit. Then, either the good angel blesses the home and the bad angel answers “Amen,” or vice versa. When we sing שלום עליכם מלאכי השרת on Friday night, we welcome in these two angels: Tzadkiel of Friday and the negative ס-מ of Shabbat. Commenting on the words ה' פֹּ֘קֵ֤חַ עִוְרִ֗ים , G-d opens up the eyes of the blind, the Chidah (Tehillim 146:8) explains that the root of the name ס-מ is סומה , a blind person ; he blinds others from seeing the difference between an aveira and a mitzvah . ה' פֹּ֘קֵ֤חַ עִוְרִ֗ים does not just refer to a blind person who cannot see, but also a person that is blinded by the yetzer hara and can't see correctly . When a person does Teshuva , Hashem is ה' פֹּ֘קֵ֤חַ עִוְרִ֗ים , He opens up the eyes of the blind. On Shabbat, the angel of ס-מ brings darkness and negativity. Therefore, we light candles to symbolically light up that darkness. The Iyun Yaakov teaches that the two candles as well as the two angels represent Shamor and Zachur . It is our hope that lighting the two candles will bring light into our Shabbat. Have a Shabbat Shalom.

Welcome to Embrace Shabbat. Rav Gershon Edelstein zt"l, the Rosh Yeshiva of Ponevezh Yeshiva, shares a beautiful thought about Shabbat. In Beraishit it tells us, וַיְבָ֤רֶךְ אֱלֹהִים֙ אֶת־י֣וֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִ֔י וַיְקַדֵּ֖שׁ אֹת֑וֹ, G-d blessed the seventh day and He made it holy. Rav Edelstein points out that this is something that existed even before Matan Torah: Shabbat inherently had added blessing and kedusha. What is the added blessing? Shabbat is the mekor haBeracha , which refers to physical blessings. Shabbat provides bracha for a person's body, their parnassah, their food and drink, and everything else needed for Shabbat and the rest of the year. In the merit of Shabbat, HaKadosh Baruch Hu gives us our parnassah. As the famous Chofetz Chaim teaches: when a person works on Shabbat, it is as if he put a seventh hole in an existing barrel. Nothing more will come out. Shabbat is the source of all physical blessings. וַיְקַדֵּ֖שׁ- Kedusha refers to the spiritual uplifting of Shabbat. On Shabbat, not only is the day itself holy, but a person themselves can become holier. This was true even before Matan Torah. Adam HaRishon and the avot kept Shabbat- inherently Shabbat brings Kedusha unto a person. Medrash Rabba (Beraishit 11:2) explains that this special kedusha refers to a person's face. אֵינוֹ דוֹמֶה אוֹר פָּנָיו שֶׁל אָדָם כָּל יְמוֹת הַשַּׁבָּת, כְּמוֹ שֶׁהוּא דּוֹמֶה בְּשַׁבָּת. On Shabbat a person has a different face. The word פָּנִים, face, is connected to פְּנִים, your inside; a person's face expresses what is going on inside of them. The Chofetz Chaim relates the following story to show that even a young child can recognize this. A father that was angry at his daughter during the week and was still walking around with an angry face. The girl said to her father, “Can you please have your Shabbat face on?” Even a little girl was able to pick up that there is a Shabbat face, there is something different there about the face of Shabbat. This concept that the face expresses what is inside explains why it is that there is a certain chein (grace) in young children. When we look at young children, we see a certain wholesomeness, because the child hasn't sinned yet. Similarly, when Sarah Imeinu died, the Torah tells us that when she was 20, it was like she was a 7 in beauty. The obvious question is that 7 year olds are not beautiful! Why are we comparing her at 20 to be like a 7 year old? A seven year old has a wholesome beauty that does not have any sinful thought to it. Therefore, even though Sarah turned 20, it was still like she was stuck in a seven year old body. Let us tap into these two aspects of Shabbat: kedusha and bracha. May we have the holiness of kedusha and the physical blessings from our bracha. On Shabbat, we have to enhance and appreciate both of these things. Appreciate the physical blessing that Shabbat brings us. We start Shabbat off with kiddush, which has in it both aspects. We cannot eat before we say Kiddush, which means that we are acknowledging G-d's holiness and the holiness of Shabbat before start the meal. May we merit to both gain from the kedusha, the holiness, and the bracha of Shabbat. Have a Shabbat Shalom.

On Shabbat, when one person recites the Beracha of "Ha'motzi" over two loaves of bread and everybody else listens to and relies upon his Beracha, may they partake of the bread before the person who recited the Beracha? Must they refrain from eating bread until he takes a bite from the bread, or may they eat immediately upon hearing the Beracha and answering "Amen"? The Halacha depends on whether or not the people listening to the Beracha have two loaves of bread of their own. If each person at the table has two loaves, and he relies on the head of the table only for the recitation of the Beracha, then they may all partake of their bread immediately after hearing the Beracha, and need not wait for him to first take a bite. If, however, only the head of the table has two loaves, and the others rely on him both for the Beracha and for fulfilling the obligation of Lechem Mishneh (using two loaves of bread for the Shabbat meal), then they may not eat of the bread before the head of the table. They must wait for him to take a bite of bread, and only then may they partake of the bread.

On Shabbat morning, we call up seven Aliyot for the Torah reading. Is it permissible to add more Aliyot, or are we required to have specifically seven? The Rashbetz (Rav Shimon Ben Semah Duran, Algiers, 1361-1444), in one of his repsonsa (2:70), writes that it is forbidden to add onto the seven Aliyot on Shabbat. He explains that in the times of the Mishna, the Olim (people who received Aliyot) did not all recite Berachot over the reading. The first one to receive an Aliya recited the Beracha before the reading, and the one who received the final Aliya recited the Beracha after reading. These were the only two Berachot recited over the course of the entire reading. Later, during the time of the Gemara, it was instituted that each person who receives an Aliya recites a Beracha before the reading and a Beracha after the reading. The Rashbetz contends that since the original institution of Torah reading required the recitation of only two Berachot, then we certainly should not be adding more Berachot onto those which were established later. It is surprising enough that the Sages instituted Berachot before and after each Aliya, and we should not add even more Berachot by calling up more than seven Olim. The Shulhan Aruch, however, does not accept this opinion, and rules (Orah Haim 283) that it is permissible to add Aliyot on Shabbat morning beyond the seven required Aliyot. Hacham Ovadia Yosef explains that once the later Sages instituted that each person who receives an Aliya recites a Beracha before and after the reading, there is nothing improper with calling up more Olim and have them recite Berachot. However, Hacham Ovadia urges those in charge not to add too many Aliyot, so as not to inconvenience the congregation. Interestingly, Hacham Ovadia raises the question of whether perhaps we should refrain from adding more Aliyot for a different reason. The Rama (Rav Moshe Isserles of Cracow, 1525-1572) writes (Orah Haim 143) that in his time it was all but impossible to find a strictly kosher Sefer Torah, without any incorrect or missing letters. A similar observation was made later by Rav Yehezkel Landau of Prague (1713-1793), in his Noda Bi'yehuda (Orah Haim 109). Likewise, Rav Haim Palachi (Izmir, Turkey, 1788-1869), in his Leb Haim (2:176), tells that an Ashkenazic Rabbi once visited his city and examined all the Torah scrolls. He determined that they were all invalid, and some had as many as thirty mistakes. Seemingly, Hacham Ovadia reasons, we should perhaps avoid adding more Aliyot than the minimum due to the concern that the Torah scroll is invalid, and thus the Berachot are recited in vain. Although we must call seven Aliyot because this is what Halacha requires, we should perhaps forbid adding more Aliyot in order to avoid the risk of causing Berachot to be recited in vain. Hacham Ovadia concludes that it is permissible to add Aliyot, for two reasons. First, the Rambam (Rabbi Moshe Maimonides, Spain-Egypt, 1135-1204), in one of his published responsa (Pe'er Ha'dor, 9), rules – surprisingly – that it is permissible to recite a Beracha over the reading from an invalid Sefer Torah. He explains that the Beracha is recited not on the Torah scroll, but on the reading, and thus it may be recited even if the scroll is not valid. Although most Halachic authorities do not follow this view, it may be taken into account in considering the permissibility of adding Aliyot. Moreover, nowadays Sifreh Torah are generally inspected via computers, which are capable of detecting mistakes, and thus we have less reason to be concerned that our Torah scrolls might not be valid. Therefore, we may add onto the seven Aliyot on Shabbat morning. Incidentally, Hacham Ovadia's comments should alert us to the importance of caution when purchasing a Sefer Torah, and ensuring that it is valid. As noted, mistakes can be very common, and it thus behooves synagogues to exercise caution when it comes to purchasing a Sefer Torah, and to regularly have their scrolls inspected. Summary: If necessary, more than seven men may be called to the Torah for Aliyot on Shabbat morning, but care should be taken to ensure that the congregation is not unduly inconvenienced by numerous additional Aliyot.

It is proper to cover the table with a tablecloth for the Shabbat meals, as an expression of honor for Shabbat. Hacham Ovadia Yosef writes that the tablecloth does not necessarily have to be white. It is customary on Friday night to sing "Shalom Alechem" upon returning from the synagogue. In this hymn we welcome the angels that escort us home from the synagogue on Friday night. The Gemara in Masechet Shabbat (119) writes that a person is accompanied by two angels as he walks home from the synagogue on Friday night – a good angel to his right, and a hostile angel to his left. If the house is neat and properly arranged for Shabbat, then the kind angel declares, "May it be His will that it should be this way next week, as well." The hostile angel is then compelled to respond, "Amen." If, however, the house is disorderly and not prepared for Shabbat, then the hostile angel proclaims, "May it be His will that it should be this way next week, as well," and the good angel has no choice but to answer, "Amen." The Ben Ish Hai (Rav Yosef Haim of Baghdad, 1833-1909), in Parashat Bereshit (29), writes that the proper text of "Shalom Alechem" is "Melech Malcheh Ha'melachim…" This is as opposed to the text customarily recited by Ashkenazim, "Mi'melech Malcheh Ha'melachim…" After singing "Shalom Alechem," one recites "Ki Malachav Yesave Lach" and "Eshet Hayil." The bread on the table should be covered during Kiddush. Normally, when a person eats bread and wine, Halacha requires reciting the Beracha over the bread before reciting the Beracha over the wine. On Shabbat, however, one may not eat before reciting Kiddush, and we must therefore recite the Beracha over wine before reciting the Beracha over the bread. In order not to "embarrass" the bread, which is usually given precedence, we cover it while we recite Kiddush. Furthermore, the covering commemorates the Manna, the miraculous food that fell from the heavens to sustain Beneh Yisrael as they traveled in the wilderness, which was covered both on top and on the bottom. Therefore, one should ensure that the bread is covered both on top and on bottom. The tablecloth or a breadboard suffices as the bottom covering. Hacham Ovadia Yosef (listen to audio recording for precise citation) rules that one should also cover all "Mezonot" food that is on the table during Kiddush. On weekdays, "Mezonot" food, like bread, is eaten before wine, and thus the concern for not "embarrassing" the bread during Kiddush applies to "Mezonot" food, as well. Hence, as Hacham Ovadia cites from several authorities, one should cover "Mezonot" food during Kiddush. Although the work "Az Nidberu" rules leniently in this regard, and does not require covering "Mezonot" food, it is proper to follow the stringent position. This is especially true when a person eats a breakfast on Shabbat morning consisting of only "Mezonot" food, without bread, in which case the "Mezonot" food takes the place of bread; the "Mezonot" food must be covered during Kiddush. But even on Friday night, or on Shabbat lunch, when one has bread on the table, the "Mezonot" food should also be covered. Over foods, however, such as fruits and vegetables, do not have to be covered during Kiddush. Summary: One should cover the table with a tablecloth for the Shabbat meals. During Kiddush, one should cover the bread and "Mezonot" food on the table, on top and on bottom, though the tablecloth or breadboard suffices for the bottom cover. In the "Shalom Alechem" hymn recited on Friday night, the proper text according to Sephardic custom is "Melech Malcheh Ha'melachim," as opposed to "Mi'Melech Malcheh Ha'melachim."

The Arizal taught us that the Ten Days of Repentance ( עשרת ימי תשובה ) have the power to atone for the sins we committed on each of the seven days of the week during the previous year. Leaving out the two days of Rosh Hashanah and the day of Yom Kippur, the period of עשרת ימי תשובה consists of seven days, and each of these seven days, the Arizal taught, is able to correct the mistakes made on that day during the year. On the Sunday of עשרת ימי תשובה , for example, we are able to atone for our sins committed on Sunday throughout the year. Each day of the week poses its own challenges, and we are prone to certain mistakes on each day of the week, and the period of the Ten Days of Repentance affords us the opportunity to correct the mistakes that we have made on each day. Accordingly, on Shabbat Shuvah, the Shabbat between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, we are able to earn atonement for all the mistakes made on the most important day of the week – Shabbat – throughout the year. And thus we should all be especially vigilant on Shabbat Shuvah to ensure that we observe Shabbat properly, both by avoiding all forms of forbidden activities (the שמור aspect of Shabbat) and by conducting ourselves with a level of kedushah that is appropriate for this sacred day (the זכור aspect). The unique importance of Shabbat Shuvah can be seen in a beautiful insight that I recently came across regarding the Shalom Alechem hymn which we traditionally sing on Friday night upon returning from the synagogue. In this hymn we greet the angels that have come into our home on Shabbat, and it is commonly understood that these angels represent the yetzer hara (evil inclination) and yetzer hatov (good inclination), the two forces within us that try to lead us, respectively, to sin and to good deeds. These angels come into our homes on Shabbat, and we hope that the angel representing the yetzer hatov blesses us and the angel representing the yetzer hara then answers “amen” to that blessing. But I saw a different interpretation, one which is based upon the well-known comment in Pirkeh Avot that every mitzvah we perform produces a protecting angel. Normally, although we create these angels, we do not earn the privilege of having these angels close to us. On Shabbat, however, the special sanctity of the day renders us worthy of having these angels which we have produced accompany us and join us in our home. These are the angels which we greet when we sing Shalom Alechem on Friday night. Understandably, the more significant and powerful the mitzvah is, the more distinguished and special the angels are. And thus when we sound and hear the shofar , we create especially powerful angels. The mitzvah of shofar is observed in a very special way, as everyone is together in the synagogue, concentrating intently and thinking thoughts of teshuvah . Indeed, the moments of the shofar blowing are among the most moving and serious times of the year in the synagogue. We can imagine, then, that the angels produced by our fulfillment of this mitzvah , which is done with such feeling, concentration, and thoughts of teshuvah , are particularly powerful. In fact, there is a Yehi Ratzon prayer which many people recite before the shofar blowing requesting that the angels created by the shofar sounds should ascend the heavens. It is told that Rabbi Efrayim Laniado, a Rabbi in Aleppo, Syria, would blow the shofar each year in the synagogue, but when he got older and did not have the strength to blow, he delegated this duty to his son, who was also experienced in sounding the shofar . Rav Efrayim prayed at home, and when he saw people returning from the synagogue, he asked them how his son blew the shofar . They told him that his son at first seemed anxious, and the sounds did not come out properly, but gradually the blowing grew stronger and steadier. The Rabbi asked his son about it when he came home, and his son explained that when he began blowing the shofar , he saw angels coming out of the shofar , and this worried him. “There is no need to worry,” the Rabbi said. “I see those angels every year.” We cannot even imagine the spiritual power of the shofar blowing and the feelings of teshuvah that accompany it, which is capable of producing very special angels, even more so than the other mitzvot that we perform. And these angels join us in our home on Shabbat Shuvah. Of course, we should endeavor to conduct ourselves properly every Shabbat, knowing that we are hosting angels in our homes. (It should be noted that according to one version of the Shalom Alechem text, we say not צאתכם לשלום – which indicates that the angels are leaving already then – but rather בצאתכם לשלום – “When you leave in peace” – in which case the angels do not necessarily leave then. It stands to reason that they remain in our homes throughout the entirety of Shabbat.) As we want these angels to grant us their blessing – as we sing, ברכני לשלום – we must certainly conduct ourselves on the highest standard possible. But this is especially vital on Shabbat Shuvah, when we are privileged to host in our home the angels of the shofar , the most distinguished and most powerful angels. Let us treat this Shabbat in a special way as we recognize that we are hosting these special angels, and thereby correct and elevate all the Shabbatot of the previous year. And through our observance we shall be deserving of complete redemption, as our Sages teach that our proper observance of two consecutive Shabbatot brings us our nation's final redemption. תזכו לשנים רבות

Explain this to me: we drive on parkways and park in driveways. And there's no labor done today because today is Labor Day. Today is the birthday of the Baal Shemtov, who taught us that everything we see or hear is a message. God is giving us instructions through what we see. And I think the celebration of vacation on Labor Day is very relevant to the upcoming day of Rosh Hashanah. We call our new year Rosh Hashanah because it is not only the beginning of the year, but also the head, the source of energy for the whole year, guiding us. This year, because Rosh Hashanah falls on Shabbat, there's a synergistic energy in the entire coming year. The whole year is infused with Shabbat energy. The primary difference between Shabbat and the days of the week is that during the week we work, and on Shabbat we don't. But that doesn't mean we don't go to work all year; there is spiritual work and there is work work. I think we would not like being on a year-long vacation from regular work, as Job said in chapter 5.7, "Man was born to work." On Shabbat, we also work. We do spiritual work, we pray, and we study. This year, in addition to praying and studying, while we do our regular activities, we need to be connected to the spirit, to the "why," to the soul, to the purpose of what we are doing. When we work during the week, we need to enjoy the deeper meaning of what it's about. We need to remember the divine purpose of earning money. It may seem altruistic to an extreme, yet this is God's instruction, and He empowers us not only to go to work but to be conscious of how our work will help us give charity, support our family, and study Torah. Today, Labor Day, the 18th of Elul, think about why you go to work, and the more you think about it, the less the dissonance between your body and soul. The less you'll feel disrupted by your spiritual obligations, and the better you'll use the resources that God gives.Support the show

Generally speaking, on Shabbat and Yom Tov morning one first recites Kiddush and then washes his hands and recites the Beracha over the bread. If one prefers to wash his hands before reciting Kiddush, he would still recite Kiddush first, followed by the Beracha over the bread. Although on the night of Shabbat or Yom Tov Halacha requires one who washes before Kiddush to recite Kiddush over bread, rather than over wine, this Halacha does not apply to the daytime Kiddush. On Shabbat morning, one recites Kiddush over wine even if he had washed Netilat Yadayim prior to reciting Kiddush.The reason for this distinction lies in the fact that the daytime Kiddush consists of only the Beracha of "Borei Peri Ha'gefen." All the passages we customarily recite before the Beracha – "Mizmor Le'David," "Im Tashiv," "Ve'shamru," and so on – are added as introductory verses, and are not part of the actual Kiddush. (For this reason, women who must recite Kiddush on Shabbat morning in order to be allowed to eat often recite only the Beracha of "Borei Peri Ha'gefen," without the introductory verses.) Therefore, one cannot recite Kiddush over bread on Shabbat or Yom Tov morning, because such a Kiddush would consist of only the Beracha of "Ha'motzi" over the bread, and there would thus be no recognizable indication that one recites Kiddush. In such a case one should recite Kiddush over wine as usual, and then proceed directly to the Beracha over the bread. (Menuhat Ahava, Helek 1, page 144.)Summary: Whereas on the night of Shabbat or Yom Tov a person who washed Netilat Yadayim before Kiddush should recite Kiddush over bread, on Shabbat or Yom Tov morning one who washed his hands before Kiddush should recite Kiddush over wine, as usual, and then recite the Beracha over the bread.

The lulav and the willow in the Temple! On Shabbat! For the source sheet, look here: https://tinyurl.com/MishnatSukkah For other resources go to https://www.thedailymishnah.com  

Welcome to Embrace Shabbat. In this week's parsha, Parshat Pinchas, it describes the Korban that is brought on Shabbat: וּבְיוֹם֙ הַשַּׁבָּ֔ת שְׁנֵֽי־כְבָשִׂ֥ים , on the Shabbat day, two lambs without a blemish . Generally, the Korban Tamid consists of one lamb, but on Shabbat it is doubled The Yalkut Shemoni on Shemot (261) explains that everything about Shabbat is doubled. This concept began with the double portion of mann that rained down in honor of Shabbat, a physical item that allowed Klal Yisrael to eat and survive. In a similar vein, the korban is spirituality doubled, thereby doubling the connection to Hashem. The language of the punishment for desecrating Shabbat is also doubled- מְחַֽלְלֶ֨יהָ֙ מֹ֣ות יוּמָ֔ת , those who desecrate Shabbat, die; they will die. Similarly, the reward for Shabbat is doubled; we are promised oneg and kavod , delight and respect. There is a positive and negative warning for keeping Shabbat- zachur and shamor . The mizmor of Shabbat is doubled, mizmor shir , two terms of song. Everything about Shabbat is doubled. Therefore, we have special actions on Shabbat that represent this double power. We light two candles, one for zachur and one for shamor . We also have lechem mishneh, two loaves of bread, to represent the double portion of mann that came down for Shabbat. This concept dates back to a previously-mentioned Midrash, where Shabbat complained that each day of the week had a pair, but it did not. Hashem promised that the Jewish people would be its pair. On Shabbat, everything is doubled to signify that Shabbat adds and enhances everything about our day. We receive a neshama yetaira , an additional soul, that provides us with a double force. This concept of double power does not only refer to Shabbat and the Jewish people, but also to the connection between G-d and the Jewish people. גוי ששבת חייב מיתה , a goy who observes Shabbat is guilty of death. A goy observing Shabbat can be compared to a stranger who walks into the king and queen's room and interferes with their intimate time together. Shabbat is a special time of connection for G-d and the Jewish people. It is customary to read Shir HaShirim on Friday night to commemorate the love between G-d and the Jewish people on Shabbat. On Shabbat, everything becomes supercharged. Our brachot, neshama, reward, and, heaven-forbid, punishment. Like a “double coupon” at a Chinese auction, on Shabbat every bracha is supercharged, every bit of learning is supercharged, and everything that we do has an extra superpower. The two loaves at our Shabbat meals and the two candles on Friday night are there to remind us of the double power on Shabbat. Be'ezrat Hashem, we will reap the double reward of וקראת לשבת עונג , delight , and לקדוש ה' מכובד , and honor . Have a wonderful day and a Shabbat Shalom.

Welcome to Embrace Shabbat. In this week's parsha it says: אֶת־שַׁבְּתֹתַ֣י תִּשְׁמֹ֔רוּ וּמִקְדָּשִׁ֖י תִּירָ֑אוּ אֲנִ֖י ה , you shall guard My Shabbat and fear my Beit HaMikdash; I am Hashem . The Sefer Yereim explains the passuk based on the Gemara in Yevamot that just as HaKadosh Baruch Hu commanded us to give fear and honor to the Beit HaMikdash, so too, He commanded us to have respect and honor for Shabbat. What does it mean to have fear of Shabbat? A person should be concerned about being עובר the mitzvot Shabbat . It is not that a person should be afraid of Shabbat; rather they should be afraid of HaKadosh Baruch Hu, Who warns about Shabbat. If a person does not learn Hilchot Shabbat, they are going to end up failing to keep Shabbat properly. A Rabbi once quipped that if a person wants to ensure that they will not be עובר on Hilchot Shabbat, they should tie themselves down to a chair. Where do we find a remez to the seriousness of Shabbat? The Zohar says that if you scramble the word בראשית , it spells ירא שבת , fear of Shabbat. The Ben Ish Chai explains that a person should be more fearful of Shabbat than any other mitzvah because there are so many issurim that a person can be עובר . When a person goes through Shabbat, they should picture that they are going through a minefield and will be facing a serious situation. Obviously a person should not be anxiety-ridden on Shabbat, but they should realize that there is something to be careful about and one must learn the laws properly. The Gemara in Masechet Taanit quotes a passuk in Sefer Malachi (3:20) וְזָרְחָ֨ה לָכֶ֜ם יִרְאֵ֤י שְׁמִי֙ שֶׁ֣מֶשׁ צְדָקָ֔ה וּמַרְפֵּ֖א , for those of your that fear My name, a shining sun of charity shall rise to bring healing. What does this mean? The Gemara explains that the sun on Shabbat is charity to the poor. Rashi explains that just as a cold person especially enjoys the heat of the sun, so too the poor people enjoy the tzedakah given to them on Erev Shabbat. When a person gives tzedakah to the poor, it is like they are shining the sun on the poor Shabbat observers. Further, the wording of the passuk is וְזָרְחָ֨ה לָכֶ֜ם יִרְאֵ֤י שְׁמִי ֙ שֶׁ֣מֶשׁ צְדָקָ֔ה , those who fear my name, is deliberately chosen. The Gemara derives that יִרְאֵ֤י שְׁמִי ֙ refers to those who keep Shabbat. In his sefer Gilyoney Hashas, Rabbi Yosef Engel concludes that a Shabbat observer is a יִרְאֵ֤י שְׁמִי ֙, from those who fear My name. In another interpretation of this phrase, the Zohar teaches that Shabbat is one of G-d's names. (e.g., - the Ben Ish Chai says that you are not supposed to say “Shabbat” in the bathroom, bathhouse, or mikvah because it is G-d's name and it has a holiness to it.) That is a further reason why there is yirah , fear of Shabbat. Shabbat is G-d's Name and it is directly connected to HaKadosh Baruch Hu. Therefore, we have to fear Shabbat like the fear of the Beit HaMikdash. There is a deeper explanation, which we have mentioned in the past. Every Shabbat, we recite: ופרוש עלינו סוכת שלומך and על ירושלים עירך . There is a feeling of Yerushalayim that comes down upon us. Therefore, it is not just a loose connection that just like we fear the Beit HaMikdash, we fear Shabbat. On Shabbat, we are IN the Beit HaMikdash because Shabbat in time is like a Beit HaMikdash in space. On Shabbat we recognize that we are in a holy place, G-d is here and we have kedusha.

We are pleased to announce the release of a new book Bet HaLevi on Ahavat Yisrael. To order directly from Artscroll and get a 10% discount, click the link below https://www.artscroll.com/Books/BHAYH.html Welcome to Embrace Shabbat. There is a beautiful new sefer that came called Yoma d'Nishmita, written by Rabbi Yissachar Weissberg, who passed away at a young age. It is an unbelievable Hebrew sefer with over 500 pages on Shabbat and I plan on using it going forward. I did not know the author, but he was supposably a very great man, which is clearly seen from his work. In the first siman, he highlights two fundamental events that we are required to remember: zecher l'yetziat mitzrayim, we were taken out of Egypt, and zecher l'maaseh berashit, G-d created the world. Additionally, the Ramban teaches that we are required to remember Shabbat every single day. This is fulfilled in our prayers when we say “ היום יום ראשון, שני , etc.” The question is: why do we have to remember Shabbat every day? On a basic level, remembering Shabbat is important for Kavod Shabbat . When a person is thoughtful to shop and prepare for Shabbat everyday, he will not wake up on Friday and say, “Oh no! I need to prepare for Shabbat!” Therefore, a person's entire week should revolve around Shabbat. This is reflected in the story of Shamai, who bought a cow for Shabbat everyday and if he found a better one the next day, he would replace it. The Ramban teaches that the reason a person should remember Shabbat is to lead them to constantly remember creation; then, he will praise HaKadosh Baruch Hu, Who is the Creator of the world, at all times. This question arises: why do we need to remember Shabbat, if the ultimate purpose is to remember creation; shouldn't we just have the mitzvah to remember creation? To illustrate, we have a mitzvah to remember Yetziat Mitzrayim, not to remember Pesach, which will lead a person to remember leaving Mitzrayim. He answers that the only real way to believe in G-d and creation is through Shabbat. It is not an external, philosophical endeavor to believe in G-d and in creation; it has to come through Shabbat. Why? There are two types of Emunah: emunah b'sechel , intellectual knowledge, and emunah b'chush , Emuna developed through the senses. The Ramban writes that our Emunah does not come from something external, that we saw miracles in Mitzrayim, but because we saw G-d face to face at Matan Torah. וידעת היום והשבות אל לבבך - G-d opened the heavens and we saw that there was nothing else but Him. Shabbat is not just a mitzvah; it is a matana , a gift from G-d. On Shabbat, we can sense G-d, and therefore, we have a firm belief in Him because of it. It has a certain kedusha, and by keeping Shabbat, we automatically strengthen our Emunah. This is why Shabbat is called “a testimony.” A person cannot testify to something that they did not see, but through observing Shabbat, their belief becomes so clear, as if they saw it. The famous Maharal of Prague's brother wrote in his sefer, Sefer HaChayim : G-d's love for the Jewish people has the power to remove all doubts from their heart. He gave them Shabbat, which is a time that every Jewish person feels a G-dly influence that fills him up with simcha. He doesn't even need to prepare; as soon as Shabbat enters, a deep happiness comes on him. He writes that his feeling comes from a source of prophecy. Even though we no longer have prophecy, G-d gifts us with this prophetic feeling of G-dliness so that we can survive galut. If we keep the laws of Shabbat properly, we will have such clarity and Emunah, which will allow us to remember G-d in creation. Have a Shabbat Shalom.

There is a famous Halachic concept called "Shome'a Ke'one," which allows a person to fulfill his obligation to recite a certain text by listening to somebody else's recitation. On Shabbat, for example, it is customary for one person to recite Kiddush, and the others at the table fulfill their obligation by listening to that recitation and reciting "Amen."A number of conditions must be met for this mechanism of "Shome'a Ke'one" to work. For one thing, both parties must have Kavana (intention) that the recitation should fulfill the obligation of the listeners. The one reciting Kiddush must have in mind that the others will fulfill their requirement by listening to his Kiddush, and they, too, must have this in mind as they listen to the Kiddush.The Shulhan Aruch (Orah Haim 193:1) adds another important condition, of which many people are unaware. He writes (listen to audio recording for precise citation) that the listener, who fulfills his obligation by hearing the recitation, must understand what is being said. Based on the comments of a number of earlier authorities (Tosafot, Rabbenu Yona and the Rosh, Berachot 45), the Shulhan Aruch maintains that the system of "Shome'a Ke'one" requires the listener's comprehension of the recited text. Often, people at the table on Friday night do not necessarily understand the words of Kiddush. It would therefore be proper before Kiddush to briefly explain the words of Kiddush so that the listeners will understand what is being said.Nevertheless, if one listened to Kiddush (or another required recitation) and did not understand what was recited, he has Be'di'abad (after the fact) fulfilled his obligation. This is the ruling of the Mishna Berura (commentary to the Shulhan Aruch by Rav Yisrael Meir Kagan, 1839-1933), who writes that in such a case one may rely on those authorities who do not require the listener to understand the text. This is also the ruling of Rabbi Moshe Halevi (Israel, 1961-2001), in his work Birkat Hashem (vol. 1, p. 171; listen to audio recording for precise citation).It must be emphasized that this refers only to the recitation of a Hebrew text. If a person recited a Beracha or Kiddush in a different language, then according to all views the listener fulfills his obligation only if he understands what was recited. It is only regarding a Hebrew recitation that some authorities allow the listener to fulfill his obligation even if he does not understand the language.Summary: Before one recites Kiddush on Friday night, he should make sure that all those who will be fulfilling their obligation by listening to his recitation have a basic understanding of the words of Kiddush. Nevertheless, if someone did not understand, he nevertheless fulfills his obligation by listening to Kiddush. This applies as well to other situations where one fulfills his obligation to recite a certain text by listening to its recitation by somebody else.

Welcome to Embrace Shabbat. This week is Shabbat HaGadol. The Sefer Yafei LaLev explains why Shabbat HaGadol serves as an appropriate introduction to the holiday of Pesach. Quoting from the sefer Petach HaOhel , he highlights that the Jewish people are commanded to keep Shabbat, while a goy is not. In fact, a goy is actually חייב מיתה if he keeps Shabbat. Why? Shabbat is called שרביטו של מלך , the scepter of the king. While it is forbidden for a servant to use the scepter of the king, the king's son may use it. He quotes Pirkei d'Rebbi Eliezer who compares this to a person who possesses a very dear vessel that he only wants to bequeath to his son. Shabbat is a special day that HaKadosh Baruch Hu only wanted to give to Klal Yisrael, his children. The exclusive day of Shabbat underscores that we are בנים לה' אלוקיכם , children of G-d . This is an important concept to highlight before the Yom Tov of Pesach. One of the main points of Yetziat Mitzrayim was to teach בני בכורי ישראל , Bnei Yisrael is Hashem's first-born son. The letters of שבת actually stand for שם בן תקרא , the name of a son you will be called . On Shabbat, we are Hashem's special children. ששת ימים תעבד , for six days you will work . For six days of the week, we are like slaves, but on Shabbat we graduate to the level of בן , a son, and don't work. In the Haggadah we read אֲרַמִּי אֹבֵד אָבִי , which retells the story of Lavan haArami who tried to destroy Yaakov. The Chassidic Rabbis explain this passage on a deeper level. The yetzer Hara of the אֲרַמִּי , Lavan, is אֹבֵד אָבִי - he tries to destroy the realization that G-d is my Father. The emphasis on children on the night of the seder serves to combat that belief. It is not just our children that we focus on, but also that we are the children of HaKadosh Baruch Hu- בני בכורי . The rabbis teach that the night that Yitzchak Avinu gave the brachot to Yaakov was the night of Pesach. (There are many hints to this in the pessukim . For example, the two goats that Yaakov Avinu brought were actually the Korban Pesach and Korban Chagiga. Additionally, Yitzchak Avinu tells Esav, בא אחיך במרמה , your brother came with trickery . במרמה has the roshei teivos of אפיקומן ; since I ate the Afikoman already, I cannot eat from your food.) The night of the seder is the night where the concept of בן shines, whether it is Yitzchak giving Yaakov the brachot as his son or the Jewish people at large getting brachot from G-d. Shabbat HaGadol serves to strengthen our conviction in being בנים לה' אלוקיכם . As בנים , we are not subservient to the mazalot and therefore, we confidently took the sheep and tied it to our bedpost. Shabbat teaches us that we are children of G-d and therefore are above the mazal. The ancients believed that Shabbat was a day of destruction and, consequently, one who kept Shabbat was strengthening the force of destruction. However, we know that that we are not under the power of the horoscope; we deal directly with HaKadosh Baruch Hu- we are בנים לה' אלוקיכם . That is what Shabbat is all about- שם בן תקרא . Just as a slave is not allowed into the king when he is together with his son, Shabbat is solely for the Jewish people. We must strengthen our Emunah that we are G-d's children. אף אל פי שחטאו , even if we sinned, בנים - we are his children. We can do teshuva. We can come back. A father never disconnects from his son. A person can get rid of their servant, but they cannot get rid of a child. Shabbat HaGadol serves to strengthen this important principle before Pesach. Shabbat HaGadol Shalom.

Welcome to Embrace Shabbat. In his sefer Yafei LaLev, Rav Yitzchak Palagi teaches that on Shabbat, a person receives an infusion of דעת . The Ramban explains that דעת is not just knowledge; it is the ability to connect to someone else. When Adam was intimate with Chava, the passuk says וְהָ֣אָדָ֔ם יָדַ֖ע אֶת־חַוָּ֣ה אִשְׁתּ֑ו ֹ, Adam “knew” his wife. דעת is all about connection. Similarly, when speaking about His love for Avraham Avinu, Hakadosh Baruch Hu says: כִּ֣י יְדַעְתִּ֗יו , for I love him. Rashi asks why the shoresh דעת is used to describe Hashem's love. He explains that when a person loves someone, he wants to understand them well and get to know them more. דעת , knowledge, is the middah of connection. When speaking about Betzalel, Hashem says וָאֲמַלֵּ֥א אֹת֖וֹ ר֣וּחַ אֱלֹהִ֑ים בְּחׇכְמָ֛ה בִּתְבוּנָ֥ה וּבְדַ֖עַת , I am going to fill him with the spirit of G-d and skill, ability, and knowledge. On Shabbat, due to our neshama yetaira, we get a surge of דעת . What does it do? דעת fills a person with rachamim for others. The passuk says: אַ֥ךְ אֶת־שַׁבְּתֹתַ֖י תִּשְׁמֹ֑רוּ כִּי֩ א֨וֹת הִ֜וא בֵּינִ֤י וּבֵֽינֵיכֶם֙ לְדֹרֹ֣תֵיכֶ֔ם לָדַ֕עַת כִּ֛י אֲנִ֥י ה' מְקַדִּשְׁכֶֽם ׃, You must keep My Shabbats because it's a sign between Me and you throughout the ages, that you may know that I, Hashem, have made you holy. When a person has דעת , they connect themselves to Hashem- ‘ אֲנִ֥י ה - Who is a merachem . Then, המרחם על הבריות מרחמים עליו מן השמים , when a person has rachamim on others, Hashem has rachamim on them. The Midrash teaches: הַיּוֹשֶׁבֶת בַּגַּנִּים חֲבֵרִים מַקְשִׁיבִים לְקוֹלֵך ְ, you sit in the gardens, and your companions listen to your voice . On Shabbat, we sit together in shul and HaKadosh Baruch Hu tells us to lift up our voices and daven together with achdut . וּתְנוּ דַּעְתְּכֶם שֶׁלֹא תִשְׂנְאוּ זֶה אֶת זֶה , apply your דעת that you shouldn't hate each other. The term דעת is also used when Moshe goes out to the Jewish people to feel their pain in Mitzrayim. Rashi elaborates that Moshe set his eyes and his heart to see the suffering of the Jewish people. Consequently, G-d, in kind, also placed His eyes and heart on the Jewish suffering. When we apply our דעת to our brothers, it arouses G-d's דעת above. This all starts on Shabbat, which gives us the power of דעת , bringing about our rachamim and connection. At this time of the year, we always make our annual drive for Lev Chana, which provides clothing cards to families in need. We are counting on you to use your דעת to help us out. Imagine if the holidays were coming and you, your child, or your spouse still needed the clothing to fit in with everyone else; you wouldn't want to feel out of place. To put yourself in someone else's situation, you need דעת , which arouses the appropriate rachamim . Without דעת , a person cannot understand another's situation or have mercy on them. A great person doesn't just use their דעת for themselves, they apply it for others. You can send an email to rabbisutton@gmail.com with your pledge, send a check made out to Lev Chana to 1059 East 10th Street, or Zelle/Quickpay rabbisutton@gmail.com . Have a wonderful day and a Shabbat Shalom.

The effectiveness of any tefila depends on the mindset of the one praying it. The more a person believes that he is talking directly to Hashem, the only One with any say regarding what happens in this world, the better his tefila will be. A person also has to realize how helpless he is without Hashem because the more he believes that he needs Hashem, the more help he'll get. We say in Shema Kolenu , חוס ורחם עלינו – we want Hashem to have rachmanut on us. Rabbi Avraham ben HaGra explained rachmanut to mean, when no one else is having compassion on a certain individual, it arouses mercy in a compassionate person to be the one to want to help him. We are supposed to have the feeling that we have no one in the world to turn to for help other than Hashem. And then, He will have rachmanut on us. We also say that Hashem is שומע תפילת כל פה – He listens to every single person's prayers, even someone on the lowest levels, and even someone of the lowest stature. The Midrash says the way of the world is when a poor man comes to speak to an important dignitary, he'll usually get the run around and maybe one day he will get in to speak to him. But when a wealthy man comes, he gets in right away. When it comes to Hashem, everyone is equal to Him. The poor man can get in immediately and even the sinner can get in immediately. We are so fortunate that we can turn to Hashem for help at any moment and He can help us in the most wondrous ways. A man told me he was diagnosed with a certain form of cancer two years ago. They removed a very large growth from his intestines and felt confident that they got it all out. But after further research, they determined there must be something else inside of him hidden that caused that growth, which can at any time cause others. The plan was to take scans every few months and be on the lookout for it. At one point, they found a new growth but it was too difficult to get to. They were going to keep a very close watch on it. Recently, a new method was invented to go deep enough to test that growth to see what it is. When he went to the specialist who invented it, he took a scan in that doctor's office and was told afterward that, unfortunately, the cancer had spread to his liver and it was diagnosed at Stage 4. The results were sent to his primary doctor who became very alarmed and ordered a full body MRI. The man said from all of the emunah lessons he has learned over the years he was able to remain at peace and he used the time as an experience to grow spiritually. His wife accompanied him to the MRI, which was supposed to take 30 minutes but ended up taking 60. Every time that machine beeped, his wife took upon herself another area in religion to improve on. By the time it was finished, she felt like a changed person and they both had a good feeling afterward. That was on a Friday. On Shabbat they were able to have complete menucha and enjoy Shabbat the way it was meant to be enjoyed. When they got those results on Motzei Shabbat , they were told, “it seems like a miracle took place.” The images showed that the liver was totally clean. The image that was taken the previous week by the other doctor's office that showed the cancer in the liver was signed off by two different doctors at that time, before it was sent in to the primary care doctor, and now, they looked at it and it was totally clear. The man's wife said, in order to minimize the miracle, Hashem went back and erased the growth from the other scan. Everybody was in awe. On Purim, this man prayed for hours, thanking Hashem for that miracle and asked Him for help with the other growth as well. He also spent much of that time praying for others. After Purim, the results from the new procedure testing the other growth came back. Everything was negative. He was declared completely healthy. Hashem could help us with everything, and our tefilot with that mindset, can do wonders.

The impasse over judicial reform in Israel continues to be concerning and unresolved. Protests continue. Conversations have not resulted in resolution. Positions are hardening. The compromise which President Herzog implored both sides to work towards remains elusive. Talk to Israelis—their morale is low. They are troubled. “We hope we get there”—to Israel's 75th. This Shabbat we are blessed to have a familiar voice and dear friend offering us a genre that we have not yet encountered regarding the impasse: poetry. Rachel Korazim, born in 1948, has lived her life in Israel. She is an expert in Israeli poetry. Before the pandemic, she would teach at TE in person every year. Since the pandemic, she has continued to offer classes to TE members on Zoom. In fact, one of the classes she is offering remotely now concerns how poetry speaks to this moment. On Shabbat, through the magic of technology (thank you Brian Lefsky and David Beckman), Rachel Korazim, in Israel, joins our clergy team and in person learners in Room 24-25 in dialogue. She will share her personal experience as a citizen of Israel who has attended many protests. And she will teach three poems, one by Uri Tzvi Greenberg and two by Nathan Alterman, that will give us a helpful frame for this heavy and hard moment. Thank you Rachel Korazim for helping us connect with Israel through the sacred text of Israeli poetry.

Welcome to Embrace Shabbat. The sefer Yafei LaLev by Rav Yitzchak Palagi, son of Rav Chaim Palagi, brings many novel thoughts about Shabbat. He teaches the following: Yehoshua overtook the 31 kings that were in Eretz Yisrael. Each one of those kings correspond to a different negative force in the world. Every week, we are given the power to overcome these negative forces with the power of the 31 hours of Shabbat. From Chatzot on Friday to Shabbat is 6 hours; Shabbat itself has 24 hours; and an additional hour after Shabbat, when there is a continuation of Kedushat Shabbat, equals 31 hours. These 31 hours of Kedusha have the power to knock out those 31 negative forces. Therefore, it is ideal to eat Melaveh Malka in the hour after Shabbat, which has the power to knock out that additional force. Rav Palagi teaches that every Friday afternoon at Chatzot, Hashem sits on the כסא של רחמים , His throne of mercy. In our tefillos we say, קל מלך יושב על כסא רחמים . The numerical value of קל is 31, hinting to the fact that the King sits on his chair of mercy for 31 hours, connecting to the 31 hours of Shabbat. This is why we say in our Shabbat prayers: ביום השביעי נתעלה וישב על כסא כבודו , On Shabbat day, G-d sits on His throne of glory . This, too, takes place during the 31 hour period of Kedusha. We know that one should be careful not to get angry on Shabbat, as it says לא תבערו אש בכל מושבותיכם ביום השבת , do not ignite a fire in your dwellings on Shabbat. On the most basic level, this refers to Shabbat. However, Rav Palagi extends this idea to mean that one should not get angry during the 31 hours of Kedusha. The numerical value of לא in לא תבערו אש is 31. The Gemara teaches that the Satan tries to get us angry on Erev Shabbat, when we are preparing for Shabbat. Rav Palagi is teaching that a person must be careful with their anger from Chatzot on Friday until 1 hour after Shabbat, because whenever there is a force of Kedusha, there is also a force of tuma to counteract it. In these 31 holy hours, we have the ability to connect to HaKadosh Baruch Hu's rachamim . Rather than get angry, we should sing zemirot on Shabbat. ואתה קדוש יושב תהילות ישראל , G-d is holy. He dwells in the songs of the Jewish people. The Tosafot in Sanhedrin quotes from the Geonim to explain why they only said Kedusha on Shabbat in Eretz Yisrael. The angels lost a wing and only had 6 wings- the seventh wing was given to the Jewish people on Shabbat, and therefore they sang praise to Hashem. Because the Jewish people sing praise to Hashem, G-d dwells within them. The final letters of the words קדוש יושב תהילות spell Shabbat. Shabbat is the time that G-d sits on His throne, because of the תהילות ישראל . I don't have a source for singing songs on Erev Shabbat, but there is definitely a custom to sing on Motzei Shabbat. During these 31 special hours, G-d is sitting on His throne of mercy. At this holy time, we shouldn't get angry, and then we will be able to knock out these negative forces- it is a time of song. Have a Shabbat Shalom.

The poskim discuss a case where a person wants to put his Shabbat hotplate on a timer so that it will be activated on Shabbat. It has already been established that there is a Halachic basis to use timers to turn on lights. As Maran rules in siman 252, there is no prohibition to set up a mechanism that automatically causes a Melacha to be performed on Shabbat. Fundamentally, a hotplate would be no different. The case of the hotplate poses a more problematic question. Granted that one can activate the hotplate with a timer; is it also permissible to put food on the hotplate on Shabbat, when the hotplate is still off, knowing that in it will soon go on? Hacham Ovadia (Yabia Omer, vol. 10) presents a specific application of this question. May one place a pot of cold soup on the hotplate on Shabbat, before it is activated by the timer. In this case, as opposed to lights, the person is performing an action on Shabbat that causes the prohibited Melacha of cooking to transpire. In Halacha, this is referred to as Gerama (Causing).The classic example of Gerama in the Shulhan Aruch (siman 334) is causing a fire to be extinguished on Shabbat by means of placing water-filled vessels in the path of the blaze, before it arrives. When the flames hit the vessels, they will burst and their water will extinguish the fire. That's considered Gerama, because at the time the vessels were placed, there was no fire; although the person knew that the fire will eventually get there. The Shulhan Aruch rules that Gerama like this is permitted.There is considerable debate among the Rishonim (early commentators), whether Gerama on Shabbat is permitted only in the cases like a fire, where there could be a monetary loss. Hacham Ovadia proves that most authorities concur that Gerama is permitted even in cases where there is no monetary loss. Accordingly, it should have been permissible to place food on a hotplate before it is activated by the timer. Nevertheless, he does not rule like their opinion because of the other authorities who disagree and permit Gerama only in the case of loss. However, Hacham Ovadia concludes that in our case of reheating cold soup, one can be lenient. Since the soup was already cooked, there is the opinion of the Rambam that "ain bishul achar bishul" (there is no prohibition of reheating cooked foods) applies even to cold liquids. Although, we do not hold like that, Hacham Ovadia is willing to use that minority opinion in conjunction with the opinions that Gerama is permissible even without a monetary loss. Each opinion by itself would not be a solid basis to be lenient; however, when combined, they can be relied on.None of the Poskim allow placing a raw food on the hotplate on Shabbat before the timer turns it on. Hacham Ovadia only permitted placing a cooked soup that had already cooled off. However, it seems that it would be permitted to put a raw food on the hotplate BEFORE Shabbat, and set the timer to activate on Shabbat. There is room to be lenient in such a case because everything was already done before Shabbat. It would be no different than lights on a timer. Nonetheless, Rav Moshe Feinstein restricted the use of timers in general. He felt that it was a zilzul (disgrace) to Shabbat and that eventually people would utilize timers to run their factories and businesses on the holy Shabbat. Therefore, before using timers for other applications, one should always ask a competent Posek.In conclusion, those who want to reheat cold soup on Shabbat using a timer can rely on Hacham Ovadia. SUMMARY1. On Shabbat, it is forbidden to put a raw food on an electric hotplate that will later be activated by a timer.2. Before Shabbat, one can be lenient a place a raw food on an electric hotplate that will be activated by a timer on Shabbat.3. On Shabbat, one can be lenient and place a pot of cooked, cold soup on an electric hotplate that will later be activated by a timer. 4. In general, one should consult with a posek before using timers to activate mechanism other than lights on Shabbat.

The Poskim discuss whether it is permissible to insulate pots on the Blech with towels before Shabbat. The general principle regarding Hatmana (insulating) is that any material which does not "Mosif Haval" (add heat), such a quilts or towels, may only be applied before Shabbat. On Shabbat, it is prohibited to cover the pots with any material. This principle applies to a standard case in which the pots are not on a source of heat. In the current question, there is a new element-the pots are on the Blech. While the towels themselves are not Mosif Haval, does the fact that the pots are on the Blech change the status of the towels to Mosif Haval? If they are regarded as not Mosif Haval, the pots could be covered before Shabbat. If the Blech renders this Mosif Haval, it would be prohibited to cover the pots, even before Shabbat. One might argue that since the insulating element itself, the towel, does not add heat, it should be considered as not Mosif Haval. This logic is found in the Ran in the name of the Ramban (listen to recording for exact quote). He says that their custom was to cover the pot of Hamin with cloth that is not Mosif Haval on top of a "Kirah Ketuma" (covered stovetop). He clearly says that the Hatmana and the Shehiya (leaving the pot on the stove) are two unrelated Halachic issues, since the pot separates between them. The Hatmana is permitted because it's not Mosif Haval, and the Shehiya is permitted because it's on the covered fire. The heating element does not transform the insulating cloth into Mosif Haval. However, Rabbenu Yonah ruled that it is prohibited, since the act of insulating even when it's a covered fire, demonstrates that he is very keen on preserving the heat. Therefore, the Hachamim are concerned that he may adjust the flame to achieve the desired heating effect. Thus, there is a Machloket Rishonim (disagreement among the early authorities) whether it is permitted to insulate pots on a blech with towels before Shabbat. Maran in Siman 257:8 rules in accordance with Rabbenu Yonah that it is prohibited. He says that the combination of the towels with the covered fire transforms the towels into Mosif Haval. However, he does permit a case in which the towels do not directly touch the pot. Nevertheless, Hacham Bension ruled that the custom is to be lenient even if the towel is touching the pot. SUMMARYThe custom is to permit covering pots on the Blech with towels before Shabbat.

On Erev Shabbat, many people cover pots on the blech or hotplate with towels to retain the heat. This would seem to be justifiable because towels are davar she'aino mosif haval; they do not generate heat and would therefore be permitted to use for hatmana on Erev Shabbat. Nevertheless, Maran rules (257:5) that while the towel itself does not generate heat, the heat of the blech acts in conjunction with the towel to create a status of davar hamosif haval, a heat generating insulation. Accordingly, it would be forbidden on Erev Shabbat to put a towel over pots on a hotplate or blech. However, the Zechor L'Yis'hak (Halachic Responsa of R. Yitshak Harari, 18th Century Syria, siman 74) writes that the custom of the Sepharadim was to be lenient in this matter. Hacham Ovadia explains that the custom is justified based on two factors. First, he cites opinions that Hatmana is not a problem if the food being covered is meant for the next day. Second, the Ramban holds that Hatmana on Erev Shabbat is forbidden only in a case where the pot is placed in the embers. If it's not actually touching the coals, and certainly if the pot is on a blech, where there is no issue of adjusting the heat, there are more leniencies. Based on these opinions, Hacham Ovadia permits covering the pots on a blech with towels on Erev Shabbat.Hacham Ben Sion Abba Shaul (Israel, 1923-1998) adds that it is advisable to ensure that one side of the pots is not covered. In such a case, it is possible that even Maran would have agreed to be lenient.Now that we have established that insulating with towels can be permitted, a new question arises: Is it permitted on Shabbat to put challot underneath the towel? Ostensibly, it would be forbidden to do so, as all forms of Hatmana are prohibited on Shabbat itself. Therefore, one must be careful and place the challot on top of the towel. However, Rabbi Moshe Halevi (Israel, 1961-2001), in his Menuhat Ahaba presents a chidush and says that the halacha of putting challot under the towel will be determined by the intent of the person. If a person placed the challot under the towel for the purpose of utilizing the insulation, it is certainly prohibited. However, if he put the challot under the towel simply because there was no other space available on the blech, then it would be permitted. He compares this to the leniency of putting a cover on a pot, which Maran (257:2) permits if the intention is not for Hatmana, but rather to safeguard against dust or mice.SUMMARY1. On Erev Shabbat, it is permitted to place towels over pots on the blech or hotplate. Ideally, one should leave one side of the pots exposed.2. On Shabbat, it is prohibited to place a challah on the blech under the towel, with the intention of utilizing the insulation provided by the towel.

Sometimes it seems as though a person's world is crashing down around him. And then, just when it seems that things can't get worse, somehow they manage to. The person may think to himself, Why is Hashem doing this to me? Doesn't He see how difficult things are already? If this person could take a moment to pause and remind himself of Hashem's eternal love towards him, and say to himself, I don't understand what is happening, but what I think is affliction is really a blessing. Then his attitude would change. I read a story of a girl who lost her father, Rav Shlomo Zalman, at the young age of 43. Her mother barely had enough money to feed her seven children. Just one year later, they were told of a suitable match for this girl and that it would be in her best interests to get married, although she was not yet 17. Her mother had no way of paying for the wedding, but the other side said they would try to help, although they didn't have money either. On the day of the wedding, suddenly, the weather turned inclement and it started pouring. During the chupa , the father of the groom said he was so bogged down trying to cover the wedding expenses, he forgot to prepare a ketuba . The mesader kiddushin , Rav Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld, sat down to write a ketuba right then and there. During this delay, all of a sudden the young bride burst out into tears. Not only did she sorely miss her father, not only did her family lack the minimal funds to cover this wedding, but now it was pouring outside and they didn't even have a ketuba . It was too much for this young bride to handle. Rav Yosef Chaim stood up and turned to the kallah and said, “Rain is a sign of blessing. Hashem is going to shower your life with blessing and give you children and grandchildren who will be yirei Shamayim and learners of Torah.” This kallah eventually passed away at the age of 95 with great-great-grandchildren, all b'nei Torah , all yirei Hashem. At that moment, under the chupa , she felt like everything was just going wrong, but the Rabbi reassured her that it was actually Hashem's blessings, which indeed it was. And that made her see everything in a new light. Rabbi Yitzchak Zilberstein told a story that a Rosh Yeshiva from Israel related to him. The Rosh Yeshiva said his 6 year old daughter was suddenly afflicted with an abnormal disease for which no doctor had a cure. Several doctors recommended that they go to America to get a diagnosis there. The Rosh Yeshiva listened and she underwent many tests at one of the major medical centers near Monsey. And there, they were able to identify the disease. The doctor said the treatment would take more than six months, but first they would need to do an operation. This news was devastating. They had planned to return to Israel within a week. They made this trip with all of their children as it was their Chanukah vacation. Now, they were going to have to rent an apartment and enroll all of their children in a new school. As well, the Rosh Yeshiva would have to miss teaching in his own yeshiva. He felt like his life was getting turned upside down. They received this news on a Thursday night. They decided they were going to spend Shabbat with his parents, who lived in Brooklyn, and then they would start looking for a new apartment. They left early on Friday, but during the drive, it began snowing hard. Traffic eventually came to a standstill. For hours, they were inching along. Eventually they realized they were not going to make it to Brooklyn in time for Shabbat. It was also too late to turn back to Monsey. They were now stuck on a highway in a foreign country with Shabbat about to begin. It was a very pitiful situation. They pulled off the road and decided to knock on the first Jewish home they would find. Turned out they knocked on the door of the shamosh of the MTJ Yeshiva and he happily invited them to his house for Shabbat. On Shabbat afternoon, they got a private meeting with the Gadol HaDor Rav Moshe Feinstein, who invited them back on Motzei Shabbat to give a beracha to their sick daughter. Their host also mentioned to them that his eldest daughter had been in shidduchim for a long time and struggling. The following week, when they went back to the doctor to start the treatment, he was stunned to see that this little girl had already recovered. It was a miracle! A few weeks later, they celebrated the engagement of their nephew, who also was having a very hard with shidduchim , to this shamosh's daughter. When they thought things couldn't get any worse, they had no idea that the Master Orchestrator was paving the road to their salvation. We are always in the best possible situations at all times. And if we could remind ourselves of this fact, we'll be able to live life more happily.

In siman 257, Maran begins to outline the basic principles of the halachot of Hatmana, insulating a pot of food in order to keep it warm. In general, there are two forms of Hatmana. The more problematic form is called Mosif Hevel, where the insulation actually generates heat. The second, more lenient method is referred to as Aino Mosif Hevel, where the insulation merely maintains the heat already present in the pot. On Shabbat itself, both methods of Hatmana are prohibited. The Hachamim were concerned that if one engages in insulating, his concern for the heat of the pot might bring him to actually heat up the food on a flame, in the event that it already cooled off.On Erev Shabbat, the laws of Hatmana are more lenient. It is permitted to insulate with a material that does not generate heat, Davar SheAino Mosif Hevel. However, it is prohibited to insulate with Davar SheMosif Hevel, a heat-generating material.One might ask, what could possibly be wrong with insulating before the start of Shabbat? The answer is that the Hachamim were concerned that one might insulate using Remetz, hot ashes and come to stoke the embers to rekindle the fire. SUMMARY1. On Shabbat it is prohibited to insulate a pot with any material.2. On Erev Shabbat it is permitted to insulate a pot only with a material that does not generate heat.

On Shabbat it is forbidden to return any type of food to an open fire. The Rabbis were concerned that this would bring someone to stoke the fire or create the appearance that one is actually cooking on Shabbat. The question is, under what circumstances may one ask a non-Jew to return food to the fire on Shabbat. There are three cases we must discuss.The first case is having a non-Jew return a cooked dry food to an open flame. The Be'ur Halacha (Rav Yisrael Meir Kagan of Radin, 1839-1933) rules in siman 253 that it permissible because it constitutes a Shvut D'Shvut, a Rabbinic prohibition on a Rabbinic prohibition. That is, telling the non-Jew to violate Shabbat is itself only a Rabbinic prohibition; and returning cold cooked dry food to an open flame is only a Rabbinic prohibition. When the prohibition is a "Double D'Rabanan," we can be lenient in a case where the action is necessary for enhancing Shabbat. This would be a solution in the event that someone forgot to set up his Blech or hotplate. It is only permitted to have the non-Jew return the food to a fire that was already lit before Shabbat.The second case is having a non-Jew return cold liquids to the fire. Here, the Be'ur Halacha quotes the Birkei Yosef (The H"ida, Rav Haim Yosef David Azulai, 1724-1806) who says, fundamentally, this is also permissible. Even though we hold that reheating cold soup constitutes a "new" cooking, however, since there is a disagreement between the poskim on this matter, we can permit it to be done by a non-Jew. Hacham David Yosef in Halacha Berura, as well as the B'eur Halacha, add a caveat to this leniency: The non-Jew may only return the cold soup to a fire that is garuf or katum, i.e. a blech or Shabbat hotplate. The third case involves returning a Ma'achal Ben Drosai, a food that was only half-cooked. Perhaps today we would refer to it as extra-rare, although edible. There is a disagreement between the poskim whether continuing to heat such a food, bringing it from rare to medium to well done, constitutes the Torah prohibition of cooking. We hold that it is forbidden, and therefore, a Jew certainly cannot put such a dish on the blech. However, Hacham David writes in Halacha Berura (siman 318) that it would be permissible for a non-Jew since there is a dissenting opinion.Summary:1. It is permissible to tell a non-Jew to reheat fully cooked, cold, dry food on an open flame (ignited before Shabbat).2. It is permissible to tell a non-Jew to reheat fully cooked cold liquids only on a blech or Shabbat hotplate.3. It is permissible to tell a non-Jew to put a partially cooked food only on a blech or Shabbat hotplate.

Parsha Talk with Rabbis Eliot Malomet, Barry Chesler and Jeremy Kalmanofsky. It is a special edition of Parashah Talk this week since there is no regular weekly Torah Reading because of Chol Hamo'ed Sukkot; the intermediate days of Sukkot have a special Torah Reading. On Shabbat we read from Exodus 33:12-34:26, from Parashat Ki Tissa. We read the same selection on Chol Hamo'ed Pesach. In addition to this special Torah Reading, we have a special haftarah, about the future war of Gog and Magog as prophesied by Ezekiel. And, we read from Megillah Kohelet, the Book of Ecclesiastes. We spent most our time on this Book, what it might mean to us today, how we might best understand it as a reading for Sukkot, and how it should have ended. We saved a few minutes for a consideration of Simchat Torah, which is observed on Tuesday, October 18th. When we return next week, we return to Bereshit, where, each year, it all begins anew. Moadim L'simchah! Shabbat Shalom! Chag Same'ach!

On the first day of Rosh Hashana, the Minhag of Aram Soba is to sing a Pizmon upon taking the Torah out of the Aron Kodesh. The song, "Ozreni El Hai," is connected to the Aseret Yemeh Teshuva (Ten Days of Repentance), as Rosh Hashana is the first of these days. On the second day, the song "Raba Sav'ah Lah Nafshi", is sung. There are also other Pizmonim, and one should follow the custom. One should make an effort to view the letters of the Torah from close enough to read the words. This draws a great spiritual light onto the person. Ideally, he should focus on a word that begins with the same letter as his name does. One should bow before the Sefer Torah. Some bow the amount of times as there are Aliyot to the Torah. Therefore, on Yom Tob, they bow five times, on Yom Kippur six times and so on. On the first day, the Torah portion is the passage dealing with the birth of Yishak, because he was conceived on Rosh Hashana. When the Oleh approaches the Torah, he should look at the place from where the reading will begin. Some have the custom to take their Sisit and kiss that spot. This is considered endearment of the Misva. Even if the Oleh is not reading out loud from the Torah, he is required to read quietly with the Ba'al Koreh, in order that his Beracha not be in vein. He is also prohibited from interrupting with talk until after he recites the final Beracha. The custom is not to close the Torah between Olim, just to cover it. On Shabbat it is permissible to add Olim, beyond the standard seven, if there is a good reason to do so. On Yom Tob, the Rambam and Maran rule that one may also add Olim. The custom of the Bet El Mekubalim was never to add Olim, in order to preserve the mystical significance of the original number of Olim. The Ba'al Tokea is customarily called to the Torah. The custom is to sit during the Torah reading, in accordance with the teachings of the Rabbenu HaAri. The duration of Torah reading, as long as the Torah is open, is considered an Et Rahamim (time of mercy), in which prayers are answered. One may offer his prayers in between the Olim. This is why the Olim customarily pledge large sums to Sedaka at that time, and the MiSheberach for the sick and the Ashkava for the deceased is recited. The Oleh should also make a personal request on his own behalf. It goes without saying that talking during Torah reading is strictly prohibited. Moreover, doing so squanders a tremendous opportunity for Yeshuot.

Welcome to Embrace Shabbat. We previously cited the Chidah's commentary on the passuk לְךָ֤ ה' הַצְּדָקָ֔ה וְלָ֛נוּ בֹּ֥שֶׁת הַפָּנִ֖ים , to You, Hashem, is the righteousness and the shame and embarrassment is on us. The Chidah highlights that the letters of בֹּ֥שֶׁת can be scrambled to spell שבת . Shabbat is the source of our בֹּ֥שֶׁת , embarrassment. How? Rav Avraham Schorr in his sefer Ha'Lekach v'Halibuv: Elul & Tishrei (page daled) quotes from his father's sefer, Ohr Gedalyahu, that there are two sources for Jewish בושה . First, we are descendants of incredible forefathers- Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov. How can a Jew who has such great lineage sin and act improperly?! Secondly, we stood at Har Sinai and reached such high levels of clarity. When we think about where we are holding now, it also brings a sense of בושה . The Gemara (Nedarim 20a) even teaches that one who doesn't have a sense of בושה did not stand at Har Sinai! Rav Avraham Schorr teaches that Shabbat is a source for both of these aspects of בושה . The three meals of Shabbat correspond to the three forefathers, Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov. As we connect more deeply to our avot on Shabbat, we feel a stronger sense of embarrassment, knowing where we have been and what we have done during the week. It is beneath our dignity to act in such a way- it just doesn't fit! Secondly, all agree that the Torah was given on Shabbat (Masechet Shabbat 26b). Therefore, on Shabbat there is a heightened feeling of maamad Har Sinai, and we have a clarity of the level we used to be at. לְךָ֤ ה' הַצְּדָקָ֔ה וְלָ֛נוּ בֹּ֥שֶׁת הַפָּנִ֖ים - G-d, to You, Hashem, is the righteousness and the shame and embarrassment is on us. Where does the embarrassment come from? When a person receives charity from a wealthy individual, he doesn't feel a deep sense of shame- this wealthy man has a lot of money to spare! Rabbi Schorr explains with an illustration from Sefer Divrei Shmuel: what would happen if someone would receive a large donation and then gamble away the money? For example, he takes the money that he received for his daughter's wedding and gambles it away in Atlantic City. Now, THAT would be a בושה ! HaKadosh Baruch Hu gave us so much. Do we use it properly? On Shabbat, we connect to HaKadosh Baruch Hu, recognize our potential, and ask, “are we using it properly?” The Chidah teaches that בֹּ֥שֶׁת scrambled spells תשוב , return . On Shabbat, we can focus on these two sources of בושה , both stemming from our greatness. We are not ashamed of who we are; we are ashamed because we are so great and we are not using our resources the way we should. Have a Shabbat Shalom.

Welcome to Embrace Shabbat. This year, Tisha B'av falls out on Shabbat. Although the fast is pushed off until the following day, there is significance in the fact that the ninth of Av falls out on Shabbat. The Shulchan Aruch uses a peculiar phrase in discussing the unique Seudat Shlishit of this Shabbat. Generally, the last meal before Tisha B'av is the Seudah HaMafseket, where it is customary to sit on the floor and eat an egg alongside another mourner's food (e.g., lentil soup). Because on Shabbat we obviously don't fast, the Shulchan Aruch refers to this Seudat Shlishit as כסעודת שלמה בשעתו , like the feast of Shlomo HaMelech in his time. Simply, this phrase is an exaggeration of the fact that we eat a luxurious meal, a king's meal. Nevertheless, it is curious as to why the term כסעודת שלמה בשעתו is specifically used; what does Shlomo HaMelech have to do with this meal? Rav Moshe Wolfson explains this term based on the Arizal. The Zohar teaches that there are certain neshamot that come back into this world as another person in a later time period. The Arizal teaches that Shlomo HaMelech's neshama returned to this world as Yirmiyahu HaNavi. Shlomo HaMelech built the Beit HaMikdash, but on opening day, it was already decreed that the Beit HaMikdash would be destroyed due to the fact that he married the daughter of Pharaoh. Later on in history, Shlomo HaMelech's neshama returned to this world as Yirmiyahu HaNavi. Yirmiyahu was a prophesier of doom, who famously wrote Megillat Eicha. Shlomo HaMelech and Yirmiyahu are one and the same. Shlomo represents the height of the neshama , whereas Yirmiyahu is the lowest point of the soul. Generally, Tisha B'av is a “day of Yirmiyahu,” when we read Eicha; this represents Shlomo HaMelech's soul in its destruction. However, Shabbat is a day of no destruction, where we regain the crowns that were lost at Chet HaEgel and receive a neshama yetaira. The Beit HaMikdash is “built” on Shabbat, which is why we speak about Yerushalayim and the Beit HaMikdash coming out of its ruins. When Tisha B'av falls on Shabbat, the Beit HaMikdash is being built and Yirmiyahu turns back into Shlomo HaMelech. This is why the term כסעודת שלמה בשעתו is used- it is like the Seudah of Shlomo HaMelech! Tisha b'Av turns around and rather than being a day of destruction, it becomes a day of kingdom, because on Shabbat there is no evil or negativity. This is another connection between this Shabbat and Shlomo HaMelech. Our Rabbis teach that the 22 days between Shiva Assar b'Taamuz and Tisha B'av correspond to the 22 days between Rosh Hashana and Shemini Atzeret. Hidden between these three weeks of destruction are the three weeks of the holiday season. We start the three weeks by reading Parshat Pinchas, which discusses all of the holidays and Korbanot, to symbolize that deep down, there are three weeks of rebuilding hidden behind the three weeks of destruction. We connect to HaKadosh Baruch Hu in a different way during these three weeks. תשע באב נקרא מועד - Tisha B'av is called a holiday. We don't recite Tachanun on Tisha B'av because one day, it will become a holiday. The three weeks of Tishrei holidays start with Rosh Hashana and end with Shemini Atzeret, which is its own holiday that follows the seven days of Sukkot. Shemini Atzeret, the 22 day of Tishrei, is a day of Shlomo HaMelech. The ushpizin of Shemini Atzeret is Shlomo HaMelech, and we also read the Haftorah about Shlomo HaMelech on that day. Correspondingly, Tisha B'av, the 22 day of the three weeks, is also a day of Shlomo HaMelech- it is just hidden. On Shabbat, Shlomo HaMelech comes out in his full glory. Therefore, this Shabbat is a Shabbat where we can find HaKadosh Baruch Hu in a way that we cannot normally find him. Therefore, it is כסעודת שלמה בשעתו . We are able to connect to HaKadosh Baruch Hu within the ruins. May this Tisha B'av turn around and become a true day of Shlomo HaMelech in celebration. Shabbat Shalom and have a meaningful fast.

Welcome to Embrace Shabbat. Last week we brought ideas from the Sefer Yafei LaLev by Rav Chaim Palagi. He continues with another beautiful thought in אות ז where he writes: אחד נקרא שבת, Shabbat is called One. This means that one of the titles of Shabbat is “One.” We know that Hashem is One, השם אחד. The Zohar also teaches that one of G-d's names is Shabbat. (For this reason, a person is not allowed to say the word Shabbat in the bathroom or any unclean place, because Shabbat is one of G-d's names. This applies to the Mikvah as well. I met a man in the Mikvah in Deal who would say “GS” when he was talking to Ashkenazim and “SS” when he was talking to Sefardim. GS stands for Good Shabbos and SS stands for Shabbat Shalom, because he could not say ‘Shabbat' in the Mikvah.) Rav Palagi says an unbelievable thought. In mincha on Shabbat we say, ,אתה אחד ושמך אחד- G-d is One and His name is One . G-d's name is Shabbat. When we say אתה אחד ושמך אחד it means G-d is One and His name, which is Shabbat, is also One. Shabbat is referred to as One because it causes achdut , as the Midrash teaches: הַיּוֹשֶׁבֶת בַּגַּנִּים חֲבֵרִים, the friends are sitting in the garden . This refers to when the Jewish people are sitting together on Shabbat in Shul. The Gemara in Masechet Chagiga teaches that there are three that testify on each other: HaKadosh Baruch Hu, Shabbat, and the Jewish people. HaKadosh Baruch Hu and Shabbat testify on the Jewish people that they are One. HaKadosh Baruch Hu and the Jewish people testify on Shabbat that it is one and the Jewish people and Shabbat testify on HaKadosh Baruch Hu that He is One. אתה אחד refers to G-d, שמך אחד refers to Shabbat, and מי כעמך כישראל גוי אחד refers to the Jewish people. Every Shabbat at Mincha we mention about the three forces that are unified: G-d, Shabbat, and the Jewish people. What does it mean that Shabbat is One? On Shabbat, we are given the opportunity to connect to G-d as we separate from the external evil forces that seem contrary to G-d. We go back to the Source of our neshama , which is G-d, by disconnecting from these separating forces. This is why on Shabbat, we cannot carry from a reshut haYachid to a reshut haRabim . It symbolizes that we cannot go from the private zone to the public zone. Furthermore, the Jewish people are referred to as a reshut haYachid and the goyim are referred to as the reshut haRabim . Esav is called nefashot (plural), and the Jewish people are referred to as shivim nefesh (singular) because the Jewish people are one. We are connected to G-d without the outside forces, whereas the goyim are all disconnected by the various negative forces that they associate with. The Mishnah in Masechet Middot teaches that the Greeks breached the wall called חל. This wall was 10 tefachim high, about the height of the table, and it went around the Beit HaMikdash area. The Rosh explains that this wall turned the area of the Beit Hamikdash into a Reshut HaYachid; it was an Eiruv so that people could carry there. The Goyim wanted to undo the concept of a private territory. Shabbat is all about achdut. It is when we reconnect to our souls. אתה אחד ושמך אחד ומי כעמך ישראל גוי אחד בארץ.

Uvalde. Buffalo. Santa Ana. Bomb threats at JCCs (including our own). If the Messiah were ever going to come to fix our broken world, now would be a good time. On Shabbat we are going to take a look at three texts that deal with the Messiah. The first is an Elijah story. Elijah famously tells a rabbi searching for the Messiah that you can find him in a leper colony, among the most diseased and impoverished people. The second is a story by Israel's Nobel Prize-winning author Shmuel Agnon called The Kerchief, which is a literary treatment of the passage from the Talmud about the Messiah coming from a leper colony. The third is a sermon by Rabbi Harold Kushner, delivered at his son Aaron's Bar Mitzvah (Aaron would pass away later that year), on the Agnon story.

On Shabbat, we walk the knife's edge between the restrictions of Halakha designed to pull us out of our fixation on our creativity and the spiritual expansion derived from pleasurable experiences.  Shulhan Arukh Orah Hayim 253:2.

On Shabbat, we walk the edge, operating in the  space between stopping and being. Learning to access our inner states of being, to access Hashem, in the space created by emerging from our Melakha funnels, is the key to unfurling the Neshama into higher form.

We will read this haftorah in our shuls, Each day of Pesach we give a goat, seven rams, and seven bulls. On Shabbat and Rosh Chodesh we open the courtyard gate, For the 3rd Beit HaMikdash, we await!

On Shabbat, the world was complete, From the Tree of Knowledge, Adam and Eve shouldn't eat. Adam gave every animal its name, After eating from the tree, Adam and Eve are quick to blame.

Have you ever stumbled upon an old Sticky Note that says something absolutely nonsensical? If the note made no sense, why did we write it in the first place? Well, firstly it wasn't nonsensical then. Secondly, a one-time flight confirmation number, daily schedule, or grocery list are totally relevant for a singular moment. But what about the information you write down that *is* a little more long term? Maybe a ~deep~ quote you thought of, or a good icebreaker activity— that has a little more lasting power, right? Obviously our momentary Sticky Note ideas are obsolete after their singular time has passed. But our unique insights should have a bit more of a shelf life! But what about beyond this? How does anything truly last? How can *we* last? As we learn in this week's parsha, that which lasts is that which is rooted in G-dliness. A CT scan manual would be worthless in 1901 if CTs only came about in the 70s, a toddler's sock won't fly for your 10-year-old, and a 2011 iPhone charger with the wrong insert is unhelpful for your iPhone 12. These hollow, physical things have no lasting power. But the Torah? We're thousands of years later and you're sitting here reading an email about the parsha. We learn from every word choice, every letter, every space in lines in the Torah and so of course we also learn from this parsha's first word -- ויחי // Vayechi, "and he lived." This parsha focuses almost exclusively on the death of Yaakov (Jacob), but it begins saying how long he grew to live — 147 years. And for all of these years, Yaakov Avinu (Jacob) was alive. This was because he was wholly connected to G‑dliness, living for the sake of G-d. When on his deathbed, does Yaakov tie up his own loose ends or speak of his own greatness? Aside from commanding his burial place, Yaakov spends his last hours giving blessings to his children and grandchildren. And even ensuring that he is buried in Maarat HaMachpelah (the Cave of Machpelah) is an act that binds his direct descendants to their ancestors: Avraham (Abraham), Sarah, Yitzchak (Isaac), Rivkah (Rebecca), and Leah, who are all buried there. Our sages say that the word “death” is not used to describe Yaakov's “expiration,” meaning he is still living today. But weren't Yitzchak and Avraham also very righteous? Even though their deaths are specifically mentioned, what is different about Yaakov? Rashba (Rabbi Shlomo ben Aderet) points out that both Avraham and Yitzchak had wayward sons. Avraham had Yishmael (Ishmael) and Yitzchak had Esav (Esau), both who strayed. Yaakov however had 12 sons, all who became the shevatim (tribes) and carried on Yaakov's legacy. This is one of the reasons why we are called B'nei Yisrael (the Children of Israel, aka Jacob). Yaakov is also the most prolific (children-wise) of our avot (forefathers), which helps with the efficiency of his legacy. So if Yaakov spent his life living for the sake of G-d, this means he lived for the sake of the future. This is a future he didn't get to see, but one that ensured the continuation of his people and the ideals that he believed in. On Shabbat, parents bless their daughters that they should be like Sarah, Rivkah, Rachel, and Leah — the Imahot (foremothers). It would make sense that parents would bless their sons to be like the Avot (forefathers) , but they don't. Parents bless their sons that they should be like Yosef's (Joseph) sons Ephraim and Menashe (Manasseh). For full text, email me at shirajkaplan@gmail.com or join my email list here. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/shira-kaplan/support

On Shabbat morning during Passover, Rabbi Samantha Natov discussed Moses’ crisis of faith which paralleled that of the Israelites’, leading them to create the Golden Calf. “The first thing Moses says to God is: ‘Oh, please, let me behold Your presence.'” God lets Moses see His back as He passes by — a perfect metaphor […]