Why gratitude changes EVERYTHING | Turn Friday into Erev Shabbos #243

[music] [singing] [music] >> Welcome back to Inside Out. >> [music and singing] [music] >> The fact is that it's Shabbos Kodesh and we are here to turn our Friday into Erev Shabbos. I want to thank our generous sponsor, our dear friends Mindy and Tzvi Hersh Fishman who sponsored this kiddush in memory of Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks of blessed memory and also in memory of Mindy's father who recently passed away in the Shamash of blessed memory and a leah. I want to learn with you a piece, a beautiful piece from the brand new Nezer of Parsha in Sefer Bereishis of Rav Avraham Shur Shlita Sefer Halacha L'Amaleh and here he quotes a beautiful Rabbeinu Bachya. The pasuk in our parsha, our parsha Vayechi Yaakov is giving brachos to his sons, to his children. What's highlighting the beauty, the best in each of them, challenging them to be the best version of themselves. And in the parsha, Yaakov tells Yehuda, Yehuda tell Yeduucha Achicha. Yehuda, Yeduucha Kol Yisrael are called Yehudim says the Medrash, Al Shem Shel Yehuda. The Medrash in our parsha says that we are called Yehudim, Yidden, Jews all because we follow in the footsteps of Yehuda. Yehuda, Hodah means to admit. Yehuda admitted when he was wrong but more than that or also with that, as Rav Shmuel says, Yehuda comes from Hodah Hapanim Odeh Es Hashem. Yehuda was grateful. And we have within us, each of us have within us the capacity and attitude Not to see what's missing, to see what's there. Not to see what we need, to see what we have. Not to see what to complain about but to see what to be grateful for. Yehudim, Yehuda, we are a people and we are grateful. Listen to this Rabbeinu Bachya. In the bracha to Yehuda in our parsha Vayechi, every letter of the Hebrew alphabet, the Aleph-Beis is used chutz mi'ot Zion. The letter Zion, the seventh letter of the alphabet is missing. Why says Rabbeinu Bachya? Because Yehuda was number seven of the patriarchs. Avraham, Yitzchak, Yaakov, Reuven, Shimon, Levi, Yehuda. Number seven in the count is Yehuda. So therefore, Zion is missing in the bracha to Yehuda. Moreover, the Yehuda who connects Yom Shvi'i Shel Shabbos says the Rabbeinu Bachya, says Rabbeinu Bachya, also Zion seven is missing. Why? Because Yehuda corresponds with Shabbos and Shabbos is Zion, Shvi'i. That's why on Shabbos Mizmor Shir L'Yom HaShabbos, Tov L'Hodos L'Hashem. The song we sing on Shabbos is the Tov L'Hodos, it's good to be grateful to Hashem. How do we know that? Yehuda, Yehuda who is number seven and Yehuda corresponds with number seven and Yehuda therefore in the bracha to him, there is no reference to seven because that is Yehuda. Shabbos is a time of gratitude. Shabbos is a time to look and to see not what's missing, not what we need, not what to work, rest. What we have, what we need. We're good to go. We're grateful. Hashem, Ribono Shel Olam, thank you. Yes, all week long we're fighting, we're pursuing, we're chasing. All week long we're working to get more. All week long we're working to fix, to repair, to redeem. Come Shabbos, all we have is gratitude. I see what I have. I'm grateful for what's there. Shabbos is the bechina of Malchus says Rav Shur, K'neged Yom Zion Shel Shavuos K'neged Midah Shel Shvi'is. Because the seventh day of the week corresponds with the seventh midah and that's the midah of Malchus. Midas Malchus Tuv Acharei De'Ishtalei Me'igum Klum. Shabbos is Milah Shel Shav. Shabbos, the root of the word Shabbos is Shav, to return. Hakol Shav L'Shorasho. Everything returns to its root. Everything returns to its source. Everything returns to its beginning. Every Shabbos we return to being grateful. Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, I need more. I want more. I'm working towards more. I'm fixing. I'm repairing. I'm pursuing. I'm chasing. I'm on a mission. Come Shabbos, I return to just being grateful. Menuchas Hanefesh. Bo Shabbos Bo Menucha. I have what I need. I'm happy. No complaints. No work. No effort. All there is is the attitude of gratitude. Shabbos is Yehuda, Hodah, Yehudim, Yidden. Moshe Davened on Yehuda, Shma Shem Kol Yehuda Ki Yehuda Hu Koach Tefilah Tikun HaPeh. Because Yehuda is Lashon Hakodesh, Yehuda is the capacity B'Shabbos Zochrin L'Koach Daber Davar Shabbos Kodesh L'Daber Dibur L'Kodesh Baruch Hu. Shabbos is the day that we find the power of speech to Hashem. And what's the speech to Hashem? Two words. Thank you. Thank you, Hashem. Yam Diram Dam Dam. Thank you, Hashem. That's what Shabbos is all about. Yehuda, Yehudim. Yehuda is the seventh of the Avos. Yehuda is corresponding with number seven, the seventh day of the week. Seven is missing from the bracha to Yehuda because Shabbos is all about being Yehuda, being Modah, being Yehudim, being Yidden, being grateful. So here's how we turn Friday into Erev Shabbos. Already on Friday, start to make your gratitude list. Already on Friday, start to think about things you're grateful for. And come Shabbos, this great day of Malchus, the great day of Yehuda, the great day of Yehudim, the great day of gratitude, Shabbos is a time we come together with whoever's at our table, family, friends, guests, we're hosted elsewhere, and mention something you're grateful for. It's an amazing exercise for the Shabbos table. What a beautiful thing to introduce to every family, to go around and everyone from the past week you're grateful for. Something that worked out you didn't think would. Something that came that you didn't think was going to happen. Something that is ordinary and expected and yet you want to show that nevertheless you won't take it for granted. Shabbos is the time of gratitude, the attitude of gratitude. That's why it's the day of Yehuda and that's how we turn our Friday into Erev Shabbos by identifying and listing and expressing and articulating what we're grateful for. Mizmor Shir L'Yom HaShabbos. The song we sing for Shabbos is Tov L'Hodos L'Hashem. Tov L'Hodos, it's good to be Modah to Hashem. Tov L'Hodos L'Hashem. So all of us, I'm grateful to you for listening and watching. I'm grateful to you for learning with me. And as we go into Shabbos, it should be a Shabbos of gratitude, Shabbos of appreciation, Shabbos of Yehuda, Shabbos of Yidden, Shabbos of Tov L'Hodos L'Hashem. Have a wonderful Shabbos. Stay happy. Stay healthy. >> [music] [singing] [music] [singing] [music] [singing]