Turn Friday into Erev Shabbos #219 - Envelop Yourself in Shabbos

Good Arab Shabas and a very happy log bommer. Today is not Friday. Of course, today is Arab Shabas and we're turning our Friday into Arab Shabas together. I want to thank our generous sponsors who sponsored the series in memory of Rabb Jonathan Saxi Benavid. This week, Par will read the paramo. We're going to read the story of the many holidays. One of my mentors, one of my dear friends and teachers, freedman, used to love to say to his children, to others, what's the next Jewish holiday? What's the next Jewish holiday? So, if you're watching this, likely you would say shabus. But he'd say wrong, these are the holidays. And then the Torah and our para begins with Shabas. Shabas is a holiday. It's a holiday. It's not a concession. It's not something we have to observe. It's not a burden. Shabas is a yontiff. It's a holiday. It's a moed. It's an appointed time, a rendev point to connect to Hashem and to the people around us. And we have to lean in and embrace it and love it and count not down to it. Count up to it. Maybe that's why the Torah tells us for six days do your work. The seventh day is Shabas. Why does the Torah have to introduce it? Six days do work and then tell us the seventh day of Shabas. If Shabas is the Mora, if Shabas is the source of blessing in our life, Shabas is purpose and meaning and happiness and joy. Shabas we disconnect to connect to what matters start with Shabas and then tell me six days of the week I work I mentioned this in the para class explains that when communicating when educating when inspiring others particularly children you don't start with a rule of a list of things you can't do don't do can't do offlimits out of bounds don't start with the shabas the 39 categories of creative labor not allowed can't do start with six days of the week go conquer go experience the world six days of the week you engage the world engage nature then the seventh now we get to our 39 categories of creative labor now we get to our list of things that you can't do so first the Torah tells us six days here's all the do and then we'll give you the list of the things that you can't do others explain Torah here is communicating writes that work is not a concession it's not that we work because we have to we work because we are adding value we're shaping and molding the world we're repairing and redeeming reality ity we are making the world in Hashem's image and so it's not seventh day rest and then if you have to if you need to go work for six days six days the work that we do it matters it means something it has value it has meaning we're contributing we're participating and then seventh day is seventh day is shabas but the other reason is because we're not counting down we're counting up we don't start with six days left five days left similar to what the says also about Omar in our para Omar we're going to stand at the mountain together and receive the Torah we don't count down normally the end of school's coming how many days left finish the finals almost done with work going on vacation so normally you count down to something and yet when it comes to standing at the base of that mount when it comes to when it comes to we count up we're adding numbers says the because normally when you count down you're looking to find relief to be done to be finished to put something behind you done with school, done with work, done with finals. Here we're counting up because we're not counting away. We're counting towards. We're adding, we're increasing, we're growing, we're elevating, we're building, we're progressing, we're doing so much more. So similarly, we don't say 5 days left, four days left, three days left. Say today's day one, day two, day three. We're making our days mean something by climbing in them through all the way up to get to Shabas. It's not that Shabas we rest and relax. So we can go back to work. We work all those six days so that we can have Shabas. Shabas is Shabas is the purpose, the mission, the goal. Shabas is the reason we do everything that we do. It's the it is the essence. So it's introduced with and then the Torah tells us our same it should be Shabas in all of your dwelling places. It should be Shabas wherever you go. The quotes that the He said the holiest the most beloved mitzvah that he had the greatest affection for was why? Because a person enters the you enter the mitzvah with all of your being with all of your essence with all of yourself even with your shoes. That's beautiful is beautiful. You enter with your whole thing. Problem is you're only in the suka while you're in the suka. And if you take a step out of the you're no longer in the said I love Shabas even more. Why? Because unlike the you step out of so wherever you are it's Shabas. When you enter Shabas tonight when the sun goes down when you enter Shabas you're in Shabas wherever you are. Some people listening or watching are unfortunately not where they want to be. People in a hospital or people in a rehabilitation home. There are people who are on a business trip and couldn't make it back. There are people who are not where they want to be. But unlike the suka, a person, first of all, a Jew is always where they're meant to be. Embrace your place. But more than that, the Shabas is wherever we are. In a hotel, in a hospital, wherever we find ourselves, we can transform and elevate. We can bring the energy and the atmosphere of Shabas. And when we do, I want to teach you an incredible teaching quot on Friday night. We don't say good night. People finish eating at your home, you're saying goodbye. And sure, you don't say have a good night. Good night. What do you say? Good shabas. So ordinarily say good night. Why on Friday night do you only say good shabas? You don't say good night. Says the hugabas or shabas. There is no night from when the sun sets on Friday until mo shabas the 24 25 hour period of shabas it's all light if you're lit up if you bring light into shabas then doesn't say when it comes to shabas Friday night it is more illuminated it's more lit up it is lighter than all the rest of the week and that's why we have of shabas yom yum Shabas is a day that there's no night. Normally there's night or day. There are parts of the world in the summer that the sun barely sets maybe if not at all when shabas ends or what a fast day looks like. Well, even if you're not in Iceland or Greenland, even if you're not in that part of the world where the sun never sets for a yid, winter or summer, no matter what season, shabas, the light never goes out. There is no night. Yum. Yum. Yum. Yum. On Shabas, it is a day that's all without shabas. That light is illuminating. So on Friday night, you don't say good night like we did the other times of the week. Good night. Have a good night. You say good shabas because there is no night. Let's all have a beautiful Shabas. Now music can be playing again. Singing and dancing, singing our song. Let's get ready for Shabas by turning Friday into Shabas. Let there be light in all of our dwelling places. Wherever we are, wherever we may find ourselves to bring and to turn it into to transform it to the light of Shabas. Let's immerse ourselves unlike the suka. You step out. Shabas is with us wherever wherever we may find. Let's count up those six days of the week to the pinnacle, the tacless, the essence, all that. Don't pass out on Shabas. Don't neglect your family and yourself. Shabas is not the time to pass out. Shabas is the payday. It's what you've been working for. It's what you've been counting up to. It's what this is all about. It's the ofas should be a shabas that brings Yeshua. The hostages should come home. Our soldiers should be safe.