The Shabbat Show - Episode 1

hello everybody and welcome to the project inspire free Shabbos bringing Shabbat turned Friday into Shabbat program it is an honor to be with you today is an honor to have the opportunity to spend the time now really taking a deep breath and making sure that we bring in Shabbat this week in a way that we may never have done before I want to begin by thanking the project inspired team or by Samson and the whole crew that jumped on top of this to bring some more meaning and inspiration into our weekend turning Friday into Shabbat I want to share with you an idea one of the great mistakes that we make I believe is we we think that Shabbat is a day of rest and we assume what that means is that a day of rest meetings physical rest when we are working all week we assume that what it is really is that God created the world and on the seventh day he was like exhausted like it's exhausting creating the world like you know hardest to build the Grand Canyon like that's a lot of stuff and like after Friday he's like I can't like use a break he's like he's like a day off and he's like so like every every week like we're like you know what we need to do off to we think that Shabbat is a day of physical rest and the goal is to shut down the world and just take a deep breath and sleep a little bit and relax a little bit and have a good meal recharge our batteries so that we can come back into the week even stronger what could that be I mean is the whole goal is one of the top one of the one of the ten commandments one of the most important myth so that we have could it just be a way to take a breather on the sidelines so that we can come back into the game stronger on Sunday or Monday so I had a beautiful idea of what rest really is in Hebrew s's Manuka and there's two ways that we can understand the rest one is when you're physically stopping and relaxing in order in order to then be physically stronger to continue your body is resting but your mind know is that it's got to go right back in but there's another way that one could experience Manuka no hook comes from a much deeper place and the rabbi's teachers that rest from from a level of knew huh calmness not just physically but it also comes spiritually the rest that's taking place on Shabbat really is that we look back on our week and realize that while we have been partners in creation and God has entrusted us to work and to grow and to heal and to help and to and to cook and to feed and to run God has entrusted us with the ability to be partners in his creation he hasn't given us the keys he's really still in control when you go through a week it becomes hard to realize that because our minds have a really incredible way of keeping us in the weeds you ever seen a movie and in the movie somebody dies and you cry no that guy could have got an out the guy could have won an Oscar for dying and you're still crying why he's not dead the answer is because the mind has a way of staying in the weeds of living in the trees of getting lost in whatever it is it is you watch a game and before you sat at a game you didn't even care about the teams and halfway through you're like yelling because you're excited why because once you're in it your emotions get caught up your mind gets caught up that's what life is like a little bit because we spend six days a week working our mind gets caught up on our lives and we begin to think I'm controlling my life if I have the store open I'll make more money if I do this extra thing this will happen I am look hands are working all week I'm gonna determine my life so while we may be physically rested our minds are not at rest our minds I'm having the new huh because we think it's on us and then Shabbat comes we sit and hopefully we'll do this pretty soon we'll stand at our table I'll hold a cup of wine and will declare and will recite God created the world and in doing so we remind ourselves that as hard as I may work I'm not in charge there's something bigger than me in this world there's a God in this world and it's his world I've been entrusted to play for six days and now he's telling me I got it rest but not physically mentally spiritually rest knowing that I got this I'm in control it still my world and the minutia that we can get on shabbat is Manuka of sitting in the backseat of a car as our father or mother drive us to our destination it's the manoeuvre that we can sit knowing that we're in good hands it's a manoeuvre today it's a rest today in an insecure world knowing that I am NOT responsible for everything I'm gonna do my best and do my as much as I can but there's only so much that I can do and I've been given the task to fix this world but I've also been given the charge to recognize but there's a limit and that God still runs this world and he's still here he'll still take care of us and when a person comes in on a Friday now and they come into this period of time and the pressures of the week start to fall away and the insecurities and the worries start to fall away because I start to get into the groove then I'm now stepping into God's day and they walk into this world and they walk into this new reality called Shabbat they're not just physically resting they're mentally they're spiritually resting that's the opportunity we have to do right now and there's never been a better time to walk into a world where God's in control and to allow ourselves to enjoy what that must feel like and we're here today celebrating that and we've got a great show for you so I hope that you're with us to the end we've got people from all different parts of the country here we've got a musical guest we've got a wonderful speaker from Cleveland and the goal for this program really is that all of us take a deep breath together in a way virtually hold hands and get ready to walk into God's day as God's people and to be able to turn Friday night into Shabbat so I want to begin by going down or east to Commack Long Island to meet an incredible family the gressman family is there and see how they're doing on Shabbat to check in with them to see their preps and to be able to include them in this program we can hear you this is the project inspired broadcast I want to wish everybody shabbat shalom and ask how the family is doing everybody that everybody remains healthy and anyone was unfortunately inflicted with quick and easy recovery so tell me tell me what is going to be on your minds as you bring in Shabbat now what are some of the things that you're thinking about what are some of the things that you're gonna bring to your Shabbat table especially what's going on now what are some of the messages that you'll be sharing on Shabbat to keep reminding ourselves to remain positive to keep reminding ourselves that we're doing the best that we can and that we can't you know the outcome is beyond our control you know thank God we've all been getting along relatively well everybody's got their individual challenges for what's going on whether it be business school home making or taking care of the two new puppies that we got two weeks ago and you must be remember to be you know positive and mindful of the people that need us and to keep in touch with the people that need us amazing and any messages you have for the larger were old today as we we have thank God almost 500 people here together any message for everybody else as we start Shabbat like I just said we all need to keep our heads to keep reminding ourselves what with what we're grateful for it's not a coincidence what's happening right now in the timing that's happening right now and for everything that we're grateful for that we keep reminding ourselves that and act upon it when this is all over not to just go back to what we were doing every day I think that this is a very strong lesson a very strong challenge and I think that each of us have to take individually what we believe is the message being given to us and make sure that we follow through with that when hopefully thank god this is over very soon amazing well shabbat shalom to you guys thanks so much for being a part of our larger family we wish you health happiness and only good things and thanks for being a part of this broadcast I'd like to take it now too to New Jersey to meet an incredible family the Hirsch family to see how they're doing as they prepare themselves for Shabbat here they come oh my gosh they look awesome yeah ah how we doing over there we're doing great oh you guys look amazing tell me what's going on in the hearse tree only today today well right now we're prepping for Shabbos obviously or a lot of it's been done Lisa made these beautiful collars and even and even so it's really amazing to to have them all participating in this you know Shabbat is always really a oh it always has been a point of connection for us and here's my my daughter and her husband who are missing usually a lot of times they get here but this time they're not with us at least physically but they are watching so and I'm sure they're proud tell me what Shabbat means to you especially now what's going on in the world Tommy how Shabbat is impacting the family and what you what you're anticipating now as we bring in Shabbat together so so Shabbat as I mentioned Chaumont Shabbat has always really been a beautiful point of connection for us a time when we can when we come together in the best of times here what's interesting is we're spending our days in the same house so we're all on zoom' calls in different rooms and things as I was taking place so I was saying the house turns into it's like a transformer house it turns into a business and then it kind of turns back again and now as we were beginning to prepare for Shabbos there was cooking going on even's making dinner tonight and it's just it's really about loving togetherness i'm amidst all this I mean that hasn't changed I think that's a one beautiful constant about Shabbos is that it's about a love and connection and and family and we are still doing that the best we can amazing amazing any message that you'd like to share with the larger family as they bring in Shabbos together sure so so we were so happy to be an honor to be part of this and really the the message about connection goes even farther you know we had we do share a Jewish soul and so even though we're individual the fact that 500 people are watching now and we're able to connect our individual chávez's and spirituality and not just connect among ourselves and each other but to God you know it's really I know some of us are feeling loneliness and feeling the disconnection but we are all in this and there's so much more learning and beautiful things going on in the Shabbos guide that was produced for this it's just really a great step by step guide to that how to make this meaningful amazing well thank you so much and it's an honor to see you it's great to see you shabbat shalom and part of our larger family and I want to sort of really take what what was just said here and just so you mentioned for those that want to find out about this incredible guy that project inspired put together go to project inspire as website and they should have all the information over there but really what what this is about and where we are right now is really we're we're in this together the Jewish people whenever we hit challenge were taught we're told were instructed by our Father in heaven that whenever you had challenge you turned to me and you turn to each other there's a certain sense of togetherness that we have for one family we're one people we care for each other we look out for each other and we have been seeing some of the most incredible moments I mean I know that you have as well seen some of the incredible acts of kindness and charity people waiting and lying in cars to play a Shiva call because they couldn't get out for hours to drive by houses people in cars dancing at weddings in their cars for each other people donating medical supplies and food shopping for each other we get through things together because one of the most important lessons of challenge is that it reminds us that we are one we're one people we we feel for each other we dance with each other when one is in pain we're all in pain when we experience something like we're experiencing on a global level we start realizing that we're we're really one people and our differences start to fall away and so it should share with you a video that expresses that that that shows that in a way that only a musical video can we'd like to share with you this short musical song and video to really share this feeling that in truth we really are one you [Music] like a light leaves the fame in the darkness I keep calling out your name I know you're under stars I'm searching you are searching like light-years apart [Music] you just falling down falling down [Music] [Applause] [Music] hi I'm Rex whoa okay so that was for those who want to watch that video we'll send it to you before Shabbat that was a little clip a little glimpse of of what it means to be we are one we come from different places we go from we we look different but at the end of the day or one nation we're here together we're here for each other I want to turn to our next speaker our next speaker is a wonderful educator now from Cleveland Ohio Rebbetzin rookie Covell and her husband Rabbi Shmuley Koval our founders and spiritual leaders of the congregation and jfx she's also a trip leader for momentum represent Koval has been inspiring people for years and she's here to share a message on Shabbat mrs. Cobell hi everyone so wonderful to be here with Jews from all over the place it is my honor to be a part of this thank you so much project inspire for including me and thank you charge nected and isn't technology I'm getting how even during these really difficult times we're together we're connected were United we're it were all one it's really it's really something when I was a kid I used to come home from school every Friday and I would walk through the door of my home and I just knew Shabbat was coming I would smell that roasted chicken and that matzo ball soup the house was filled with the smells and the fields of Shabbat and then we would run around and get ready and it was time for my mother to light the candles and we would all Russia over from wherever we were in the home gather around the candles and my mother would strike that match and light each candle one for each child and she would wave her hands bring in the spirit of Shabbat cover her eyes say the blessing and pray for each one of us in turn now I follow that tradition in my home with my kids and no matter what's going on on Friday hey everybody's rushing everybody's going everybody's doing and when the time comes I call out okay I yell I'm lighting and everybody rushes from all over the house from wherever they are and from whatever they're doing and I strike that match and I light those candles one for each child and I wave my hands i wave in the spirit of Shabbat cover my eyes and behind my hands I pray for each one of my children that they may be safe that they may be happy that they may be healthy that they may fill this world with light and then one at a time I give each one of them a warm tight hug because maybe the whole week was busy and I didn't get to give each one a warm tight hug and make sure they know how much they mean to me and then the spirit Shabbat just spreads over the home like a blanket you can feel it you can feel the serenity it is visceral and it's Shabbat maybe you have a memory of a mother lighting Shabbat candles or maybe for you it was a grandmother or a great-grandmother but one thing I can tell you for sure somewhere back in your family somebody was lighting Shabbat candles and somebody was striking that match and praying for you praying for you her future descendant to be happy to be healthy to be safe and to carry on the tradition to usher in the spirit of Shabbat imagine yourself standing in the middle of the universe with your right hand stretched out to all the women who came before you your mother your grandmother your great-grandmother's to Esther in the Purim story to Deborah the judge to all the prophetess of Israel to Sara reach up Rachel Rebecca and Leah and your whole holding on to all those amazing strong committed women and now imagine that with your left hand you are reaching out to your daughters and to your daughters-in-law and to your granddaughters and their grandchildren all the way into the future and it is you who are the link in the middle that holds it all together it is you who are reaching back to all the women of the past and passing it forward to all the women of the future because there is probably no tradition that is more of a server role and more memorable in the heart and mind of a child than the tradition of someone lighting Shabbat candles in their home the Talmud teaches us that the reason we like Shabbat candles is to bring more peace into the home Shalom buy it peace in the home Shalom in the home because back until Munich times if you wanted to have a dinner Shabbat evening Friday night you couldn't turn on your candles because it was Shabbat so you have to light your candles before Shabbat in order to have in the home and that physical light would make it possible for everyone in the home to enjoy one another and to see one another and to joy enjoy their dinner and to become connected as a family now we don't need candles to have light but we desperately need that spiritual light more than ever and it is the women who filled a home with that atmosphere and the tenor that they exude and so it is entrusted to the women to light those candles and to fill the home with peace and with serenity and with tranquility it's our job there's a beautiful quote from one of the Hasidic masters rabbi zalman of Lee Adi and he said madmen ha or Dokic are bayman Ahuja a little bit of light chases away a lot of darkness I know it feels like we're living in dark times it can be scary there can be a lot of anxiety it can feel very restricting and limiting to be home and now more than ever here we are we're home there's nowhere else to go there's no shopping there's no sports there's no lessons there's no party there's no movies there's no death there's nothing all we have is the most important place our sanctuaries our homes and with a little bit of light we can dispel a lot of that darkness if we shut down all the news and we shut down all the texts and we shut down all the noise and we commit to just enjoying that little bit of light and to chase out the darkness for now and to just be together and connect to one another and to pray and to sing and to celebrate our Judaism and to celebrate as Charlie said so beautifully that we're in God's hands and this is God's world and we are stepping into God's space with Shabbat and in case you feel lonely today if you're home by yourself or perhaps just with one or two people or as some of the families mentioned there's loved ones that are not with us at home I want to share with you a beautiful beautiful idea from the Zohar the book of Jewish mysticism the book of Jewish mysticism says that the word NER which is candle in Hebrew has a numerical value every hebrew word every hebrew letter has a numerical value the numerical value of the word nair is 250 and the zohar says that 250 corresponds to the limbs of a woman but it then asks that the Torah says in many other places that every person has 248 limbs and it corresponds to different concepts in Judaism so where does the extra 2 come from and it answers so beautifully that when a woman laid Shabbat lights Shabbat candles when she strikes that match when she ignites each one when she fills her home with peace God Himself as it were stands next to her and wraps his arms around her and embraces her with love and it is 248 is the woman plus 2 God's arms that are connecting and lighting candles right along with her so you are in good hands you are in good company you can do just as my mother did as I do as God willing all of our descendants will do to strike that match to light each candle - welcome to the spirit of Shabbat to cover our eyes to pray from the bottom of our hearts with everyone whom we love everyone who needs healing with the entire universe to be okay and to learn some really important messages from it go ahead to the project inspire website check out the guide to see exactly how to how to go ahead lighting those candles and I'm with all of you we will be lighting Shabbat in lighting the Shabak handles in spirit together shabbat shalom - everyone Thank You Roberta Nicole Vela was unbelievable and it's so what an image if I could just mention for those that are here of just the thought that the creator himself our Father in Heaven coming down and wrapping his hands around us the embrace the light that gets brought into this world from Shabbat candles and how it fills into our homes and it fills into the hearts into the lives of our loved ones both with us physically and just with us spiritually and that's really what Shabbat can do for us that's why it is like the famous thing saying goes more than we keep Shabbat Shabbat keeps us we thank you for those kind words and for those words of wisdom Rabbids in and I know that as each of us go into this Shabbat whether we're lighting the candles or we get the benefit of thee of that wonderful light will feel like we've got a little bit of a closer embrace to the creator of humanity now I want to go out to California from wake we're moving our way west we start on the East Coast we make a brief stop in Cleveland Ohio and then we go all the way to LA it's amazing what could happen on zoom to one of the great performers a close friend of mine my she she Storch a person who for those who were at a project inspire conference I believe a year ago in California we had the good fortune of being together there and maybe she has been a performer in multiple places throughout the entire country but in particular this week especially as the world has gone through zoom now revelation welcome to the show thanks for being on and if you can share us a little bit your perspective before you begin to share your song with us before you take us into Shabbos through your music if you could share a couple of words of well what this week was like for you as a performer what you were experiencing what you've been seeing from from your computer screen throughout the entire world of course of course charlie thank you so much it's really an honor to be a project inspire and Charlie this this question is such a great question because I've I've been challenged with you know cancellations of events a lot of travel and a lot of things got canceled but you know every morning the first thing that we say is modeh ani thankful am i that you return to me my soul again and then we say Robin would assess how the goddess faith in me you know he believes in my potential so okay what am I here to do today you know I have to be grateful today as well even with Corona even when lacking everything so for me it's been amazing I've been finding how zoom virtual concerts I've been reaching people I've never reached I have now guitar lessons that I give to people I've never given before I have so much more of a stronger reach a broader reach to people and I feel that I've been performing I performed at a bris meal a circumcision party today they would have not had music if it wasn't for Corona net I just feel it there's so many things to be grateful for obviously sensitive to all the things that are hard as well thank you for that and so if you can just take us into Shabbos with your music take this into Shabbos that's how we operate as Jews we're together we dance we sing we tell jokes we eat we have a couple of things that just make us us and one of the ways in which we we celebrate is through joy that's that gives God an enormous month of pleasure and he sees his children even especially in times of insecurity fighting through whatever whatever darkness that may be in front of us and bringing him the joy through ourselves and through our song so please take us in to Shabbos with a little bit of your of your music a little bit of your joy of course of course I want to piggyback on Mulrooney Covell sad so beautifully Shibata is a time for peace lighting the candles is about peace I'm sure we all know this song we've heard it before if not now's the time we ask God to make peace just like he does up there in Heaven's we asked him to make peace down here below the same way I assess shuttle beam it oh my we are [Music] the Quahog is nice they may do [Music] oh yeah [Music] not [Music] I'm a God answer that blessing of peace and today as it's Friday and we're going into Shabbat we all sing about peace we welcome in our angels our beautiful angels to come be with us on Shabbat [Music] Oh be [Music] we can't hear you but we can see you so sing along with me [Music] you mean that I find me by [Music] we star [Music] I am grateful I'm poor she's a woman of Valor oh yes we pray [Music] you know it's all about gratitude it's all about gratitude so right now Tellem alayhim welcoming the blood angels all about peace all about you know thinking our wives and most importantly thanking us Shem so the beautiful gift he's given us every single day Thank You Hashem for the past Thank You Hashem for the present yeah Thank You Hashem for every day and for what I know what I know is coming [Music] I'm thinking with all my [Music] damn [Music] this Russian with that being a server with [Music] wherever you are sing along sing along these simple words they go like this they go like this survive share with happiness go serve Hashem with happiness Russian with a penis Hashem with a penis Oh shop is gone - Shabbos go - I love Shabbos go - wishing you all hey beautiful Shabbos kinda thank you very much you have thank you so much for who you are for what you do for the joy that you bring to our people and for being here tonight and that's our show I want to thank everybody for being a part of it and I want to just wish everybody a wonderful Shabbos may we have a Shabbos that's filled with safety and security yeah we have a Shabbos in which when we're bringing in the Angels for shell of my life and we should have in mind to bring in the angel Raphael the angel of healing to come into our homes and to make it filled with only strength and health maybe we have a Chaba stead we look at the ones around us and we think Hashem that we have them and the ones that we want near us and we hope that they get to be with us soon and we have a Shabbos where we realize that man we the luckiest we have Hashem we have the creator of the universe as our dad when we're in times of challenge we get to go to the source we have each other this week was an explosion of learning of of kindness our people know how to do this and we realize that this is not just any Shabbos this is the Shabbos before Passover this is the Shabbos we call Shabbos Haggadah which means the great job is because a rabbis teach us that the light the energy the spiritual energy of the holiday starts to come in on the Shabbos beforehand and what we have really is the light of Passover coming into our homes now and Passover is the holiday of the story of the Jewish people life was okay and it got a little hard then I got really hard we called out to God and he came he came for us he saved us do you know why because he loved us he didn't ask us are you a big rabbi yes he didn't ask if are you perfect because our dad for the dads and moms that are watching when you look at your children you want the best from them you you ask of them not because you need it for you you want it for them you don't love your kids because you love your kids period for the kids that are watching your parents really do gods our dad we say Avinu Malky know our father our King and he wants us to be great and he wants us to grow he wants us to take this period of time and become better there's no more back to normal we don't go back to normal from here we go forward to greatness we don't just have things in our lives to just press pause whatever goes on is there to teach us to be bigger to be stronger to be greater to be more connected to be kinder but he wants us to do those things for us he doesn't love us if he loves us period the first time we saw that as a nation was this week when God showed up he took us out just because we asked them to just because we called him just because we said we want to be connect you and I got to tell you the Jews in Egypt didn't know how to do it didn't even get the tour yet they just wanted to know how to do it and if we sit here on Shabbat and we take advantage of the fact that the world has finally slowed down for a minute like the entire world had Shabbat now we breathe in we have a quiet moment where we get to spend time with each other but we get to also spend time with our Creator and we get to say things to him in our own language like I want to understand you I want to be closer to you you're my dad you're my mom you're my parent I want to live a life where I get to walk out of here and be with you you know we had a as you know my kids have this game when I take him up to the Mount of the mountains and they would climb up these monkey bars and fall back into my arms and the beginning I would make them do it and then they would start to love it because there's nothing better than a little kid falling back into the arms of their parents I think that's the opportunity we have right now to realize that Shabbat the day where God says just fall back into my arms and if we could walk in this way and condition ourselves this way and when this whole thing ends and hopefully it will soon in a good way we get to live our lives in our father's arms shabbat shalom the job is for me and mine to you and yours may we see times of joy and happiness peace and security and we dance together and we sing together may we be the generation that God performs miracles for even greater than what he did during the days of Passover may we be able to see a time where he reveals himself to the whole world and we get to sing and dance and join not only just our brother and sisters but the entire world [Music] just falling down falling down I'll pick you up and if you feel [Music]