Feeling Is Believing | R' YY Jacobson

[music] [bell] >> There's a story, [music] a beautiful story, about the Halo of the stroll of region, the holy region. He was a child, he was an orphan, and he was sitting in there and they were learning Gamara. And the Malama, the rabbi, was teaching them Gamara Shabbos, daf page [music] 69. And over there there's an interesting scenario. A guy goes on a hike in the wilderness, so he takes a long trip, [music] and he forgets which day of the week it is. He doesn't know when Shabbos is. Is today [music] Shabbos? Is tomorrow Shabbos? Is the next day Shabbos? In those days there was no telephone that you could call somebody and say, "Hey, when is Shabbos?" What should he do? When should he celebrate Shabbos? So the teacher was learning this Gamara with them. The Israel of region was a little child. He raises his hand and he says, "Rebbe, I don't understand." He says, "I don't understand." He says, "Israel, what don't you understand?" He says, "I don't understand the case in the Gamara." He was a little surprised he didn't understand why it's difficult. The [music] teacher says, "No problem. I'll explain it to you once more. A Jew is traveling on the road. He doesn't know which day of the week it is. He loses his calculations of the days of the week, [music] and he doesn't know which day is Shabbos. Is it today? Was it yesterday? Is it going to be tomorrow? Is it going to be in three days, four days? It's important to know when Shabbos is, what you're allowed to do, what you're not allowed to do on Shabbos. And therefore the Gamara says, "What is he supposed to do? What's the Halacha?" And the Israel of region looks at his teacher and says, "I'm sorry, I don't understand." So he explains it a third time, and he still doesn't understand. So finally the teacher is like really not understanding what he doesn't understand. He says, "Israel, what don't you understand? What's so difficult?" He says, "How can a Jew not know when Shabbos is? We're cooked out of off in himmel. You look up at the stars, you look up at the sky, and you feel it's Shabbos, it's a different energy." So this young boy couldn't even understand the concept of not knowing when Shabbos is. [music] Because the truth is that those who are sensitive and their antennas are transparent, Shabbos is a different reality. The world is transformed, heaven is transformed, earth is transformed. The same ocean, [music] the same mountains, the same trees, the same squirrels, the same deer, the same grass, the same kitchen, the same food, everything is transformed. Not all of us have that sensitivity, [music] but Sadiq knows antennas detect inner energy. They know it's Shabbos is different. Shabbos is a Hasana. It's a wedding. When you're marrying off your son, your daughter, you go to the wedding of your brother, of your sister, of your closest friend, you don't [music] just jump into the wedding. You prepare for a wedding. It's a mindset. You have the right clothes, you have the right attitude, you have the right emotions. Shabbos doesn't [music] begin with Shabbos. Shabbos in Halacha begins Erev Shabbos. Erev Shabbos is a different status [music] than the rest of the week. It's not just the day before Shabbos. Emotionally it's the day when we need to get ready for the energy of Shabbos. [music] Don't just rush into Shabbos. Jump into the It's just one in a few minutes. I have to go. I have to go. Let me go. Let me go. That's not the way to welcome Shabbos. With Menucha and Nefesh, prepare yourself. Go into [music] a different mindset. Go into a different orbit, a different world. Shabbos doesn't just happen. Shabbos happens, but the more we're open to it, the more we can experience the energy of Shabbos. So, take time Friday afternoon [music] to learn something like over Shabbos. Whether it's Gemara, whether it's Parshas Hashavua, whether it's Ma'ariv Seder, whether it's saying Shir Hashirim, whether it's saying Tehillim, learn something that's going to open your heart for Shabbos. Prepare for Shabbos. You go to the mikvah for Shabbos. You go bathe for Shabbos. You wash yourself [music] off for Shabbos. Get ready for Shabbos. Allow the hot water of the mikvah, not just to cover your head physically, but to feel a ice is habitul. Allow yourself to surrender into the energy of Shabbos. And ask Hashem to open your heart that when Shabbos comes you should be able to experience a little bit more of the light and the energy of Shabbos. [music] When your family sees you getting ready for Shabbos, there's a preparation, there's a serenity, there's a tranquility that accompanies you before [music] Shabbos. The whole Shabbos experience is different. Good Shabbos. >> [music] [singing and music]